Planning and building regulation drawings in Streatham (SW16)
SW16 splits neatly into two very different building conditions. Streatham, closer to the High Road and the Common, is dense terraces and mansion blocks with a conservation boundary threaded through the middle of it. Norbury, further south and straddling the Croydon and Lambeth border, is looser suburban streets of Edwardian and interwar semis and terraces, much of it built to a wider plot than anything near the Common. Homeowners in one part of the postcode often assume the rules that apply to their neighbour a mile away apply to them too, and that assumption causes more delay than almost anything else we see.
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- London Borough of Lambeth granted 81% of 610 householder applications
- Drawings in about 7 days
Around Streatham Common, the conservation areas covering Leigham Court Road, the Leigham Court Estate, Sunny Hill and Streatham Lodge Estate keep a tight grip on roofs, materials and how a house presents to the street. Streets off Mitcham Lane and Streatham Common North sit inside one of these boundaries more often than not, so a scheme that would sail through permitted development elsewhere needs a full application here, drawn with the character of the area in mind rather than treated as a formality. Norbury, by contrast, is largely free of that layer. Danbrook Road, Hepworth Road, Guildersfield Road and Arragon Gardens fall outside any conservation boundary, which is why rear extensions, loft conversions and garage conversions on the planned Norbury Estate's surrounding streets are so often achievable without a planning application at all. The exception sits around Norwood Grove and the Norbury Estate itself, where the same conservation-style controls that shape Streatham reappear on a smaller scale.
We start every SW16 project by placing the address against these boundaries, because the difference between a permitted development scheme and a full application changes both the fee and the programme before a single line gets drawn.
Planning in Streatham: what to know before you apply
Lambeth, which covers the Streatham side of the postcode, runs an Article 4 direction against HMO conversions in parts of the borough and holds firm control over materials and rooflines inside its conservation areas, a pattern that shows up strongly around the Common. A good number of the flats and mansion blocks near the High Road also carry shared-structure and leasehold considerations that need resolving alongside the planning route, not after it. Croydon, responsible for Norbury, applies its own HMO Article 4 directions in designated wards and protects conservation areas including Upper Norwood and South Norwood, but away from those pockets the borough tends to leave more permitted development headroom intact, particularly on the semi-detached streets with generous side space. We check the conservation status and the relevant council for every SW16 instruction before recommending whether an application is needed at all.
Applications are decided by London Borough of Lambeth — its planning pages.
Does your Streatham project need planning permission?
Streatham (SW16) in numbers
What London Borough of Lambeth has decided, and what SW16 is built of — the two facts that shape every job here.
Householder planning decisions — London Borough of Lambeth
Streatham (SW16) applications are decided by London Borough of Lambeth; these are its published householder figures for the last four quarters.
| Householder applications decided2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 610 |
|---|---|
| Granted | 496 |
| Refused | 114 |
| Grantedof 610 decisions · England 90% | 81% |
| Decided within 8 weeksof 397, excluding prior approvals | 95% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Permitted development prior approvals — London Borough of Lambeth
How the larger-home-extension route has fared with London Borough of Lambeth, which decides SW16 notifications.
| Larger home extension prior approvals — not required2024 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 38 |
|---|---|
| Prior approval granted | 37 |
| Prior approval refused | 40 |
| Grantedof 77 determined | 48% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Planning appeals — London Borough of Lambeth
Refusals in SW16 can be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate; this is London Borough of Lambeth's householder appeal record.
| Householder appeals determined2021–2026 | 208 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 70 |
| Allowedof 208 · England 36% | 34% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions — London Borough of Lambeth
Register counts for London Borough of Lambeth. A count describes what the council has published, never a rank against another council.
| Conservation areas in the register62 dated, 1968–2009 | 65 |
|---|---|
| Article 4 directions in the register | 12 |
| Areas covered by an Article 4 direction | 223 |
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
What SW16 is built of
Residential building form across Streatham (SW16), from 471 classified buildings — the fact that decides party walls, side returns and loft headroom before any policy does.
| Attached on more than one side | 53% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 38% |
| Detached | 9% |
| Median building footprint | 69 m² |
| Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate | 1.68 |
| Buildings classified | 471 |
Source: Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database (derived statistics). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Extracted 2026-09-22.
- Day 0Measured survey of your Streatham property — or your existing plans if you have them.
- About 7 daysDrawings issued for your approval. Free redraws until you are happy.
- SubmissionWe validate against London Borough of Lambeth’s checklist and submit on your behalf.
- Council: 8-week targetHouseholder applications carry an 8-week statutory target. London Borough of Lambeth decided 95% of 397 recent householder applications inside it.
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Drawings we prepare in Streatham
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Streets and neighbourhoods in SW16
Nearby postcode districts
Streatham (SW16) — FAQs
Which part of SW16 needs planning permission for an extension, and which doesn't?+
Is Norbury part of Lambeth or Croydon for planning purposes?+
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