Which ward in Lewisham has the highest planning approval rate?

DOWNHAM at 100.0% based on 88 decisions.

Which ward in Lewisham has the lowest planning approval rate?

Whitefoot at 67.5% based on 421 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Lewisham?

There is a 32.5% gap between DOWNHAM and Whitefoot. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Lewisham

Planning outcomes in Lewisham are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 32.5% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

25,419 real decisions·38 wards·Updated June 2026

All 38 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	DOWNHAM	88	88	0	100.0%
2	GROVE PARK	132	132	0	100.0%
3	EVELYN	214	213	1	99.5%
4	NEW CROSS	301	299	2	99.3%
5	PERRY VALE	233	231	2	99.1%
6	LEE GREEN	176	174	2	98.9%
7	BELLINGHAM	140	138	2	98.6%
8	FOREST HILL	304	299	5	98.4%
9	RUSHEY GREEN	356	350	6	98.3%
10	LEWISHAM CENTRAL	487	478	9	98.2%
11	CATFORD SOUTH	199	195	4	98.0%
12	BROCKLEY	450	440	10	97.8%
13	TELEGRAPH HILL	265	259	6	97.7%
14	WHITEFOOT	73	71	2	97.3%
15	CROFTON PARK	254	247	7	97.2%
16	SYDENHAM	239	232	7	97.1%
17	BLACKHEATH	195	189	6	96.9%
18	LADYWELL	175	169	6	96.6%
19	New Cross Gate	954	856	98	89.7%
20	Evelyn	699	597	102	85.4%
21	Blackheath	1,240	1,055	185	85.1%
22	Brockley	1,512	1,267	245	83.8%
23	Telegraph Hill	1,189	989	200	83.2%
24	Crofton Park	1,312	1,084	228	82.6%
25	Lee Green	1,294	1,067	227	82.5%
26	Ladywell	1,273	1,035	238	81.3%
27	Deptford	309	251	58	81.2%
28	Perry Vale	1,238	994	244	80.3%
29	Sydenham	1,125	877	248	78.0%
30	Lewisham Central	1,028	802	226	78.0%
31	Forest Hill	1,287	1,002	285	77.9%
32	Rushey Green	1,102	851	251	77.2%
33	Bellingham	645	496	149	76.9%
34	Grove Park	908	673	235	74.1%
35	Hither Green	597	435	162	72.9%
36	Catford South	1,383	985	398	71.2%
37	Downham	803	563	240	70.1%
38	Whitefoot	421	284	137	67.5%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in DOWNHAM but face serious resistance in Whitefoot.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 32.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. DOWNHAM approves 100.0% of applications while Whitefoot approves just 67.5%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

4,334 planning applications in Lewisham have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Lewisham planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 25,419 planning decisions in Lewisham, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Lewisham Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →