Greenwich sends more to committee, and basements feel it

Which Greenwich postcodes does this basement extension service cover?

Every Greenwich postcode district we draw in, the stock that dominates it and the authority that validates a basement extension there. Greenwich fees below are the statutory England rates for 2026, not basement extension estimates.

How does a basement extension differ street by street across Greenwich?

Roof pitch, wall build-up and plot depth change every few Greenwich streets, and each one changes what a basement extension can achieve at that address.

• Blackheath (Greenwich) (SE3) — a basement extension in Blackheath (Greenwich) starts from georgian villas, victorian terraces, and Blackheath (Greenwich) reads as Georgian villas around the heath. Georgian houses here already have a vault and a lower-ground floor in SE3. Greenwich Council assesses Blackheath (Greenwich) basement extensions against its own Blackheath (Greenwich) character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Blackheath (Greenwich) references Blackheath Common.
• Thamesmead (SE28) — basement extension work in Thamesmead means post-war estates, new-build. Thamesmead is post-war estate, Brutalist origins, regen. Post-war slab foundations make basements here expensive and rarely viable throughout SE28. Greenwich Council decides the Thamesmead application, and Thamesmead Town Centre anchors the Thamesmead location plan.
• Kidbrooke (SE3) — a basement extension in Kidbrooke starts from new-build, post-war fragments, and Kidbrooke reads as regenerated quarter, new-build estate. Post-war slab foundations make basements here expensive and rarely viable in SE3. Greenwich Council assesses Kidbrooke basement extensions against its own Kidbrooke character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Kidbrooke references Kidbrooke Village.
• New Eltham (SE9) — basement extension work in New Eltham means 1930s semi-detached. New Eltham is 1930s semi-detached. 1930s houses were built without cellars throughout SE9. Greenwich Council decides the New Eltham application, and New Eltham station anchors the New Eltham location plan.
• Greenwich (SE10) — a basement extension in Greenwich starts from georgian terraces, listed buildings, and Greenwich reads as Georgian World Heritage centre. Georgian houses here already have a vault and a lower-ground floor in SE10. Greenwich Council assesses Greenwich basement extensions against its own Greenwich character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Greenwich references Royal Observatory.
• Charlton (SE7) — basement extension work in Charlton means victorian villas, 1930s semi-detached. Charlton is Victorian villas, 1930s semi-detached. Victorian cellars here convert without planning permission when the footprint and external appearance are unchanged throughout SE7. Greenwich Council decides the Charlton application, and Charlton House anchors the Charlton location plan.
• Woolwich (SE18) — a basement extension in Woolwich starts from georgian fragments, post-war estates, new-build, and Woolwich reads as Georgian arsenal heritage, riverside regen. Georgian houses here already have a vault and a lower-ground floor in SE18. Greenwich Council assesses Woolwich basement extensions against its own Woolwich character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Woolwich references Royal Arsenal.

How do conservation areas and Article 4 affect a basement extension in Greenwich?

Greenwich conservation designations: there are 20 across Greenwich Council, Blackheath, Charlton, Eltham Park among them. Designation costs a Greenwich owner the permitted-development route: a basement extension then needs a £548 householder application over 8 weeks, in place of the £249 prior approval route that takes 6 weeks. Charlton is the Greenwich designation that most often changes a basement extension design.

No blanket Article 4 over Greenwich: Greenwich Council has not withdrawn permitted development across Greenwich, so a basement extension outside a Greenwich conservation area usually keeps it. The £274 Lawful Development Certificate is still the document a SE2 owner wants on file.

What Greenwich is built from: Georgian in Greenwich town centre; Victorian terraces in East Greenwich, Charlton; inter-war semi-detached in Eltham; new-build along the riverside. World Heritage Site status in Greenwich town centre adds heritage weight; outer borough areas (Eltham, Thamesmead) generally permissive. That mix decides the basement extension route in Greenwich more than the postcode does.

What happens if a Greenwich property sits on a boundary?

• Newham — adjoining Greenwich, with 10 conservation areas centred on E6. A basement extension on the far side of the Greenwich line is determined by Newham Council, so the Greenwich quote for basement extensions is checked against Newham guidance before it is issued.
• Tower Hamlets — the Tower Hamlets boundary runs against Greenwich, so a basement extension a street from Greenwich is decided by Tower Hamlets Council instead. Tower Hamlets runs 58 conservation areas across E1 and its neighbours, which is why basement extensions priced for Greenwich are re-checked against Tower Hamlets policy whenever the Greenwich address sits on that edge.
• Lewisham — adjoining Greenwich, with 30 conservation areas centred on SE3. A basement extension on the far side of the Greenwich line is determined by Lewisham Council, so the Greenwich quote for basement extensions is checked against Lewisham guidance before it is issued.
• Bexley — adjoining Greenwich, with 16 conservation areas centred on DA1. A basement extension on the far side of the Greenwich line is determined by Bexley Council, so the Greenwich quote for basement extensions is checked against Bexley guidance before it is issued.

Sources for this Greenwich basement extension page: borough policies maps and conservation-area registers (2025–26), Royal Mail postcode district boundaries, the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (England) Regulations, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 as amended, and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.