Lewisham planning approval rate
Lewisham council approved 82.9% of planning applications and refused 17.1%, based on 25,675 decisions analysed. Ranked 30th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
82.9%
overall approval rate
25,675
Decisions analysed
21,297
Approved
4,378
Refused
38
Wards covered
Planning in Lewisham? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Lewisham. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
84.7%
83.6%
57.8%
100.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Lewisham, mined from 25,675 proposal descriptions.
75.6%
83.0%
83.6%
84.2%
79.3%
81.6%
82.5%
75.9%
82.2%
82.9%
61.1%
84.9%
83.3%
88.8%
69.1%
60.3%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Lewisham. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Brockley
83.9%
Catford South
71.2%
Crofton Park
82.7%
Lee Green
82.5%
Forest Hill
77.9%
Ladywell
81.4%
Blackheath
85.1%
Perry Vale
80.3%
Telegraph Hill
83.2%
Sydenham
77.8%
Rushey Green
77.2%
Lewisham Central
78.1%
New Cross Gate
89.7%
Grove Park
74.4%
Downham
70.2%
Evelyn
85.5%
Bellingham
77.2%
Hither Green
72.8%
LEWISHAM CENTRAL
98.2%
BROCKLEY
97.8%
Wards in Lewisham
Brockley
83.9% approval · 1,532 decisions
Catford South
71.2% approval · 1,402 decisions
Crofton Park
82.7% approval · 1,329 decisions
Lee Green
82.5% approval · 1,313 decisions
Forest Hill
77.9% approval · 1,305 decisions
Ladywell
81.4% approval · 1,289 decisions
Blackheath
85.1% approval · 1,260 decisions
Perry Vale
80.3% approval · 1,251 decisions
Telegraph Hill
83.2% approval · 1,201 decisions
Sydenham
77.8% approval · 1,129 decisions
Rushey Green
77.2% approval · 1,114 decisions
Lewisham Central
78.1% approval · 1,034 decisions
New Cross Gate
89.7% approval · 955 decisions
Grove Park
74.4% approval · 924 decisions
Downham
70.2% approval · 815 decisions
Evelyn
85.5% approval · 703 decisions
Bellingham
77.2% approval · 657 decisions
Hither Green
72.8% approval · 621 decisions
LEWISHAM CENTRAL
98.2% approval · 487 decisions
BROCKLEY
97.8% approval · 450 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Lewisham, showing how the council decides real applications.
None
Construction of front and rear dormer roof extensions, facade alterations and al · Forest Hill · 12/08/2026
None
The installation of 3 replacement casement windows and all associated works at t · Brockley · 12/08/2026
None
The change of use of 16 Inchmery Road, SE6 from a dwellinghouse currently operat · Catford South · 12/08/2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Lewisham, 1 in 6 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Lewisham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Lewisham →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Lewisham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 25,675 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Lewisham
What is the planning approval rate in Lewisham?
Based on 25,675 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Lewisham approved 82.9% of applications and refused 17.1%. The council is ranked 30th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Lewisham?
Lewisham refuses 17.1% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 6. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 25,675 decided applications since 2020, 4,378 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Lewisham have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Lewisham are in DOWNHAM (100.0%), GROVE PARK (100.0%), and EVELYN (99.5%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Lewisham?
The most common planning application types in Lewisham are: Other (17,848 decisions, 84.7% approved), Full (6,231, 83.6%), and Prior Approval (1,469, 57.8%).
How long does a planning application take in Lewisham?
Planning applications in Lewisham take an average of 9.3 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 21,347 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Lewisham decides approximately 4,279 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Lewisham?
You can search planning applications in Lewisham directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 25,675 historical decisions in Lewisham to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Lewisham calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Lewisham's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.