The planning information office offers help and advice on all aspects of planning for buildings, whether it’s a new build or the alteration, extension or change of use of an existing building.
Guidance and application forms are available for domestic and commercial properties and for those that are listed or in a conservation area.
Our Design Practice Guides help to ensure that your plans fit in with the Council’s main planning policies.
How Lewisham deals with planning applications
In accordance with a policy set by the Council we notify neighbours and other potentially interested parties of many of the applications that we receive. This is done by individual letters that we send and notices that the applicant will display on the site. Anybody may comment on an application but the comment can only be considered if it refers to a planning related issue.
Comments will be acknowledged and the planning officer will consider the observations. In the event of an application being revised then notification of the alterations will be circulated to interested parties. Any comments will be summarised in the officer's report which will be available for public inspection. Comments cannot be treated as confidential and are available for inspection by the public and applicant or their agent.
Senior planning officers under delegated authority decide the majority of applications. But if a proposal is to be reported to one of the three Planning and Highways Committees for a decision then those that have made comments will be given as much notice of the date as possible and will be invited to attend
At a committee meeting a single representative of the objectors will be able to speak to the Committee for five minutes. You can meet with other objectors in another room or the Civic Suite foyer from 6.30 pm, so contact us to find out the names of other objectors before the meeting.
If you have made a written comment on an application then you will be advised of the decision shortly after it is made.
Current planning applications
The application forms and any plans or supporting documents that accompany them are available for inspection during office hours at the planning information office.
You can find details of current planning applications by following the link on the right of this page. Current applications - those that have not yet been decided - are also available at Lewisham Reference Library. It is open Mondays 10am to 5pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am to 8pm, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 9am to 5pm.
How to access the service
Contact or visit the planning information office.
Accessibility
The planning information office is on the 5th floor with lift access and disabled access. Lewisham reference library is on the ground floor with disabled access.