Southwark is 48 conservation areas packed into a borough that runs from the Thames at London Bridge down through Bermondsey, Peckham, Camberwell, and Dulwich. The range is extraordinary - warehouse conversions at Shad Thames, Georgian terraces in Camberwell Grove, Victorian villas in Dulwich Village, and twentieth-century housing estates that are themselves becoming conservation areas. It's one of the most extensively designated boroughs in London, which means your chances of being in a conservation area are higher here than almost anywhere.
If you are, the PD rules tighten. This page covers the local picture.
Southwark has 48 conservation areas - one of the highest counts in London. If you own a Victorian terrace in Peckham, a Georgian house on Camberwell Grove, or a property in Dulwich Village, you're very likely in a designated area. In these areas, a rear dormer needs a planning application and a side extension isn't PD. Single storey rear extensions within the standard depth limits remain permitted development. The council has a rolling programme of producing appraisals for all 48 areas - the appraisal for your area is worth reading before you design anything.
Check your property using Southwark Maps.
Southwark's Sunray Estate conservation area is covered by an Article 4 Direction that brings certain forms of normally permitted development under planning control. For other conservation areas, the standard designated land restrictions apply.
The Dulwich Estate (managed by the Dulwich Estate Governors, a charitable trust established by Edward Alleyn in 1605) operates its own design controls on top of the council's conservation area restrictions. If your property is on the Dulwich Estate, you need the Estate's approval as well as any planning consent.
Our free eligibility check identifies whether your property is in a conservation area or other designated area - the first thing to establish before planning any work.
Southwark's Victorian terraces - Peckham, Camberwell, Nunhead, East Dulwich - are among the most actively extended in south London. The typical project is a rear extension combined with a kitchen renovation, or a loft conversion with a rear dormer. The conservation area density means many of these projects need a planning application for the dormer component, even where the rear extension is PD.
For the full national rules, see our guides on extensions, loft conversions, and outbuildings.
Check your property at southwark.gov.uk. Submit planning applications through the Planning Portal. The current householder fee is £548.
Southwark-specific
The Dulwich Estate operates design controls independent of the planning system. If your property is on the Estate, you need both council planning permission (where required) and Estate approval. The Estate has its own design guidance and its own surveyor. Budget for this additional approval process in your timeline and costs.
Southwark has been actively designating new conservation areas, including twentieth-century housing estates. If your property is on a post-war estate, it may have been recently designated or may be under consideration. Check the council's website for updates on proposed conservation areas.
PD Assessment Tool
Southwark has 48 conservation areas - check whether your property is in one before you commit to a design. If your property is on the Dulwich Estate, you'll need the Estate's approval as well. The free eligibility check identifies your conservation area status.
Free eligibility check. Full assessment £47.
Conservation area count verified against Southwark Council's published records. National PD rules verified against the GPDO 2015 (as amended). Fees confirmed as of 1 April 2026. This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Local planning policies and Article 4 directions can change - always check the council's website for the most current information.
April 2026