Filming in Southwark: permits and fees
Southwark covers Borough Market, Bermondsey, Peckham, and Dulwich with a range of settings from Victorian railway arches to council estate exteriors.
Who issues permits
Southwark’s filming team handles permits for council-controlled streets and public spaces. The Borough Market Trust manages market area exteriors separately; the GLA manages parts of the South Bank.
Process
Submit an application with a minimum of five working days. For South Bank shoots requiring multiple permissions, allow three to four weeks. Road closures near Borough Market must avoid market operating days (Tuesday to Saturday).
Fees
Standard London borough fee schedule. Borough Market exterior filming requires a separate permission from the Borough Market Trust.
What’s covered
Council streets throughout Bermondsey, Peckham, Dulwich, and Nunhead. Council parks including Burgess Park and Dulwich Park. Council civic buildings. The Tate Modern forecourt is Tate-managed, not council.
Typical restrictions
Borough Market area restrictions apply on market days. South Bank’s high footfall limits large crew windows. Dulwich conservation area has restrictions in some residential streets.
Common reasons applications are refused or delayed
Southwark handles shoots across a wide range of settings — from Bermondsey railway arches to Peckham council estates — and the team knows its patch well. Applications stall for the same reasons as elsewhere, with a few Southwark-specific wrinkles:
- Insurance documentation missing an endorsement for the actual activity — particularly relevant for shoots under railway arches or involving elevated kit
- Risk assessment that doesn’t address Borough Market area footfall or the pedestrian conditions on Borough High Street and the South Bank approach
- No evidence that the Borough Market Trust has been separately notified for shoots in the market catchment area — the Trust is not the council, and the council permit doesn’t cover it
- Date conflict with Borough Market operating days (Tuesday to Saturday), a South Bank event, or planned works on the A2
- Application under the five-working-day minimum or under three to four weeks for road closures near the Market
- Unresolved previous complaint at the location, particularly on Dulwich conservation area streets
If the shoot touches Borough Market, sort the Trust notification first and attach it to your council application.
Escalation and neighbouring consent
On Southwark’s commercial streets — Borough High Street, Bermondsey Street, Rye Lane in Peckham — written notification to affected premises before the shoot date normally satisfies the neighbouring-consent requirement. The threshold is higher in Dulwich conservation areas and residential streets in Nunhead or Herne Hill: written acknowledgement from directly overlooked households, not just a general notice.
Contested decisions go film officer first, then head of service. Member escalation runs via ward councillor or the cabinet member for planning and regeneration. Any shoot requiring a carriageway closure needs Met Police Traffic Management coordination running in parallel with the Southwark permit — the council cannot grant road access that the police haven’t also signed off.
Contact
- Email: filming@southwark.gov.uk
- Web: southwark.gov.uk/filming
Apply on the Southwark Council website → southwark.gov.uk
FAQ
- Who issues this filming permit?
- London Borough of Southwark issues filming permits for its area. Applications go through the council's filming / events team — not the local parks department or police, although those may also be consulted.
- How long is the lead time?
- Allow at least 5 working days. Complex applications involving road closures, drone use, or multiple locations need more — plan 2–4 weeks ahead where possible.
- What's the typical cost?
- London Borough of Southwark quotes filming fees case-by-case based on scale, duration, and public-realm impact. Small documentary crews are often charged an admin fee only; feature-film shoots involving road closures cost meaningfully more.
- What does this permit cover?
- The permit typically covers streets, parks, civic buildings. Private property and other national-body land (e.g. Crown Estate, National Trust, Royal Parks) may need separate consent.
- How do I apply?
- Apply via London Borough of Southwark's filming page at https://www.southwark.gov.uk/filming. Submit your dates, locations, crew numbers, and equipment list. Expect a risk-assessment request and, for larger shoots, a pre-filming meeting.