Planning
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Free Camden planning permission check

Check whether your Camden project needs planning permission in 90 seconds. Free, no signup, verified against the London Borough of Camden's 40 designated conservation areas, more than 5,600 listed buildings and the council's published Article 4 directions. Extensions, loft conversions, basements, new builds, change of use, outbuildings and prior approvals all covered.

WarningThis tool gives general guidance based on public planning data. It is not legal advice. Always verify with your local planning authority before starting work.

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40
Conservation areas
more than 5,600
Listed buildings
89%
Overall approval rate
10 wks
Typical decision time

Approval rate is the overall planning approval rate for all applications decided by the council, YE Dec 2025, per MHCLG Live Table P124.

Planning in Camden

Camden is London's strictest inner borough for residential planning and one of the hardest authorities in the country to navigate, whether you're planning a rear extension, a loft conversion, a basement dig, a new build or a change of use. The borough has 40 conservation areas covering nearly half its area and more than 5,600 listed buildings, including whole terraces in Hampstead, Primrose Hill and Fitzrovia where ordinary PD rights have been withdrawn by Article 4 directions. Camden publishes multiple Article 4 directions in overlapping groups (heritage and conservation, land use classes, and others) rather than a single total, which means you cannot rely on PD rights without checking the specific address against the council's Article 4 register. Camden's planners actively protect period features (timber sash windows, original front elevations, chimney stacks) and refuse cases where proposed materials or proportions don't match the terrace. Basement excavations are particularly tightly controlled under the borough's basement SPD (Camden Planning Guidance: Basements, adopted March 2018): full-depth double-storey basements are effectively off the table, and even single-storey digs need a basement impact assessment. The borough's overall planning approval rate was 89% for year ending December 2025 per MHCLG Live Table P124. Most approvals carry materials conditions, pre-commencement design approvals and construction management plans.

Why Camden refuses planning applications

The commonest reasons London Borough of Camden officers give when refusing householder planning applications - across extensions, loft conversions, basements, outbuildings and other residential projects - based on published committee reports:

  1. Harm to the character or appearance of a conservation area
  2. Overdevelopment of the plot
  3. Loss of original architectural features on a listed or locally listed building
  4. Unacceptable impact on a mature tree
  5. Bulk visible from the street in a conservation area

Camden council resources

Authoritative Camden planning sources you can cross-check:

Further reading
Read the full Camden extension guide →

Cost benchmarks, planning timelines and design recommendations specific to Camden homeowners.

Last reviewed by Jonathan Blewitt (founder, Mayfair Studio) on 11 April 2026. Approval rate sourced from MHCLG quarterly live tables (YE Dec 2025). Conservation area, Article 4 and listed building counts cross-referenced against planning.data.gov.uk. This page is reviewed quarterly.