Planning Consultant in Bromley
Green Belt, suburbs and town centres
Bromley has more open countryside than most of London, with Green Belt covering over half the borough and the Kent Downs reaching into its southern edge. Its northern suburbs, from Beckenham to Chislehurst, have their own tight design controls. Cedar Planning helps householders, landowners and businesses prepare applications that answer the questions Bromley officers actually ask.
We are a Chartered practice led by Dan Malloy MRTPI and work across England, including outer London. We deal with Bromley's planners and the Planning Inspectorate directly and arrange site visits as needed.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
Bromley's development plan and its review
Applications in Bromley are decided under the Bromley Local Plan, adopted on 16 January 2019, together with the London Plan 2021. Unusually for London, its policies are simply numbered rather than lettered, so Policy 6 deals with residential extensions, Policy 8 with side space and Policy 37 with the general design of development.
A review is under way. The council ran a call for sites between August and November 2021, an Issues and Options consultation from April to June 2023, and a Direction of Travel consultation on its preferred policy approach from July to September 2025. The review responds to changes in national policy and the London Plan since 2019, including the Green Belt changes in the NPPF.
Bromley town centre is a Metropolitan Town Centre and a London Plan Opportunity Area, and is where most large-scale growth is expected. Biggin Hill is a Strategic Outer London Development Centre, Crystal Palace has been identified as a potential one, and the Cray Valley contains a Strategic Industrial Location.
Most of the borough, however, is suburban or open. That shapes the work we see: extensions and replacement dwellings, infill in established residential roads, and proposals on land at the edge of the Green Belt.
Side space: a Bromley rule that catches many extensions
Policy 8 expects two-storey development to keep a minimum gap to the side boundary, protecting the spacious character of Bromley's suburbs. Side extensions that close that gap are a common reason for refusal, so it pays to check the requirement before drawings are prepared.
Bromley-specific planning issues
Policies 49 and 50 protect the Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land, with Policies 51 and 52 controlling extensions and replacement dwellings. Grey belt arguments under the NPPF are now also relevant.
Policy 44 protects Areas of Special Residential Character, where plot sizes, spacing and landscaping are part of what officers expect a proposal to respect.
Bromley has 46 Class MA Article 4 Directions, modified by the Secretary of State and in effect since 27 September 2023, covering town centres, office clusters and industrial sites.
Policy 47 on tall and large buildings and Policy 48 on skyline apply to taller proposals, mainly in and around Bromley town centre.
Planning services across Bromley
Bromley enquiries range from a single-storey rear extension in Petts Wood to land promotion on the Green Belt fringe. These are the services we most often provide.
Householder Applications
Extensions and alterations designed around Policies 6 and 8, the side space rule and, where relevant, Area of Special Residential Character or conservation area requirements.
View serviceGreen Belt Planning
Applications for extensions, outbuildings and replacement dwellings in Bromley's Green Belt, testing proportionality under Policies 51 and 52 and the NPPF exceptions.
Read the guideLocal Plan Representations
Submissions to Bromley's Local Plan review for landowners and promoters, including sites put forward through the call for sites and future consultation stages.
View serviceClass MA Prior Approvals
Checks against Bromley's modified Article 4 boundaries and prior approval applications where the Class MA right still applies, or full applications where it does not.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Assessments for listed buildings, locally listed buildings under Policy 39 and conservation areas such as those in Chislehurst and Beckenham.
View servicePlanning Appeals
Appeals against Bromley refusals, whether on side space, character, Green Belt or amenity grounds, prepared around the officer report.
View serviceOpen land, landscape and the London Plan in Bromley
London Plan Policies G2 and G3 protect the Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land, and Bromley applies them through its own policies. Policy 53 also covers land adjoining Green Belt or MOL, Policy 54 protects the South East London Green Chain and Policy 55 covers Urban Open Space. In the south of the borough, Policy 76 protects the Kent Downs, now a National Landscape, and Policy 68 addresses development affecting SSSIs.
Bromley adopted its Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule on 19 April 2021, so most new homes and some commercial floorspace pay both Bromley CIL and the Mayoral CIL. Exemptions and relief, such as self-build relief, must be claimed before work starts.
Key policy areas we navigate
Policies 49 to 53, London Plan Policy G2 and the NPPF grey belt provisions.
Policies 4, 6, 8 and 37, covering housing design, extensions, side space and general design.
Policies 38 to 42, including conservation areas and development adjacent to them.
Policy 76 on the Kent Downs and Policies 68 to 72 on nature conservation.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Bromley's refusals often turn on local rules that are easy to overlook, such as side space, the character of an Area of Special Residential Character or the proportion of a Green Belt house that has already been extended. Checking these first saves time.
Landowners on the edge of the Green Belt also benefit from advice while the Local Plan review is at an early stage, when representations have most influence.
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.
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We cover every council area in London. See our main London planning consultants page.
Bromley Planning FAQs
How much of Bromley is Green Belt?
The Local Plan says over half the borough is protected Green Belt, largely in the south and east around Biggin Hill, Downe, Cudham and the Cray valley. Extensions and replacement homes there are assessed under Policies 51 and 52. Our grey belt guide explains a newer route for some sites.
Why do so many Bromley side extensions get refused?
Usually because of Policy 8, which expects two-storey development to keep space to the side boundary so that the gaps between houses are preserved. Single-storey side extensions are treated more flexibly, but the effect on the street scene still matters.
When will Bromley's new Local Plan be ready?
The review is still at the Regulation 18 stage. After the Direction of Travel consultation in summer 2025, the council must prepare a full draft for publication and examination. Until a new plan is adopted, the 2019 plan remains in force.
Can I use Class MA to convert a shop or office in Bromley?
It depends on location. Bromley's 46 Article 4 Directions remove the Class MA right in its town centres, business improvement areas, office clusters and industrial sites, as modified by the Secretary of State in 2023. Outside those boundaries prior approval may be possible.
What is an Area of Special Residential Character?
It is a Bromley designation for suburban areas with a distinctive layout and spacing, protected by Policy 44. New development must respect plot sizes, building lines and landscaping. A feasibility study can test whether an infill plot is realistic.
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.
To talk through a Bromley project, book a free 15-minute call or read about our Green Belt objection and householder application services.