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

Garage / Parking at 95.9% based on 5,449 decisions.

What is hardest to get planning permission for in Southwark?

HMO at 84.8% based on 164 decisions.

How do approval rates vary by project type in Southwark?

From 95.9% (Garage / Parking) to 84.8% (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 11.1% — that's the difference between near-certainty and a coin flip. What you build matters as much as where you build it.

30,054 real decisions·17 project types·Updated June 2026

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All 17 project types ranked

#	Type	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Garage / Parking	5,449	5,228	221	95.9%
2	New Build	1,494	1,429	65	95.6%
3	Hip-to-Gable Conversion	180	170	10	94.4%
4	Side Extension	1,824	1,720	104	94.3%
5	Basement	3,571	3,365	206	94.2%
6	Extension (General)	2,915	2,744	171	94.1%
7	Wraparound Extension	418	393	25	94.0%
8	Annex	117	110	7	94.0%
9	Dormer	2,767	2,575	192	93.1%
10	Front Extension	114	106	8	93.0%
11	Outbuilding	1,156	1,073	83	92.8%
12	Conservatory	257	238	19	92.6%
13	Rear Extension	3,909	3,603	306	92.2%
14	Flat Conversion	837	764	73	91.3%
15	Change of Use (Residential)	2,217	1,986	231	89.6%
16	Loft Conversion	2,162	1,916	246	88.6%
17	HMO	164	139	25	84.8%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A garage / parking application has a 95.9% approval rate. HMO? Just 84.8%.
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What the data tells us

The range is massive: 84.8% to 95.9%. 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

1,992 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 30,054 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 present. Full methodology →