BR6 · Orpington, Farnborough & Chelsfield
BR6 reaches the Farnborough Village and Chelsfield conservation areas and the rural Green Belt around Downe and Cudham, where new building is tightly restricted. Suburban Orpington keeps permitted development rights for many projects; Green Belt and conservation status are the constraints that decide the rest.
Location data: postcodes.io · Constraints: planning.data.gov.uk (borough-level) · Open Government Licence
Constraint context · Bromley
Real · planning.data.gov.ukBromley has 69 designated conservation areas and 0 Article 4 areas. A district is too coarse to say which apply to your house — postcode districts span many streets and BR6 crosses 2 boroughs. Enter a full postcode below for the point-level check, or read the full borough picture on the Bromley planning guide.
Is BR6 in a conservation area?
No conservation-area geometry from the official dataset falls within 1km of the centre of BR6. That is not a guarantee for your own address — designations are drawn street by street, and the national dataset's coverage varies by borough. Check the exact address before you rely on permitted development.
Does an Article 4 direction apply in BR6?
The national dataset holds no Article 4 geometry within 1km of the centre of BR6. Treat that as unknown, not as “none”. The national dataset is known to omit property-specific directions, so the only safe answer is to verify on the council's own register for Bromley before assuming a permitted-development right still exists.
Every designation in the borough: Bromley planning guide →
Do you need planning permission in BR6?
Three routes exist, and which one you are on is decided by your address, not your postcode district:
| Permitted development — no application. The work stays inside the GPDO limits and no designation removes them. A Lawful Development Certificate is cheap proof for a future buyer. | No permission |
| Prior approval — the larger single-storey rear extension route, with neighbour consultation. Not available on designated land. | 42 days |
| Full householder application — required once a designation removes your permitted-development right, or the scheme exceeds the limits. | 8 weeks |
No conservation-area or Article 4 geometry from the national dataset falls near the centre of BR6, which makes the permitted-development route more likely here than in designated parts of London — but the dataset omits some property-specific directions, so confirm at your own address before relying on it.
What does planning permission cost in BR6?
| Householder planning application | £548 (from 1 April 2026) |
| Lawful Development Certificate — proposed works | £274 (half the application fee) |
| Lawful Development Certificate — existing works | £548 (the full application fee) |
| Listed building consent | No fee |
| Resubmission after a refusal | Free once, within 12 months of the decision |
National statutory figures for England — councils do not set them, so they are the same in every borough. Planning fees re-index every 1 April; confirm the current amount on the Planning Portal fee calculator before you apply. These are the council's fees only — drawings, surveys and any specialist reports are separate.
How long does it take?
| Householder application — statutory target | 8 weeks |
| Householder application — in practice | 8–12 weeks |
| Prior approval (larger home extension) | 42 days |
| Lawful Development Certificate | 8 weeks |
| Householder appeal — deadline to lodge | 12 weeks from the decision date |
| Householder appeal — typical decision | Around 18 weeks |
What if it's refused?
A refusal is a decision notice with reasons attached, and those reasons are a roadmap. Most homeowners in Bromley — as anywhere in England — are better served by amending the scheme and using the free resubmission than by appealing: you get one further application on the same site within 12 months without paying again.
| Who can appeal | The applicant only — not neighbours |
| Fee to appeal | None — you bear your own costs |
| Procedure | Written representations for most householder appeals |
| Success rate | Roughly a third — about 36% of householder appeals allowed in 2025/26 |
Appeals go to the Planning Inspectorate, an independent national body. How to read a refusal and choose your route →
Planning permission by project in Bromley
Interwar semis in Bromley, Beckenham and Orpington extend routinely under PD; conservation areas and the Green Belt's disproportionate-addition limits are the exceptions.
Rear extension in Bromley →Workable where Victorian terraces survive in Penge, Beckenham and Bromley; conservation and Green Belt designations are the constraints to check.
Side return extension in Bromley →A staple on the interwar suburban stock; the borough's roof-alteration Article 4 and conservation areas can require permission for some dormers — check first.
Loft conversion in Bromley →Less common on the borough's generous-plot stock; a full application with structural and ground-condition evidence is expected, with Green Belt and conservation limits on top.
Basement extension in Bromley →The borough's large suburban gardens are ideal for garden rooms under PD; Green Belt and conservation areas are where outbuilding rights tighten.
Garden room in Bromley →Pinpoint your street
More of Bromley
London's largest, greenest borough; Green Belt, leafy suburbs and an upward-extension Article 4.
Borough page →Planning Permission Checker provides planning and cost intelligence for early feasibility only. It is not legal, planning, valuation, architectural, structural, or surveying advice. All estimates are indicative and must be verified by qualified professionals before purchase, design, planning submission, or construction.
Cost estimates are indicative only — not a quotation. Final price depends on survey, specification, structure, access, party wall matters, VAT, professional fees, and contractor availability.
Planning outcomes are not guaranteed. Local planning authorities make final decisions.