What type of planning application is most likely to be approved in Southwark?

Garage / Parking at 96.1% based on 5,593 decisions.

What is hardest to get planning permission for in Southwark?

HMO at 85.1% based on 168 decisions.

How do approval rates vary by project type in Southwark?

From 96.1% (Garage / Parking) to 85.1% (HMO). What you build matters as much as where you build it.

Most Common Planning Applications in Southwark

Not all planning applications are created equal. The gap between the highest and lowest approval project type in Southwark is 11.0% — that's the difference between near-certainty and a coin flip. What you build matters as much as where you build it.

23,560 real decisions·17 project types·Updated September 2026

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All 17 project types ranked

#	Type	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Garage / Parking	5,593	5,374	219	96.1%
2	New Build	1,538	1,467	71	95.4%
3	Annex	122	116	6	95.1%
4	Side Extension	1,869	1,765	104	94.4%
5	Basement	3,655	3,449	206	94.4%
6	Wraparound Extension	436	411	25	94.3%
7	Extension (General)	2,980	2,805	175	94.1%
8	Hip-to-Gable Conversion	184	173	11	94.0%
9	Dormer	2,845	2,651	194	93.2%
10	Front Extension	118	110	8	93.2%
11	Conservatory	260	241	19	92.7%
12	Outbuilding	1,201	1,112	89	92.6%
13	Rear Extension	3,997	3,688	309	92.3%
14	Flat Conversion	840	764	76	91.0%
15	Change of Use (Residential)	2,247	2,007	240	89.3%
16	Loft Conversion	2,209	1,962	247	88.8%
17	HMO	168	143	25	85.1%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A garage / parking application has a 96.1% approval rate. HMO? Just 85.1%.
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What the data tells us

The range is massive: 85.1% to 96.1%. Choosing the right project type — or framing your application correctly — can dramatically affect outcomes.

Visibility drives scrutiny. Project types that change the external appearance — dormers, loft conversions, hip-to-gable — face more resistance than those that don't. The more visible your proposal, the more carefully it needs designing.

These are council-wide averages. Your ward, your street and your immediate neighbours all shift the odds. The comparable decisions near your property are the best indicator of outcome.

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

1,642 planning applications in Southwark 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 Southwark planning data

Nearby councils project type rankings

Methodology: Classifies 23,560 decisions in Southwark into residential project types using keyword matching against proposal descriptions (matching generate_site_data.py subtype rules). A single application may appear in multiple categories. Data from Southwark Council's public planning portal, January 2020 to September 2026. Full methodology →