Planning
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Free Hackney planning permission check

Check whether your Hackney project needs planning permission in 90 seconds. Free, no signup, verified against the London Borough of Hackney's 35 designated conservation areas, around 1,300 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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35
Conservation areas
around 1,300
Listed buildings
81%
Overall approval rate
9 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 Hackney

Hackney is one of the more design-friendly London boroughs, openly welcoming contemporary architectural expression across the full range of residential projects: extensions, loft conversions, basements, new build infill, change of use (the borough sees a lot of commercial-to-residential Class MA applications in Shoreditch and Old Street) and conversions of warehouses and former industrial buildings. Hackney has 35 designated conservation areas and around 1,300 listed buildings, plus multiple active Article 4 directions covering the Central London Area, Tech City, Dalston, Hackney Central, several conservation areas, and a change-of-use direction removing Class E to C3 residential PD rights. The commonest Article 4 hotspots are De Beauvoir, Clapton Park, and the Georgian terraces of Albion Square. The council's overall planning approval rate was 81% for year ending December 2025 per MHCLG Live Table P124. The planners are pragmatic on schemes that respect the building line and the rhythm of the terrace, and more open to glazed and zinc-clad additions than the neighbouring boroughs of Islington or Camden. If you're planning any project in E8 London Fields, E2 Broadway Market or N16 Stoke Newington, budget for pre-application advice and check the borough's Design Guide before briefing an architect.

Why Hackney refuses planning applications

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

  1. Impact on neighbouring amenity (light, outlook, overlooking)
  2. Unsympathetic design in Georgian or Victorian conservation areas
  3. Over-dominant bulk visible from neighbouring rear gardens
  4. Loss of private amenity space below 50% retention
  5. Conflict with Hackney Local Plan design guidance

Hackney council resources

Authoritative Hackney planning sources you can cross-check:

Further reading
Read the full Hackney extension guide →

Cost benchmarks, planning timelines and design recommendations specific to Hackney 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.