DISTRICT

SE16 · Rotherhithe & Surrey Quays

Borough coverage

SE16 covers the St Marys and Edward III's Rotherhithe conservation areas, the Surrey Quays redevelopment and the Wilson Grove cottages. Tenure near the docks is flat-heavy — flats carry no permitted development rights — so confirming tenure and any lease (licence to alter) is the first step.

Boroughs
Lewisham, Southwark
Wards spanned
8
Centre
51.4966, -0.0532
Southwark conservation areas
55

Location data: postcodes.io · Constraints: planning.data.gov.uk (borough-level) · Open Government Licence

Constraint context · Southwark

Real · planning.data.gov.uk

Southwark has 55 designated conservation areas and 371 Article 4 areas. A district is too coarse to say which apply to your house — postcode districts span many streets and SE16 crosses 2 boroughs. Enter a full postcode below for the point-level check, or read the full borough picture on the Southwark planning guide.

CONSERVATION

Is SE16 in a conservation area?

Partly — and which part matters. A postcode district is never uniformly designated: SE16 contains 5 conservation areas within 1km of its centre, and whether your own property sits inside one decides whether permitted development survives. The centre point of SE16 itself does not fall inside one — but many of its streets will.

Edward III's RotherhitheNearby
St Marys RotherhitheNearby
Wapping PierheadNearby
Wapping WallNearby
Wilson GroveNearby

Conservation areas whose official geometry lies within 1km of the centre of SE16. Source: planning.data.gov.uk · Open Government Licence. Proximity to the district centre is not a statement about your own address — run the address check for that.

ARTICLE 4

Does an Article 4 direction apply in SE16?

Yes — SE16 has 45 Article 4 directions mapped within 1km of its centre. An Article 4 direction withdraws specific permitted-development rights on the streets it covers, which is the most common reason a project that looks like permitted development turns out to need a full application. The centre point of SE16 does not fall inside one, but coverage is street-level — verify your own address.

Albion Public HouseNearby
ANCIENT FORESTERSNearby
Canada Water Major Town CentreNearby
CHINA HALLNearby
FARRIERS ARMSNearby
Little CrownNearby
MOBY DICKNearby
Protected shopping frontage SF17: Jamaica RoadNearby
Protected shopping frontage SF18: Jamaica RoadNearby
Protected shopping frontage SF19: Albion StreetNearby
Protected shopping frontage SF22: Lower Road and Plough WayNearby
Protected shopping frontage SF25: Ilderton RoadNearby
Protected shopping frontage SF5: The BlueNearby
Railway ArchesNearby
Site allocation NSP13: Biscuit Factory and CampusNearby
Site allocation NSP15: Chambers WharfNearby
Site allocation NSP70: Hatcham Road, Penarth Street and Ilderton RoadNearby
Site allocation NSP78: Rotherhite GasometerNearby
Site allocation NSP79: St Olav's Business Park, Lower RoadNearby
Site allocation NSP80: Decathlon Site and Mulberry Business ParkNearby
Site allocation NSP81: Harmsworth Quays, Surrey Quays Leisure Park, Surrey Quays Shopping Centre andNearby
Site allocation NSP81: Harmsworth Quays, Surrey Quays Leisure Park, Surrey Quays Shopping Centre and Robert’s CloseNearby
Site allocation NSP82: Croft Street DepotNearby
Small HMO Northern ExtensionNearby
SPIL1: Discovery Business ParkNearby
SPIL2: Galleywall and Bermondsey Trading Estates, Bermondsey railway arches and Rotherhithe BusinessNearby
SPIL2: Galleywall and Bermondsey Trading Estates, Bermondsey railway arches and Rotherhithe Business EstateNearby
SPIL3: Admiral Hyson Trading EstateNearby
St James of BermondseyNearby
STANLEY ARMS PUBLIC HOUSENearby
Surrey Canal Triangle MELNearby
SURREY DOCKSNearby
The Angel at RotherhitheNearby
THE BLUE ANCHOR P HNearby
The Blue Local Town CentreNearby
The BrunelNearby
The Caulkers (Yellow House)Nearby
The GregorianNearby
THE MAYFLOWERNearby
The Salt QuayNearby
The ShipNearby
The Winnicott (formerly Old Justice)Nearby
Wapping Lane 1Nearby
Wapping Lane 2Nearby
WHELAN'S FREE HOUSENearby

Article 4 directions whose official geometry lies within 1km of the centre of SE16. Source: planning.data.gov.uk · Open Government Licence. The national dataset omits some property-specific directions — the council register is always definitive.

Every designation in the borough: Southwark planning guide →

ROUTE

Do you need planning permission in SE16?

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

SE16 contains mapped conservation-area or Article 4 geometry, so a meaningful share of its streets will have lost some permitted-development rights — which pushes those properties onto the full-application route. Whether yours is one of them is an address-level question, not a district-level one.

FEES

What does planning permission cost in SE16?

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 consentNo fee
Resubmission after a refusalFree 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.

TIME

How long does it take?

Householder application — statutory target8 weeks
Householder application — in practice8–12 weeks
Prior approval (larger home extension)42 days
Lawful Development Certificate8 weeks
Householder appeal — deadline to lodge12 weeks from the decision date
Householder appeal — typical decisionAround 18 weeks
REFUSED

What if it's refused?

A refusal is a decision notice with reasons attached, and those reasons are a roadmap. Most homeowners in Southwark — 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 appealThe applicant only — not neighbours
Fee to appealNone — you bear your own costs
ProcedureWritten representations for most householder appeals
Success rateRoughly 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 →

PROJECTS

Planning permission by project in Southwark

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NEARBY

More of Southwark

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.

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