Planning Policy

Porch in Greenwich

Do you need planning permission for a porch in Greenwich? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how Royal Borough of Greenwich’s designations change them, and what decides an application, grounded in the official guidance and quoted verbatim.

Front entrance and porch of a period house
Porch: small footprint, strict front-elevation limits
The short answer

Do you need planning permission for a porch in Greenwich?

A porch is usually permitted development under Class D if it stays under 3 square metres, below 3 metres high, and at least 2 metres from any boundary fronting a highway. Whether a porch needs permission in Greenwich still depends on your exact address and the designations on it.

1.0: The permitted development position

The starting point

A porch is usually permitted development under Class D if it stays under 3 square metres, below 3 metres high, and at least 2 metres from any boundary fronting a highway.

“This provides permitted development rights for the erection of a porch outside any external door of a house.”PD technical guidance, Class D · full text in the library → · official source →
2.0: What changes it in Greenwich

How Greenwich’s designations apply

Designation in GreenwichPublished
Conservation areas24
Article 4 directions (PD removed)0
Listed building outlines0

In a conservation area or on a listed building the appearance against the front elevation is assessed, even where the size limits are met. Counts are read live from planning.data.gov.uk; your report checks them against your exact address.

3.0: How it’s decided

What Greenwich weighs

In a conservation area or on a listed building the appearance against the front elevation is assessed, even where the size limits are met.

As a London borough, Royal Borough of Greenwich also decides against the London Plan 2021 (the strategic policy layer for all 33 boroughs), alongside national policy and its own Local Plan.

Your report

Get a planning report for your Greenwich address

A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Greenwich address, quotes the Royal Borough of Greenwich and national policies that apply to a porch, and (on Pro) shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.

5.0: Questions

Porch in Greenwich, answered

Do I need planning permission for a porch in Greenwich?
A porch is usually permitted development under Class D if it stays under 3 square metres, below 3 metres high, and at least 2 metres from any boundary fronting a highway. Whether a porch needs permission in Greenwich still depends on your exact address and the designations on it.
Does a conservation area affect a porch in Greenwich?
It can. Even where the size limits are met, Royal Borough of Greenwich assesses the appearance of a porch against the character of a conservation area, and on a listed building separate consent is required.
How does Greenwich decide a porch application?
In a conservation area or on a listed building the appearance against the front elevation is assessed, even where the size limits are met. A Planning Policy report quotes the specific Royal Borough of Greenwich Local Plan and national policies that apply, verbatim, and shows decided applications nearby.
6.0: More for Greenwich

Other projects in Greenwich