How easy is it to get planning permission in London? – How to increase your chances of approval.

If you’re looking to apply for planning permission, where you live will have an impact on how likely you are to be approved. So how easy is it to get planning permission for your property if you live in London?

On average 86% of planning permission applications are granted in England with the City of London being the ‘easiest’ place to get approved but the likelihood in London as a whole varies from borough to borough. The chances of obtaining planning permission also depends on a number of factors including any potentially negative impact your build could have on the local neighbourhood and the preparation of your proposal. 

If you’re looking to renovate in The City of London you’re in a prime position with a rate of 98.7% of requests being successful this year. But how does this compare to other London boroughs?

The ‘hardest’ places to get your planning proposal approved in London and the surrounding areas of Kent and Essex are those shown below. 

Approval Rate (%)

1 Enfield 65.1%

2 Hillingdon 66.0%

3 Harrow 69.5%

4 Hounslow 71.2%

5 Greenwich 71.5%

6 Lambeth 73.5%

7 Rochdale 74.0%

8 Southend-on-Sea74.5%

9 Newham 76.0%

10 Bromley 76.8%

So what can you do to improve your chances? Thorough preparation is key as is the quality of your proposal, the accuracy of your designs and seeking advice from the appropriate professionals will all play a part in you achieving a successful planning application.

Each area will have their individual planning limits, construction codes and areas of interest for their development goals so it’s important to research and familiarise yourself with these before getting started.

Here are some examples of key things to consider when planning your proposal. 

• Take the time to get good-quality designs drawn up by professionals to present the strongest level of accuracy for your project.
• Get a qualified specialist to help you – reach out to relevant professionals well ahead of you project to prevent any technical issues you may not have thought of.
•  Make sure you read up on any important planning policies that can directly affect your project and get yourself up to speed on those in your specific area. This is also important to establish a good working relationship with your planning officer from the off as they will be responsible for your application.
• Take the time to be considerate of your neighbours by letting them know of anything in the plans that could affect them. Even if these feel like minor details it’s important that everyone is kept up to speed. With this in mind, it’s also important to consider your neighbourhood as any plan that could largely affect views and environments is not likely to be passed.
• Lastly, we would advise that once your drawings have been completed, you yourself understand them and can make sure they suitably fit your needs, goals and the overall space available to you.

But even after following all of the above, there are still small pitfalls which could prevent your permission from being granted. Some of the most common mistakes involved in applying for planning permission in London are easily avoided and include,

•  Failure to correctly estimate the cost of your extension and going over budget.
•  Failure to apply before the deadlines.
• Failure to correctly estimate time frames.
• Changing plans after the work has started.
• Inaccurate and incomplete plans and even plans that are not correctly signed and dated.

We understand that planning an extension can feel like a lengthy and difficult process but with the right preparation, it doesn’t have to be a complicated one. Should you have any questions about getting started and how we can help you achieve your goals feel free to get in touch and one of our friendly professionals will be able to advise further.