Planning
LiveFree planning permission check - an answer for any English property in about 90 seconds
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Free City of London planning permission check

Check whether your City of London project needs planning permission in 90 seconds. Free, no signup, verified against the City of London Corporation's 28 designated conservation areas, more than 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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28
Conservation areas
more than 600
Listed buildings
96%
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 City of London

City of London is a London planning authority handling the full range of residential projects: rear and side extensions, loft conversions, basement extensions, outbuildings, prior approval applications, new build infill and change of use. City of London has 28 designated conservation areas and more than 600 listed buildings, plus multiple Article 4 directions in force that remove permitted development rights in specific streets. The City of London Corporation is the planning authority for the Square Mile, a compact 1.12 square mile district dominated by commercial skyscrapers, historic livery company halls and a dense cluster of protected views. Residential projects are rare, but change of use and conversion applications are common. The council's overall planning approval rate was 96% for year ending December 2025 per MHCLG Live Table P124, reported by the City of London Corporation. If your property sits inside a conservation area, behind an Article 4 direction or on a listed building, assume you will need full planning permission rather than permitted development.

Why City of London refuses planning applications

The commonest reasons City of London Corporation 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. Overlooking and loss of privacy to neighbouring windows
  3. Bulk, scale or massing out of character with the terrace
  4. Loss of private amenity space below the 50% retention threshold
  5. Conflict with the council's adopted design or heritage policy

City of London council resources

Authoritative City of London planning sources you can cross-check:

Further reading
Read the full City of London extension guide →

Cost benchmarks, planning timelines and design recommendations specific to City of London 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.