Lewisham Council approves 82.9% of planning applications, based on 24,367 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. Lewisham sits 5.0 percentage points below the national average.
Enter your postcode for a personalised approval likelihood score — 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 | 14,616 | 2,632 | 17,248 | 84.7% |
| Full | 4,755 | 950 | 5,705 | 83.3% |
| Prior Approval | 821 | 593 | 1,414 | 58.1% |
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.
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 | 1,208 | 234 | 1,442 | 83.8% |
| Catford South | 932 | 379 | 1,311 | 71.1% |
| Crofton Park | 1,023 | 221 | 1,244 | 82.2% |
| Lee Green | 1,004 | 220 | 1,224 | 82.0% |
| Forest Hill | 936 | 268 | 1,204 | 77.7% |
| Ladywell | 967 | 232 | 1,199 | 80.7% |
| Perry Vale | 948 | 232 | 1,180 | 80.3% |
| Blackheath | 985 | 182 | 1,167 | 84.4% |
| Telegraph Hill | 937 | 194 | 1,131 | 82.8% |
| Sydenham | 828 | 246 | 1,074 | 77.1% |
| Rushey Green | 774 | 239 | 1,013 | 76.4% |
| Lewisham Central | 776 | 224 | 1,000 | 77.6% |
| New Cross Gate | 844 | 97 | 941 | 89.7% |
| Grove Park | 641 | 225 | 866 | 74.0% |
| Downham | 535 | 228 | 763 | 70.1% |
| Evelyn | 576 | 100 | 676 | 85.2% |
| Bellingham | 477 | 142 | 619 | 77.1% |
| Hither Green | 380 | 150 | 530 | 71.7% |
| LEWISHAM CENTRAL | 478 | 9 | 487 | 98.2% |
| BROCKLEY | 440 | 10 | 450 | 97.8% |
| Whitefoot | 284 | 137 | 421 | 67.5% |
| RUSHEY GREEN | 350 | 6 | 356 | 98.3% |
| FOREST HILL | 299 | 5 | 304 | 98.4% |
| NEW CROSS | 299 | 2 | 301 | 99.3% |
| Deptford | 230 | 49 | 279 | 82.4% |
Showing top 25 of 38 wards by volume. Your Pro Report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →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 |
|---|---|---|
| DC/25/142285 Crofton Park | The installation of replacement PVCu windows to the front and rear elevations at | Approved |
| DC/25/142181 Bellingham | Construction of a detached, one-bedroom, single storey plus roofspace chalet bun | Approved |
| DC/25/142058 Blackheath | The installation of replacement double glazed uPVC casement windows and sliding | Approved |
| DC/25/141252 Sydenham | Alterations and conversion of 357-359 Sydenham Road SE26, change of use of vacan | Refused |
| DC/25/140660 Telegraph Hill | Part demolition and change of use of existing live-work premises (Sui Generis) t | Approved |
| DC/25/142287 Hither Green | Construction of a single-storey rear extension at 49 Minard Road, SE6. | Approved |
| DC/25/142073 Forest Hill | Construction of a single-storey rear extension and all associated works at 25 Ne | Approved |
| DC/25/142144 Catford South | Construction of a dormer roof extension to the rear outrigger, installation of a | Approved |
| DC/25/141946 Brockley | An application for listed building consent for internal and external alterations | Approved |
| DC/25/142054 Crofton Park | Construction of a roof extension in the rear roof slope together with the partia | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your Pro Report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Lewisham's 24,367 real decisions. Delivered by email in minutes.
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Based on 24,367 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Lewisham is 82.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. However, rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 24,367 planning decisions from Lewisham council. 20,192 were approved and 4,175 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Lewisham is 82.9%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the PlanningLens free postcode check to get a personalised score.