On this page 6 sections
To object to a planning application in Southwark, find it on Southwark Council's planning portal and comment within 21 days. Quote the reference and stick to material planning considerations. To see every new application as it arrives, use PlanWatch's Southwark planning applications page.
Southwark receives about 229 planning applications a month by PlanWatch's count, 328 in the last 30 days of our data. Each one has its own comment deadline, usually 21 days from the neighbour letter or site notice.
How Southwark Council takes comments
Online, on the planning portal
Find the application in the planning register and click "make a public comment". "You need an account to be able to make a comment", so register on the planning register first. Open the Southwark portal.
Southwark Council's comment pages give no email or postal address for planning comments, so use the portal.
Checked on Southwark Council's own pages on 27 October 2026: southwark.gov.uk: View planning register and comment planning, southwark.gov.uk: After. Councils change their process, so check the application's own page for its closing date.
Southwark planning in numbers
PlanWatch reads Southwark's planning register regularly. It recorded 2,742 applications in the 12 months to 29 October 2026.
| Measure | Southwark |
|---|---|
| Applications recorded | 2,742 (about 229 a month) |
| Received in the last 30 days of data | 328 |
| Already decided | 17% (470) |
| Still awaiting a decision | 2,089 |
| Approval rate, recorded outcomes | 96% of 396 approve-or-refuse decisions |
What Southwark residents apply for
| Type of work | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Trees | 412 | 15% |
| Extensions | 365 | 13% |
| Lofts, dormers and roof extensions | 240 | 9% |
| Demolition | 156 | 6% |
| Shopfronts and signs | 130 | 5% |
Types are read from each application's description, so one application can count under more than one. 941 were follow-up paperwork (discharging conditions, amendments), which is rarely worth an objection.
Recent Southwark applications
The newest Southwark applications PlanWatch holds that are still awaiting a decision. Comments may still be open on these: the closing date is on each one's council page.
| Reference | Where | Proposal | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26/AP/2920 | Union Street | Erection of a new boundary wall and associated alterations to the existing commercial yard to provide ancillary outdoor breakout space in… | Awaiting decision, received 29 October 2026 |
| 26/AP/3143 | Old Kent Road, London (SE15) | Notice of Implementation pursuant Clause 5.1.2 of Section 106 Agreement associated with planning permission 24/AP/0255 (as amended) which gave… | Awaiting decision, received 29 October 2026 |
| 26/AP/3156 | Alma Grove, London (SE1) | Construction of a first floor rear extension | Awaiting decision, received 29 October 2026 |
| 26/AP/3158 | London Southwark | Refurbishment of the existing tarmacadam sports court into a PlayZone with LED floodlighting. | Awaiting decision, received 29 October 2026 |
Recently decided
| Reference | Where | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89/AP/1435 | Townley Road, London (SE22) | Conversion of 2 and Townley Road SE22 into a 10 bed-space nursing home together with associated alterations. LBS Reg 1435089 | Approved (received 27 October 2026) |
| 26/AP/2982 | Court Lane, London (SE21) | 5 Day Notification: Overall reduction and reshape to T1 Magnolia. Reducing a tree of approximately 5.5m to 3.5m in Height and up to 2m in lateral… | Approved (received 12 October 2026) |
| 26/AP/2999 | Croxted Road, London (SE21) | Five Day Notification for tree works: Removal of a TPO Copper Beech tree approximately 24m in height situated in the front garden. This is due to… | Approved (received 12 October 2026) |
We show the street or area only, never a house number or anyone's name. Search your postcode on the Southwark planning page to see what's near you.
What you can object to
An objection only counts if it is about a material planning consideration. Loss of value, a private view, competition or who the applicant is do not count. Most Southwark applications are trees and extensions, so these are the grounds that come up most here:
Also: character of the area, overbearing impact, construction disruption, traffic and parking, noise and disturbance, drainage and flooding. Then write it up with the objection letter guide or the template. Numbers alone rarely decide it: see how many objections stop an application.
Get alerted before the comment deadline
The 21-day clock starts when Southwark Council notifies neighbours or puts up the site notice, not when you happen to notice the scaffolding. PlanWatch reads the Southwark register regularly and adds new applications as they appear. Search your postcode free, save it to a free account, and on a paid plan get an email within hours of a new application near you reaching the register, while there is still time to comment.
Already found the application? If you think the decision was wrong, read whether you can object after approval.
Turn this guide into your objection letter — £9.99
Tell the Objection Letter Builder which application concerns you and why, and it drafts a formal letter around the material planning considerations covered here — ready to review and submit to your council. One-off £9.99, free on Pro & Business plans.
Build my objection letterObjecting in Southwark: questions
How long do I have to object to a planning application in Southwark?
Southwark Council gives 21 days to comment: "You have at least 21 days from the date a planning application is published to give your comments." The council writes to immediate neighbours and may put up site notices for larger schemes.
Can I object to a Southwark planning application by email?
Southwark Council asks for comments online on the planning portal; it does not publish an email address for planning comments. Find the application in the planning register and click "make a public comment". "You need an account to be able to make a comment", so register on the planning register first.
Will Southwark Council publish my objection?
Yes. Comments are published on the council website, usually within a day, but "We will not publish your personal information." "We do not publish anonymous comments."
Can I speak at the Southwark planning committee?
To speak, email Constitutional.Team@southwark.gov.uk by 5pm the day before the meeting. One objector and one supporter, up to 3 minutes each, and "Speakers must live within 100 metres of the application site."
How many planning applications does Southwark get?
PlanWatch recorded 2,742 planning applications for Southwark in the 12 months to 29 October 2026, about 229 a month, 328 of them in the last 30 days of that period. Of the 396 with a recorded approve-or-refuse outcome, 96% were approved.
Disclaimer: PlanWatch provides general information about UK planning processes. This content is not legal advice. Check the application's own page on the Southwark portal for its closing date.