Royal Borough of Greenwich

Adopted Documents We Assess Against

Development plan: Royal Greenwich Local Plan: Core Strategy with Detailed Policies (adopted 30 July 2014)

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.

Royal Borough of Greenwich standards at a glance

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

Rear extension depth

up to 3.6m

Greenwich normally accept 3.6 metres from the back wall. They will consider more where it does not harm a neighbour, but that is their planning view rather than the permitted development limit, so 3.6m can still need an application. Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.3

Side extension form

at least 0.5m

Greenwich want a side extension held back at least half a metre from the front wall of the house, so it reads as an addition rather than as part of the original frontage. Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.2

Roof form

at least 0.5m

Greenwich want a dormer kept half a metre down from the ridge, so the original roof still reads as the top of the house. Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.1

at least 0.5m

Greenwich want a dormer held half a metre in from the party wall on each side, so it does not run into next door. Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.1

at least 0.5m

Greenwich want a dormer kept half a metre up from the eaves, rather than sitting on the gutter line. Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.1

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

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

Royal Greenwich Local Plan: Core Strategy with Detailed Policies (2014)

• Royal Greenwich Local Plan Policies DH1 and DH(a) — Design character Greenwich will judge whether your extension sits comfortably with the host house and the street. Chapter I of their Urban Design Guide SPD is the practical reference before you finalise the drawings.
• Royal Greenwich Local Plan Policy DH(b) — Amenity neighbouring (provisional citation) Greenwich will look at the effect on your neighbours' light, outlook and privacy under Policy DH(b). Show the relationship to their windows on your drawings.

Greenwich Urban Design Guide SPD, chapter I: Household Extensions

• Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.3 — Rear extension depth Greenwich normally accept 3.6 metres from the back wall. They will consider more where it does not harm a neighbour, but that is their planning view rather than the permitted development limit, so 3.6m can still need an application.
• Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.2 — Side extension form (2 checks) Greenwich want a side extension held back at least half a metre from the front wall of the house, so it reads as an addition rather than as part of the original frontage. Greenwich normally want a side extension no wider than half the original house. If houses on your street keep a side path through to the back, they will expect you to keep one too, at least 1.2 metres wide. On a corner plot they want a metre back from the boundary.
• Urban Design Guide SPD Principle I.3.1 — Roof form (3 checks) Greenwich want a dormer kept half a metre down from the ridge, so the original roof still reads as the top of the house. Greenwich want a dormer held half a metre in from the party wall on each side, so it does not run into next door. Greenwich want a dormer kept half a metre up from the eaves, rather than sitting on the gutter line.