Free planning check
Free Wandsworth planning permission check
Check in 23 seconds whether your Wandsworth project needs planning permission, and what the council has approved near you. Phase 1 planning drawings: standard rear or side extensions from £995 and loft conversions from £1,495, paid only when the council approves. Council and Portal fees are paid separately at submission.
About the planning data
Checked against 20.6 million UK planning applications on file across 420 planning authorities. Approval rates from 2,343,419 decisions we classified across 181 councils in England.
46
Conservation areas
around 500
Listed buildings
Wandsworth approval rates by project type
Historical approval rates in our archive, grouped by project type. These describe recorded decisions, not the chance of approval for your proposal. Checked against 20.6 million UK planning applications on file across 420 planning authorities. Approval rates from 2,343,419 decisions we classified across 181 councils in England.
| Project type | Approval rate | Decided |
|---|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | 93% | 2,373 |
| Two-storey rear extension | 90% | 1,463 |
| Wraparound extension | 94% | 426 |
| Side extension | 94% | 1,560 |
| Loft conversion and dormer | 89% | 2,067 |
| Rooflight | 92% | 461 |
| Outbuilding and garden room | 91% | 149 |
| Porch | 89% | 123 |
| Garage conversion | 90% | 31 |
| Basement | 95% | 2,592 |
| Window and door | 93% | 1,376 |
A rate is only shown where at least 8 applications of that type were decided; smaller samples are shown as unknown. Withdrawn and undecided records are excluded. These figures cover all recorded years, including records without a year. Full Wandsworth approval rates.
Planning in Wandsworth
Start with the rules for your property, then compare projects like yours. London Borough of Wandsworth's planning register lets you check a neighbouring scheme's drawings, decision notice and conditions. A nearby approval can help you understand the council's approach, but different site constraints can change the outcome.
For a home in a conservation area, read the relevant conservation area appraisal alongside the Local Plan. For a listed building, check both planning permission and listed building consent. Use the council's current records to confirm the boundary and any Article 4 direction.
Planning issues to check before you apply
Use your drawings to show how the proposal addresses the site and the council's policies:
- The extension's height, depth and position relative to neighbouring windows and boundaries.
- Privacy, daylight and the amount of usable outdoor space left after the work.
- Materials, roof form and any effect on the character of a conservation area or listed building.
- Protected trees and any site-specific flood or basement constraints.
- Conditions on earlier permissions that may restrict what you can build.
This is a checklist for the proposal, not a ranking of local refusal reasons. The council's decision notice explains the reasons for an individual refusal.
Wandsworth council resources
Authoritative Wandsworth planning sources you can cross-check:
- Wandsworth on planning.data.gov.uk (the council entry in the national planning data platform; coverage varies by dataset)
- London Borough of Wandsworth planning policies (check the current Local Plan and supporting guidance)
- London Borough of Wandsworth planning application search (look up a specific application or see recent decisions)
Application guidance in Wandsworth
Use Wandsworth's 2023 Local Plan together with the Partial Review adopted in March 2026, which replaces six housing policies. The council's application guidance links its Local Validation Checklist and flags new requirements for some small residential developments; check the requirements for your application type.
- Wandsworth Article 4 directions
- Wandsworth conservation area appraisals and maps
- Wandsworth application requirements and validation checklist
- Wandsworth adopted Local Plan and 2026 Partial Review
Sources reviewed . Check the source maps, wording and effective dates against your property and proposed work.
Check requirements for new homes separately from extensions
Wandsworth links its Local Validation Checklist, sustainability guidance and CIL information from its application page. It also flags affordable-housing contributions for some small residential developments from 28 July 2026. If your scheme creates homes, confirm which requirements apply rather than treating it as an ordinary house extension. Read the council guidance.
What reviewed local decisions show
These examples use official planning records. Each identifies the decision date and links to the evidence reviewed. They are not Planning Approvals projects or a prediction for another property.
17 Hereward Road: rear depth was not the only PD test
2025/4535 · Register records prior approval refused, 23 January 2026
The council recorded that the proposal extended beyond an original side wall and exceeded half the width of the original house, failing the cited Class A side-extension limitation. It therefore did not qualify through the submitted prior-approval route.
What to check: Check the original house footprint and every relevant limitation, including side width. This refusal concerns that PD route; it is not a decision that a full planning application for the site could never succeed.
Read the planning register entry · Read the council refusal reasons
Related guidance: Rear extensions · Side extensions · Prior approval
40 Skeena Hill: revisions addressed the earlier refusal
2025/0047 · Register records approval with conditions, 22 May 2025
The May committee report compared the scheme with an earlier refusal and dismissed appeal. It described a shallower, lower rear extension and removal of the bulky hipped-roof element from the side addition. The register records the revised householder scheme as approved with conditions and CIL liable.
What to check: Use the earlier decision to identify the particular bulk and neighbour impacts to address. A smaller scheme can be assessed differently, but the changes and outcome here are not a promise of approval elsewhere.
Read the planning register entry · Read the officer report (PDF)
Related guidance: Rear extensions · After a refusal
Check the planning register for the issued notice, exact conditions and any later appeal or revised application. A committee resolution is not a substitute for those documents.
Application records to compare
Selected archive records, not a representative sample or a prediction for your address. The descriptions below are archive excerpts and may be shortened; read the original decision and plans before relying on them.
- 2025/0938 · Recorded approved (2026)
Alterations including erection of single-storey rear extension
Open the council record for 2025/0938 - 2025/2778 · Recorded approved (2026)
Alterations including erection of single-storey rear extension and single-storey garden office in rear garden. Replacement of existing windows with new timbe...
Open the council record for 2025/2778
Compare the property type, works and application route. A scheme involving flats or several alterations is not directly comparable to a simple house extension. Read the archive's coverage and limitations.
Prepare for your planning application
Questions about planning in Wandsworth
Do I need planning permission for my project in Wandsworth?
Some house extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings can use permitted development rights in Wandsworth, but size alone does not establish eligibility. Check the property type, previous extensions, planning conditions and the rules for the proposed work. Householder rights do not apply to flats. Conservation areas and Article 4 directions restrict particular rights; they do not automatically require an application for every change. Listed building consent is a separate requirement for works affecting a listed building's special interest.
How long does Wandsworth Council take to decide a planning application?
The usual statutory period for a householder planning application is 8 weeks from a valid application, unless a longer period is agreed. This is a decision period, not a measured average for Wandsworth. Preparing drawings and validation take additional time. Larger home extension prior approval has a 42-day procedure; other prior approval routes have different periods.
What is the planning approval rate in Wandsworth?
It depends on the project type. 93% of 2,373 decided single-storey rear extension applications in Wandsworth were approved. 89% of 2,067 decided loft conversion and dormer applications in Wandsworth were approved. Checked against 20.6 million UK planning applications on file across 420 planning authorities. Approval rates from 2,343,419 decisions we classified across 181 councils in England. Every project type is on the Wandsworth approval rates page.
Are there Article 4 directions in Wandsworth?
Check London Borough of Wandsworth's published directions for your address and proposed work. An Article 4 direction removes only the permitted development rights specified in that direction, within its defined area. Its map, wording and effective date matter. It does not mean every alteration needs a full planning application.
Read the official guidance on when permission is required, listed buildings and conservation areas and planning decision periods.
Approval rates are computed from 2,343,419 decided applications across 181 councils, published by each council. Local reference counts last reviewed 11 April 2026. The free check is guidance from the public record, not a council decision.