Southwark
Planning & Building Contacts

Around 35 conservation areas include Bankside, Borough, Bermondsey, Camberwell, Dulwich Village and Peckham. The Thames riverside from Bankside to Canada Water is subject to intense development pressure and specific design policies. Elephant and Castle is a major regeneration Opportunity Area. Dulwich Village and the Dulwich Estate have distinctive planning policies - the Dulwich Estate Scheme of Management applies to much of the Dulwich area and is administered separately. Peckham town centre is an active regeneration area.

Building regulations approval is required for most structural work, extensions, loft conversions, new windows and heating system changes. You may use either the council's own building control service or a private Approved Inspector. For listed buildings, building control must be coordinated with Listed Building Consent requirements.

Dulwich Picture Gallery (Grade I, Sir John Soane) is the world's oldest purpose-built public art gallery. Southwark Cathedral (Grade I) anchors the historic Borough Market area. The remains of Winchester Palace (Scheduled Monument, Grade I) are a significant medieval survival in Bankside. The Dulwich Estate's unique governance (managed under a statutory scheme) gives it one of the most distinctive planning contexts in London. Around 35 conservation areas protect a wide range of historic environments. Listed Building Consent is required in addition to planning permission for any works to a listed building that would affect its special architectural or historic interest, including internal works.

Thames tidal flood risk is significant for the northern riverside areas, particularly Bankside and Bermondsey. Parts of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe lie within Flood Zone 3. The Grand Surrey Canal (now largely infilled) creates some residual surface water issues. A Flood Risk Assessment is required for development in flood risk zones. Check also the Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) requirements for all major development.