Lawful Development Certificate in Southwark from £575
Peckham, Camberwell, Dulwich and Bermondsey: Southwark asks for CIL forms on every certificate, and wants two kinds of proof for work already built.
£575 £425 drawings + £150 survey (£575 total), no VAT to add
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The short answer
Southwark’s checklist says a lawful development certificate confirms proposed works are permitted development, and can also cover an old use or completed works. It asks for CIL information on every type of application, a location plan at 1:1,250 or 1:2,500 with the site in red, and for proposed work, plans at 1:100 or 1:50. For work already done you need at least two different types of clear evidence. Our fee is £425 drawings + £150 survey (£575 total), no VAT to add; the council’s fee is separate.
Permitted development drawings and Lawful Development Certificate
from £575
- Drawings
- £425
- Measured survey
- £150
- Total you pay
- £575
- VAT
- None to add
- A measured survey of the house, so the drawings show your property and not a template
- Existing and proposed plans and elevations at 1:100 or 1:50 with scale bars and written dimensions
- The location plan, and the CIL additional questions form Southwark asks for on every application
- For work already built, a list of the evidence types to gather, and a draft of the supporting statement
- A check of your address for Sunray Estate and other conservation areas, then submission for you
£425 drawings + £150 survey (£575 total). A starting fee: we confirm one fixed figure after checking your address. The council’s own fee, where there is one, is paid to the council.
Get my fixed feeHow a Southwark certificate runs
Which certificate
We decide whether you need a proposed certificate or one for work already built.
Survey
We measure depths, heights and distances to the boundaries.
Drawings and forms
Each sheet states the limit it tests, and the CIL form is completed.
Apply
We submit through the council’s online service.
What Southwark’s checklist asks for
Southwark’s validation checklist says the CIL additional questions form must be sent with every certificate application, even though a householder extension is far below the charging threshold. The location plan must show roads on adjoining land, label at least two roads, and outline the whole site in red, with other land you own in blue.
For proposed work the site plan and floor plans are at 1:100 or 1:50, with a north arrow, adjoining buildings labelled, written dimensions on extensions and details of materials. For example, a Peckham loft plan needs the north arrow and the neighbours’ buildings labelled before it is complete.
Proof for work already built, and Sunray
For an existing use or completed work, Southwark wants clear and convincing evidence of when it was completed, and at least two different types: a building control final certificate, council tax letters, photographs, Google Street View screenshots or construction invoices. Statements should be sworn and original.
Southwark’s Sunray Estate Conservation Area has a direction, confirmed in 1987, that controls external alterations on its named streets, and no certificate can cover work whose right it removed. We check your address first.
Certificates in Southwark in numbers
424 of 435
Householder decisions by Southwark Council between July 2025 and June 2026 (prior approvals left out) that were made inside 8 weeks.
Source: MHCLG live table PS2, district planning application statistics, July 2025 to June 2026 (GOV.UK)
All types
Southwark requires CIL information with every certificate application.
Source: Planning checklists: lawful development certificate application (Southwark Council)
1:1,250 / 1:2,500
Scales for the location plan Southwark asks for.
Source: Planning checklists: lawful development certificate application (Southwark Council)
1:100 / 1:50
Scales for the site plan, floor plans and elevations on proposed work.
Source: Planning checklists: lawful development certificate application (Southwark Council)
2 types
Least number of different kinds of evidence Southwark wants to show when works were completed.
Source: Planning checklists: lawful development certificate application (Southwark Council)
1987
Year the Sunray Estate Conservation Area direction was confirmed, controlling external alterations on its named streets.
Source: Article 4: Sunray Estate Conservation Area (Southwark Council)
Questions about certificates in Southwark
Why does a certificate need a CIL form?
Southwark asks for CIL information on every application type, so the form is part of a valid submission.
What proves work was built years ago?
At least two kinds of clear evidence, such as a building control final certificate, council tax letters, photographs or invoices.
Do flats have permitted development?
No. Permitted development covers houses, not flats, so a flat needs a planning application.
Can I apply online?
Yes, through the council’s online service. We submit for you.
Put it in writing before you build in Southwark
Send the address and what you plan. We reply with whether it fits permitted development and a fixed fee, from £425 drawings + £150 survey (£575 total).