Bexley Planning Consultant
From the Thames marshes to suburban Sidcup
Bexley has changed its planning rulebook three times in three years. The Local Plan was adopted in April 2023, a two-part Design Guide SPD followed in 2025 and 2026, and new Article 4 Directions now restrict office and shop conversions in thirteen town centres. Householders and developers alike are being assessed against new material.
Cedar Planning's Chartered Town Planners prepare applications and prior approvals across Bexleyheath, Erith, Sidcup, Welling, Crayford, Belvedere and Thamesmead.
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- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
The development plan in Bexley
The Bexley Local Plan was adopted on 26 April 2023 and runs to 2038. It has fourteen strategic policies, SP1 to SP14, and thirty-three development management policies, DP1 to DP33. SP1 sets the spatial strategy, focusing growth on sustainable development locations such as Erith, Belvedere, Abbey Wood, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Sidcup town centres.
Housing targets follow the London Plan. Bexley's ten-year figure to 2029 is 6,850 net new homes, after which the plan looks for at least 685 a year. SP2 sets a strategic target of 50 per cent affordable housing across qualifying schemes, with a family-housing emphasis because homes of three or more bedrooms make up around half of assessed need.
Two London Plan Opportunity Areas cover the north of the borough. Thamesmead and Abbey Wood, served by the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood, is shared with Greenwich, while Bexley Riverside takes in Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Crayford. Major schemes there are judged against London Plan H1, D3 and the industrial land policies E4 to E7 as well as local policy.
South of the A2, the borough is suburban and green. Sidcup, Blackfen and Old Bexley sit close to Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land, where SP8 and London Plan G2 and G3 restrict new building, and where most applications are extensions and small infill schemes.
New design guidance now carries weight
Part 2 of the Bexley Design Guide SPD, adopted on 29 June 2026, includes separate documents on Area Types, Building Alterations and Extensions, Small Sites and a Technical Handbook. It replaces older guidance including the Design and Development Control Guidelines SPD, so drawings prepared to the old rules may no longer comply.
Bexley-specific planning issues
Policy DP2 resists building on residential gardens unless access is safe, neighbours' privacy is protected, landscape features are kept and both old and new homes retain enough private space.
Article 4 Directions remove Class MA rights in designated industrial areas from 8 January 2025 and in thirteen town centres from 10 December 2025, so many conversions now need full permission.
A borough-wide Article 4 Direction has required permission for changes from family houses to small HMOs since 24 September 2017. Policy DP5 sets the local tests for HMOs.
Sites near the Thames at Erith, Belvedere and Thamesmead fall under DP18 on waterfront development and flood defences and DP19 on the Thames Policy Area.
How we help in Bexley
All of the following are offered on the basis of a fixed-fee quotation agreed at the outset.
Householder Applications
Extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings in Bexleyheath, Welling and Sidcup, drawn up to the 2026 Building Alterations and Extensions guidance and DP11 design tests.
View serviceSmall Site Housing
Infill, corner-plot and backland homes assessed against DP2, London Plan H2 and the new Small Sites design guidance, with access and amenity resolved before submission.
View serviceClass MA Prior Approvals
Checks on whether a building falls within Bexley's town centre or industrial Article 4 areas, followed by prior approval or a full application as appropriate.
View serviceHMO Planning
Applications for small and large HMOs in Erith, Belvedere and Bexleyheath, addressing DP5, room standards, amenity and the borough-wide Article 4 Direction.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Statements for listed buildings and conservation areas such as Old Bexley and Red House Lane, applying DP14 and London Plan HC1.
View serviceLawful Development Certificates
Certificates confirming permitted development or long-established uses, useful before selling or extending where Article 4 controls may apply.
View serviceBexley policy detail that matters on the ground
Design is assessed under DP11 on high-quality design, with DP12 on tall buildings and building heights and DP13 protecting local views. The Design Guide SPD Part 1, adopted in January 2025, sets out overarching principles, and Part 2 adds the practical detail officers now quote in reports.
Heritage policy SP6 and DP14 apply to Bexley's conservation areas. Article 4 Directions add extra householder controls in the Brook Street, Old Bexley, Old Forge Way and Red House Lane conservation areas, where some external alterations that are normally permitted development need a planning application.
Bexley charges its own Community Infrastructure Levy, with Mayoral CIL on top. On larger sites, flood risk under DP32, sustainable drainage under DP33 and parking under DP23 are regular conditions or refusal themes, and the sequential test applies to riverside land in higher flood zones.
Policies we deal with most in Bexley
DP7 on uses within designated industrial areas at Belvedere, Erith, Crayford and Foots Cray.
DP6, which resists the net loss of existing housing through redevelopment or change of use.
SP8 and DP17 protecting Green Belt, Metropolitan Open Land and public open space.
DP21 on greening of development sites, applied with London Plan urban greening policy.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
With a recent plan and brand-new design guidance, the goalposts in Bexley have moved for ordinary projects as well as major ones. Advice is most valuable on garden plots, conversions affected by the new Article 4 areas and anything near the Green Belt or the river.
Cedar Planning works across England, including London and the Thames estuary, from Norfolk. We deal with London boroughs and the Planning Inspectorate regularly and arrange Bexley site visits as each job requires.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Planning Consultants Across London
We cover every council area in London. See our main London planning consultants page.
Bexley Planning FAQs
Which design guide does Bexley use for extensions?
The Bexley Design Guide SPD. Part 1 on design principles was adopted in January 2025 and Part 2, including Building Alterations and Extensions, on 29 June 2026. It replaced the earlier Design and Development Control Guidelines SPD.
Can I convert a shop in Bexleyheath to flats under permitted development?
Possibly not. Since 10 December 2025 an Article 4 Direction has removed Class MA rights for mapped buildings in thirteen town centres. If yours is affected, a full application is needed. Our Class MA guide explains the rules elsewhere.
Will Bexley allow a new house in my back garden?
Policy DP2 resists garden development unless access is adequate and safe, neighbours' privacy and amenity are protected, landscape and nature features are retained and all homes keep sufficient private space. Well-designed schemes that meet those tests can succeed.
Do I need planning permission for a small HMO in Bexley?
Yes. The borough-wide Article 4 Direction in force since 24 September 2017 means changing a house into a C4 HMO needs permission. Larger HMOs always need permission. Policy DP5 sets the local requirements.
Where is new development concentrated in Bexley?
Mainly in the north, in the Thamesmead and Abbey Wood and Bexley Riverside Opportunity Areas, covering Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Crayford. Bexleyheath, Welling and Sidcup town centres also take growth under the spatial strategy in SP1.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
Tell us about your Bexley project, book a free 15-minute call, or see our householder and HMO services.