- Planning authority
- Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Postcodes
- SE2, SE3, SE7, SE9, SE18
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
What shapes a plot in Greenwich
The Royal Borough of Greenwich will judge a family home against the council’s Local Plan and any guidance it has adopted on garden development and annexes. Some councils spell out how closely an annexe must relate to the main house, such as sharing the drive, garden or parking, and what turns a building into a separate home instead. We read the current policies for your address before design starts, because a scheme drawn to suit the wrong test wastes time and money. Where the position is unclear, the council’s pre-application advice can be worth its fee.
What happens next in Greenwich
From first call to keys, a family home in Greenwich follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to the Royal Borough of Greenwich; approval under the Building Regulations and any CIL exemption claimed before work starts; then the build, with you living next door throughout. You receive a written quote after design and survey, and we keep the household updated at each stage.
Free plot appraisal
We look at your plot, access and the planning picture from the desk, talk through who will live in the new home, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Annexe or separate home
We set out both routes for your plot, covering what each means for planning, ownership, council tax, CIL and VAT, so you can decide with your family and advisers before design starts.
Survey and design
A measured survey, then a design built around the person moving in: step-free routes, a ground-floor bedroom if needed and privacy for both households. You get a written quote after design and survey.
Build and handover
We build while you carry on living next door, with access, deliveries and working hours agreed up front. At handover you get the completion certificate and the paperwork you’ll need for council tax, lenders and any VAT claim.
Worth checking early
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
- CIL exemptions are lost if work starts before the claim is made, and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years.
- An annexe tied by planning condition usually can’t be sold or let separately, which limits flexibility later.
Greenwich: questions to ask
Can I build a separate house in my Greenwich garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. The Royal Borough of Greenwich will look at access, parking, garden space for both houses, privacy and the character of the street, as it would for any new house. If permission is granted, the plot can be transferred to your child with its own title, with your lender’s consent if the house is mortgaged.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Greenwich?
There’s no fixed figure. A single-storey annexe close to the house can work on a smaller plot than a separate dwelling, which needs its own garden, parking and access. What matters is whether the Royal Borough of Greenwich can be satisfied on privacy, daylight and the space left for both homes. The free appraisal gives you a first view based on your plot’s actual shape and access.
Can you design a home in Greenwich for a relative who uses a wheelchair?
Yes. The design can include a level approach and threshold, turning space in each room, a wet room, wider doors and worktops at a usable height. Where the Royal Borough of Greenwich requires a particular access standard through planning, the design meets it; otherwise it’s your choice how far to go. Input from your relative’s occupational therapist is well worth having.
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Greenwich?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The Royal Borough of Greenwich will treat it as accommodation linked to your home and will usually add a condition so it can’t be let or sold separately. A garden building used only as a home office or gym is a different matter, but sleeping and cooking take it beyond those allowances.
Other options in Greenwich
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Build a new home in your garden
- Sell subject to planning
- Bungalows on large plots