Planning & development in London

Planning shapes everything about how London looks and works — where homes go, how tall buildings can be, which shopfronts change, how streets and parks are protected. Two levels of government run it together: the Mayor of London sets the city-wide strategy through the London Plan, and each of the 33 boroughs writes a local plan and decides the day-to-day applications. If you want to build an extension, convert a loft, change a shopfront or comment on a development near you, this page points you to the right official route.

The London Plan

The London Plan is the Mayor of London's spatial development strategy for Greater London. Published by the Greater London Authority, it sets the overall framework for how the capital should grow over the coming decades — new homes, jobs, transport, green infrastructure, air quality and design quality. Every borough's local plan and every planning decision must be in general conformity with it, which is why the London Plan matters even for a single home extension: it filters down into the policies your borough applies to your application.

How planning applications work

Most applications are submitted through the national Planning Portal or directly to your borough council, which acts as the local planning authority. The council checks the proposal against local and London-wide policy, consults neighbours and statutory bodies, and then either grants permission (sometimes with conditions) or refuses it. Timescales vary, but many householder applications are decided within about eight weeks. If you are refused, you may be able to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

1. Check whether you need permission, or whether the work is permitted development.
2. Prepare your plans and submit through the Planning Portal or to your council.
3. The council validates the application, consults and publishes it online.
4. A decision is issued — approval, approval with conditions, or refusal.

Permitted development

Not every project needs a full application. Permitted development rights let you carry out certain works — some extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings — without applying for planning permission, provided you stay within set limits. Those rights are more restricted in conservation areas, on listed buildings and in some other designated areas, and the detail matters. Always confirm with the Planning Portal's guidance or your council before you build; getting it wrong can mean enforcement action later.

Building control

Building control is separate from planning permission and covers a different question: not whether you may build, but whether the work is safe and sound. It checks construction against the Building Regulations for structural safety, fire safety, energy efficiency and accessibility. Many projects need both planning permission and building control approval. Building control is handled by your borough council or by an approved private inspector.

Having your say

Planning is public. Your borough publishes applications on its website and invites comments during a consultation period, so you can view the plans for a development near you and submit support or an objection. Councils must weigh material planning considerations — things like overlooking, traffic, design and impact on the area — when they decide. You can also take part in shaping the bigger picture by responding to consultations on local plans and on the London Plan itself.

Note: This portal links to official planning services. government.london does not process planning applications, issue decisions or take fees.

Common questions