Loft conversion in Greenwich
Do you need planning permission for a loft conversion in Greenwich?
Routine on the terraces and semis of Charlton, Eltham and Plumstead under permitted development outside conservation areas. Inside a conservation area, dormers are scrutinised through a full application. Building regulations always apply.
Routine on the terraces and semis of Charlton, Eltham and Plumstead under PD; the conservation areas scrutinise dormers.
Rear dormers are a standard space-adder on unconstrained stock. In conservation areas and Article 4 streets, rear-facing, well set-back dormers have a better record than box forms or front alterations. Listed roofs in the historic core may need listed building consent as well as planning.
What actually applies in Greenwich
Conservation areas in Greenwich
Real · planning.data.gov.uk14 designated areas are recorded in the official dataset for this borough without published names. The area report still checks an address against their real boundaries — see the council's own conservation-area and Article 4 pages for the named schedules.
Source: planning.data.gov.uk · Open Government Licence · 14 recorded.
Article 4 directions in Greenwich
Real · planning.data.gov.ukNo Article 4 geometry for Greenwich appears in the national planning.data.gov.uk dataset, but the Royal Borough operates householder Article 4 directions in a number of its conservation areas — among them the Ashburnham Triangle, West Greenwich, East Greenwich, the Rectory Field, the Shrewsbury Park Estate and the Progress Estate — removing permitted development rights so that visible external alterations need planning permission. The Residential Extensions, Basements and Conversions Guidance SPD sets the design rules. Check the council's Article 4 pages for the position at a specific address.
Source: planning.data.gov.uk · Open Government Licence. Checked at address level by the area report.
Prices: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, January 2026 · Open Government Licence.
The planning route — PD or permission?
Permitted development (GPDO Class B) allows roof enlargements up to 40m³ on terraced houses and 50m³ on semis and detached — enough for a substantial rear dormer — provided nothing projects beyond the roof plane of the principal elevation, materials are similar, and dormers sit back from the eaves. Class B is excluded in conservation areas.
In conservation areas the route is a full application, and roof form decides it: rear mansards with traditional slate and proportioned dormers have a strong record on Victorian terraces; box dormers and front-facing alterations are the classic refusals. Article 4 directions (Muswell Hill is the local example) pull roof works into planning control even where conservation policy alone might not.
Whatever the route, building regulations approval is always required — fire escape, stair geometry and floor structure — and a Lawful Development Certificate is cheap insurance on PD schemes.
Permitted development limits — loft conversion
| Roof volume added — terraced house | Up to 40m³ |
| Roof volume added — semi-detached or detached | Up to 50m³ |
| Principal (street-facing) roof plane | No extension beyond it |
| Dormers | Set back from the eaves; materials similar |
| Conservation areas | Class B excluded — full permission |
| Flats | Always need permission |
| Building regulations | Always required, whatever the planning route |
Limits summarise the General Permitted Development Order (Schedule 2, Part 1) as it applies in London. In Greenwich, a conservation area, Article 4 direction or listed status changes the route — the panels above show what is designated, and the address check confirms what applies at your property.
How much does a loft conversion cost in Greenwich?
| Cost per m² (low — rooflight conversion) | £3,000 |
| Cost per m² (expected — rear dormer) | £3,700 |
| Cost per m² (high — mansard, conservation spec) | £4,500+ |
| Typical project (20–28m² with bathroom) | £86,000 – £180,000 |
| Professional fees, surveys, party wall (add) | 8–15% of build |
Mansards in conservation areas sit at the top of the range — natural slate, lead detailing and officer negotiation all cost. Ranges calibrated from real project data; VAT excluded.
Realistic timeline
| Design and drawings | 4–6 weeks |
| PD route (Lawful Development Certificate) | 4–8 weeks |
| Full application (conservation areas) | 8–12 weeks (8-week statutory target) |
| Party wall award | 4–8 weeks (parallel) |
| Build | 10–14 weeks |
What catches people out in Greenwich
Headroom and stair position still filter schemes early. Front-facing and oversized box dormers are classic refusals on protected streets.
Postcode districts in Greenwich
SE10 is the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage core — the Old Royal Naval College, Queen's House and Royal Observatory — wrapped by the West Greenwich, East Greenwich and Ashburnham Triangle conservation areas, several with Article 4 directions.
SE10 — Greenwich & Maritime Greenwich →SE3 covers the Blackheath and Westcombe Park conservation areas around the heath (Blackheath is shared with Lewisham).
SE3 — Blackheath & Westcombe Park →SE7 is Charlton — the Charlton Village conservation area around Charlton House and the Rectory Field, which carries an Article 4 direction.
SE7 — Charlton →SE9 is Eltham — home to the Progress Estate, a celebrated First World War garden suburb with an Article 4 direction, and Eltham Palace nearby.
SE9 — Eltham →SE18 covers Woolwich, the Royal Arsenal riverside and the Shrewsbury Park Estate conservation area (which carries an Article 4 direction) above Plumstead.
SE18 — Woolwich & Plumstead →SE2 covers Abbey Wood and the Thamesmead fringe, mainly in Greenwich with a Bexley edge.
SE2 — Abbey Wood & Thamesmead fringe →SE28 is Thamesmead — later twentieth-century stock and estate layouts in Greenwich (with a Bexley edge), different from the Victorian terrace belts further west.
SE28 — Thamesmead →Loft conversion in Greenwich, asked straight
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in Greenwich?
How much does a loft conversion cost?
What designs get approved in conservation areas?
Is building regulations approval required?
Can I convert a loft in the historic core?
What applies at your address?
Borough-level rules only narrow it down. Enter a Greenwich postcode for the live constraint check — conservation area, Article 4 and sold-price comparables, cited to source.
Free, and it stays free — no account, no payment. The check reads official geometry at the property's own coordinates; listed status, lease terms and the state of the building all sit outside it.
Who to talk to about a loft conversion in Greenwich
A loft conversion is a design-and-consent job first: someone has to draw it and take it through Greenwich's planning route. The neighbour, condition and party wall side is separate work and a different profession — which is why there are two doors here, not one.
A loft conversion turns on roof form, height and the permitted-development or full-application route — all design decisions.
- Residential design for extensions, lofts, basements and conversions
- Planning applications, pre-application advice and appeals
- Lawful development certificates
- Building-regulations and technical design drawings
- Conservation-area design and listed building consent applications
Work to a party wall (steels into the shared wall) needs a party wall notice and usually an award.
- Building surveys, RICS home surveys and defect diagnosis
- Party wall matters and awards
- Technical due diligence before a purchase
- Leasehold and major-works advisory (Section 20)
- Dilapidations and building pathology
Both practices are independent and separately regulated — Hampstead Chartered Surveyors & Building Consultancy is an RICS-regulated firm (Firm Reg. 923064); Hampstead Architecture and Planning are ARB-registered architects. We publish no fees for their work: each quotes directly for the job in front of them. Your enquiry goes to the practice you choose — we never pass your details to builders or other third parties.
Planning terms on this page
Conservation Area · Article 4 Direction · Permitted development · Full planning · Party wall · Building regulations · LDC
Plain-English definitions · full planning glossary →
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.