Introduction
The Greater London Authority (GLA) collects data about the major planning permissions in London through the London Development Database. The data is provided by the London boroughs, who are responsible for providing details of the permissions in their area. Only permissions meeting specific criteria are stored. This site allows you to view these permissions spatially, providing a picture of development sites in London that is not restricted by borough boundaries.
The Boroughs are expected to add permissions on a monthly basis, within three months of the permission being granted. Information on when work starts or is completed is updated annually. The GLA is not responsible for adding any information to the database and is not responsible for the quality or completeness of the data, only for ensuring conformity across the 33 local authorities in London.
For information about the latest planning permissions, planning applications awaiting a decision, applications which have been rejected or details of the planning permissions that do not meet our criteria, either visit the relevant borough's website or contact their planning department.
Using the site
The data can be viewed as Individual Permissions, where planning permissions are displayed on a map, or Aggregated as LSOA or borough totals for housing numbers.
You can find the planning permissions in your area by selecting 'Individual' in the Control Panel. The Search box allows you to look for a locality by name (e.g. Romford or Dalston) or postcode (e.g. SE1 or SE1 2AA). Just type into the search box and click "Go" to view a map centred on the closest matching search result from our database. Similar matching results will be displayed in a list below.
You can also jump straight to the interactive map by clicking on the Map View tab. You can use the mouse or the keyboard to zoom in and out and move around the map. Click on the "Select a map location" button before clicking on the map to create a circle of the selected radius around that point. The search radius can be changed in the control panel. The planning permissions falling within that circle are listed in Text View tab.
When viewing the whole of London, only the biggest planning permissions are displayed. As you zoom in, the smaller consents are added.
The permission markers give an indication of the main proposed used. To see what the symbols represent, click on the "Legend" tab. Additional details about the permission, including a full description of the development and a list of the proposed uses, can be found by clicking on the permission marker.
The colour of the symbol indicates whether the permission is Not Started, Started or Completed. By default you will see the permissions that are currently Not started or Started, but you can change this in the Control panel.
The Text View tab displays all of the records falling within the selected search radius. The Text View tab will be empty unless a search has been carried out.
The matching records are sorted according to the distance from the selected location, but can be re-sorted by clicking on the appropriate column header. The data can be saved to a spreadsheet by clicking on the 'Export to Excel' button.
The text view will change as you change the search criteria on the left. You can always switch back to the map view at any time.
The Aggregated maps show the total net residential units in the selected status by borough and LSOA. Select the status on the control panel to view the London-wide map with borough totals. The boroughs are coloured according to the number of units. There are 5 colour bands on each map, the districts with the highest number of units have a darker colour.
Either zoom in on the map or use the seach functions in the control panel to view the corresponding totals for the LSOAs.
Note: The colour banding of the LSOAs is done at a London-wide level.
Disclaimer
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the data, the GLA does not accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions it may contain. The data on this site remains the property of the London Local Authorities, who are required to keep it up to date and accurate.
The use of the London Development Database public website is subject to the same Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy as LONDON.GOV.UK.
Legend
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Indvidual permissions (zoom levels) |
Aggregated permissions (zoom levels) |
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| This map offers 9 zoom levels ranging from level 0 (1:30000) showing all of London to level 8 (1:1000) showing indivdual buildings. |
Levels 0-2: Only the larest planning applications are visible at this level
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Levels 0-3: Planning applications aggregated at Borough level Levels 4-8: Planning applications aggregated at Lower Super Output Area level |
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Further Information
What is a planning permission?
Most new buildings, changes of use in existing buildings and changes to the local environment need consent from the local authority’s planning department before they can be carried out. The local planning authority will then decide if the proposed development can go ahead, taking into account local and national planning policies. Further information on when permission is required from the planning authority can be found on the UK Government's Planning Portal website.
What is shown on the map?
The data on this website is taken from the London Development Database (LDD) which stores details of planning permissions granted in London that meet the following criteria:
- • The application has been granted, whether by the Local Planning Authority, on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate, the Secretary of State or the Greater London Authority. Refusals and withdrawn applications are not recorded
- • The consent was granted on or after 01/04/2004
- • The status as recorded on the London Development Database is not-started, started or completed
- • For completed consents, it must have been completed within the last five years
- • The consent permits a minimum of either:
o 1,000m2 in any proposed non-residential use class using floorspace (A1-A5, B1-B8, C2, D1, D2, SG)
o 7 bedrooms in any proposed non-residential use class using bedrooms (C1, C2 care homes or SG hostels)
o one proposed or existing residential unit
o 10m2 of proposed or existing open space
Types of consent
The following types of planning consent may be shown on the map:
- • Full planning permission
- • Outline planning permission, which establish the principle of the proposed development, but usually require more detailed plans to be submitted before they can be implemented
- • Reserve matters/approval of details permissions are shown when they change the details of the Outline permission to which they relate. They may also be recorded to make it easier to track the progress of very large developments being delivered in phases
- • S191 Certificates of Existing Lawful Use confirm that a change that would require planning permission happened long enough ago that they have become lawful. They are recorded where residential units are created that were not previously identified within the housing stock
- • S192 Certificates of proposed lawful development confirm that full planning permission is not required. They can permit de-conversions that lead to a loss of residential units, and can also be granted for permitted development types that do not need to go through a prior approval process
- • Permitted development specified in part 3 of the General Permitted Development Order. The following classes are shown:
o Class G – A1, A2/SG to mixed use including C3 (Ancillary space above shops, high street finance, betting offices or payday loan shops to up to two flats)
o Class H – Mixed use including C3 to A1 (Up to two flats to the previous use, allowing the reversal of class G.
o Class K – SG casino to D2 (Casino to assembly and leisure)
o Class M – A1, A2/SG to C3 (Retail, high street finance, betting office or payday loan shop to residential) Up to 150m2. Must be completed within three years. Prior approval required.
o Class N – SG to C3 (amusement arcade or casino to residential) Up to 150m2. Must be completed within three years. Prior approval required.
o Class O – B1(a) to C3 (Offices to dwelling houses) Must be completed within three years. Prior approval required
o Class P – B8 to C3 (Storage and distribution to dwelling houses) Up to 500m2, must have been in B8 use before 19/03/2014 or for at least 4 years. Must be completed within three years. Prior approval required. Class PA (light industrial to residential) may be recorded under this category
o Class Q – Agricultural use to C3 (Agricultural buildings to residential) Up to 450m2 creating a maximum of three dwellings. Must have been in agricultural use on 20/03/2013 or for ten years. Must be completed within three years. Prior approval required
o Class T (formerly K) – B1, C1, C2, C2a or D2 to D1 (Business, hotel, residential institution, secure residential institution or assembly and leisure to state funded school or nursery) Work must begin within three years. Prior approval required
o Class U – D1 to B1, C1, C2, C2a or D2 (Reversal of Class T development) - • Limited period / temporary permissions are only recorded if they have a lifespan of at least three years or are likely to be made permanent
- • S73 Minor Material Amendments are shown when they make significant changes of the permission they amend. Non-material amendments and variation of conditions may also be included in this category
- • Variation to S106 are shown when they make a significant change to an existing scheme
Permission status
The permission status refers to the progress made on implementing the permission. Three permission statuses can be selected.
- "Not started" means that permission has been granted but no work has yet been carried out and the permission has not "lapsed". All permissions have a "lapse date". If this date passes and work has not begun, the permission is no longer valid. Once the permission is confirmed by the local authority to be "lapsed", it is no longer displayed on the map.
- Work is "started" when any aspect of the work detailed in the approved planning permission has begun. This may only mean that demolition has occurred or that work has been done on laying out the site. It does not imply that every element of the proposed development has begun or even that there is obvious evidence that the proposed works are underway. Once a planning permission is started, it can no longer lapse even if work on the development is halted.
- "Completed" permissions are those which have been carried out in full, for example the conversion has been done in line with the plans submitted to the local authority or all of the proposed new buildings have been built and are ready to be occupied.
Development starts and completions are mostly updated on an annual basis and therefore may not be up to date.
Use classes
The use class is a planning term that describes categories of use for a building. It is possible to move to a different use within the same Use Class without requiring planning permission, but if the existing and proposed uses fall within different classes, then permission is required. For example changing from one type of retail shop to another will generally not require planning permission, whereas changing from a shop to a restaurant would. When a planning permission is granted, it will be within a specified use class. Many of the development descriptions for the planning permission will include the use class category rather than referring to the specific use. The use classes can be briefly summarised as follows:
- A1 Retail: Shops, retail warehouses, supermarkets.
- A2 Financial and professional services: Banks, building societies, betting offices.
- A3 Restaurants and cafés: Restaurants and cafés where food is consumed on the premises.
- A4 Drinking establishments: Public house, wine bar.
- A5 Hot food takeaways: Use for the sale of hot food to be consumed off the premises.
- B1 Business: Offices, light industry, research and development.
- B2 General industrial: Industry unsuitable for a residential area, including vehicle repair workshops.
- B8 Storage and distribution : Warehousing, distribution centres, open-air storage.
- C1 Hotels: Hotels, boarding and guesthouses, halls of residence.
- C2 Residential institutions: Residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges.
- C3 Dwellinghouses: Houses, flats, bungalows, live/work units, cluster flats (excluding halls of residence).
- D1 Non-residential institutions: Surgeries, nurseries, day centres, schools, art galleries, museums, libraries, churches.
- D2 Assembly and leisure: Cinemas, concert halls, bingo and dance halls, casinos, swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums or sports arenas.
- SG Sui generis: Hostels, nightclubs, retail warehouse clubs, theatres, multi-storey car parks, amusement arcades, car showrooms, taxi offices, scrap yards, and prisons.
Borough Links
Links to all the borough web sites and planning application pages can be found at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/who-we-work/borough-webpages