London Borough of Camden

Adopted Documents We Assess Against

Development plan: Camden Local Plan 2017

Documents are re-checked against the council's own website weekly. A detected change flags "Policy Update Available" for human review — live assessment standards are never replaced automatically.

London Borough of Camden standards at a glance

8 numeric standards taken from London Borough of Camden's own adopted documents, each shown with the paragraph it comes from. Figures differ between councils — these are this one's.

Amenity neighbouring

at least 18m

Camden look for about 18 metres between windows that face each other. Less than that and you will need to show privacy is protected some other way, such as obscure glazing or angling the window. Amenity CPG para 2.4

Roof form

up to 70°

The council puts a mansard lower slope at usually 60 to 70 degrees, with 70 shown as the maximum on its own section drawing. Home Improvements CPG

at least 2

The council expects more than 2m headroom from the staircase for a loft conversion to be genuinely habitable. Home Improvements CPG

up to 0.15

The council requires a conservation-area rooflight to sit flush with the roof slope or project no more than 0.15m beyond it. Home Improvements CPG

Design character

up to 50%

A Camden basement can sit under half your garden - and front and back are judged separately, so you cannot trade one against the other. Camden Local Plan Policy A5, criterion h

at least 1m

Where a Camden basement runs under the garden, a metre of soil goes back on top so the garden can still grow things. Camden Local Plan Policy A5 supporting text

up to 1.5

A Camden basement can be up to one and a half times the footprint of the house above it. Camden Local Plan Policy A5, criterion i

up to 50%

A Camden basement can reach out from the back wall by half the depth of the house. On a shallow house with a long garden this stops you well before the garden test does. Camden Local Plan Policy A5, criterion j

Standards are what the council normally expects, not a guarantee. A scheme outside them can still be approved on its merits, and one inside them can still be refused for another reason.

Authored Policy Library

14 local policy checks, each citation-locked to the adopted document. National policy (NPPF, national space and daylight standards) applies alongside these.

Camden Local Plan 2017

• Camden Local Plan Policy D1 — Design character (provisional citation) Camden will judge how well your proposal responds to the host building and street. Their Design guidance expects extensions to be clearly subordinate and to match or complement the existing materials.
• Camden Local Plan Policy A1 — Amenity neighbouring Camden will look at the effect on your neighbours' light, outlook and privacy. Show the relationship to their nearest windows on your drawings.
• Camden Local Plan Policy A5, criterion h — Design character A Camden basement can sit under half your garden - and front and back are judged separately, so you cannot trade one against the other.
• Camden Local Plan Policy A5 supporting text — Design character Where a Camden basement runs under the garden, a metre of soil goes back on top so the garden can still grow things.
• Camden Local Plan Policy A5, criterion i — Design character A Camden basement can be up to one and a half times the footprint of the house above it.
• Camden Local Plan Policy A5, criterion j — Design character A Camden basement can reach out from the back wall by half the depth of the house. On a shallow house with a long garden this stops you well before the garden test does.

Camden Planning Guidance: Amenity (January 2021)

• Amenity CPG para 2.4 — Amenity neighbouring Camden look for about 18 metres between windows that face each other. Less than that and you will need to show privacy is protected some other way, such as obscure glazing or angling the window.
• Amenity CPG paras 3.6 and 3.8 — Amenity neighbouring Camden use 45-degree and 25-degree lines from your neighbour's window to decide whether a daylight report is needed. Crossing one means you will be asked for the report, not that you are refused.
• Amenity CPG (45-degree screening test) — Amenity neighbouring Crossing Camden's 45-degree line does not refuse your scheme - it means the council will expect a proper daylight and sunlight report with the application.
• Home Improvements CPG — Roof form (3 checks) The council puts a mansard lower slope at usually 60 to 70 degrees, with 70 shown as the maximum on its own section drawing. The council expects more than 2m headroom from the staircase for a loft conversion to be genuinely habitable. The council requires a conservation-area rooflight to sit flush with the roof slope or project no more than 0.15m beyond it.

Camden Planning Guidance: Home Improvements (January 2021)

• Home Improvements CPG sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 — Design character Camden does not publish a maximum depth for rear extensions. They judge it by whether yours matches the pattern of extensions already built along your terrace, so show that comparison on your drawings. Side extensions are normally expected to be single storey and set back from the front.
• Home Improvements CPG sections 2.2.1, 2.2.2 and 3.5 — Roof form Camden judge a dormer by whether it sits evenly within the roof rather than against a fixed setback. A mansard's lower slope should be about 60 to 70 degrees, and in a conservation area rooflights need to sit flush or nearly flush with the tiles.