Lewisham Council approves 82.4% of planning applications, based on 19,510 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Lewisham sits 2.6 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,356 decided applications, Lewisham Council approved 83.8% of planning applications in 2025. Across 19,510 decisions on record (January 1987 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Lewisham is 82.4%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Lewisham council planning portal records · Data to 25 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Lewisham.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 15,226 | 2,747 | 17,973 | 84.7% |
| Full | 5,274 | 1,035 | 6,309 | 83.6% |
| Prior Approval | 864 | 623 | 1,487 | 58.1% |
| Trees | 84 | 0 | 84 | 100.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 25 | 6 | 31 | 80.6% |
| Listed Building | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 4 | 0 | 4 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 3 | 0 | 3 | 100.0% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brockley | 1,739 | 258 | 1,997 | 87.1% |
| Catford South | 1,209 | 414 | 1,623 | 74.5% |
| Forest Hill | 1,322 | 295 | 1,617 | 81.8% |
| Crofton Park | 1,353 | 239 | 1,592 | 85.0% |
| Lewisham Central | 1,286 | 236 | 1,522 | 84.5% |
| Lee Green | 1,271 | 233 | 1,504 | 84.5% |
| Perry Vale | 1,247 | 249 | 1,496 | 83.4% |
| Rushey Green | 1,228 | 261 | 1,489 | 82.5% |
| Ladywell | 1,237 | 247 | 1,484 | 83.4% |
| Telegraph Hill | 1,269 | 208 | 1,477 | 85.9% |
| Blackheath | 1,273 | 197 | 1,470 | 86.6% |
| Sydenham | 1,118 | 261 | 1,379 | 81.1% |
| Grove Park | 826 | 242 | 1,068 | 77.3% |
| New Cross Gate | 857 | 98 | 955 | 89.7% |
| Evelyn | 819 | 104 | 923 | 88.7% |
| Downham | 666 | 243 | 909 | 73.3% |
| Bellingham | 651 | 154 | 805 | 80.9% |
| Hither Green | 467 | 171 | 638 | 73.2% |
| Whitefoot | 355 | 139 | 494 | 71.9% |
| Deptford | 264 | 59 | 323 | 81.7% |
| New Cross | 299 | 2 | 301 | 99.3% |
How Lewisham’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 10.6pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Lewisham council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| None Rushey Green | Installation of replacement windows with double-glazed uPVC windows in the front | Approved |
| None Catford South | Installation of replacement timber windows and a front door in the front elevati | Approved |
| None Rushey Green | Installation of replacement windows with double-glazed uPVC windows on the front | Approved |
| None Rushey Green | Installation of replacement windows with double-glazed uPVC windows in the front | Approved |
| None Rushey Green | Installation of replacement windows with double-glazed uPVC windows in the front | Approved |
| None Forest Hill | Installation of replacement double-glazed windows and doors at 5 Westwood Park S | Approved |
| None Blackheath | Installation of replacement double-glazed aluminium casesment windows at ground | Approved |
| None Grove Park | The provision of a vehicular crossover and driveway in the front garden at 434 B | Refused |
| None Perry Vale | Construction of a hip to gable roof, raising of the roof ridge by 400mm, constru | Approved |
| None Brockley | Roof works including the replacement of roof coverings, associated battens, memb | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Lewisham's 19,510 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Lewisham's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Lewisham's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Lewisham. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 19,510 real decisions from Lewisham council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Lewisham's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 19,510 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Lewisham is 82.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 19,510 planning decisions from Lewisham council. 16,078 were approved and 3,432 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 1987 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Lewisham is 82.4%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Lewisham? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.