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Barking and Dagenham, London

Change of use drawings in Barking and Dagenham

Barking and Dagenham has chosen different Article 4 targets from its neighbours: shared houses, extra storeys on existing buildings, and heritage on the Becontree Estate, but nothing on shops and offices. Our change of use drawings in Barking and Dagenham start from £879 and we advise from that list.

From £679 drawings + £200 survey (£879 total), no VAT to add

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, no VAT to add

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
Pick the council that decides your application.
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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on change of use drawings

    Seven steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    What the council's list shows

    The council's Article 4 page lists directions on HMOs, extra storeys and, from later this year, the Becontree Estate. The finding for shops and offices is no Class E direction listed. The national route therefore applies: Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use.

    The extra-storeys direction matters to an investor planning to add homes above a commercial building. The council confirmed it for the whole borough except designated industrial land, and records it as additional storeys, from 22 February 2022. Building upwards in the covered area therefore needs a planning application.

    Because the council has 56 days to decide a prior approval, the programme for a simple conversion can be short.

    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    Local figures for Barking and Dagenham

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    On 18 January 2022 the council confirmed a direction covering the whole borough except designated industrial land, removing the permitted development right to build additional storeys onto existing residential and commercial properties; it came into force on 22 February 2022.additional storeys, from 22 February 2022—lbbd.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 directions, additional storeys section
    The council's Article 4 page lists directions on HMOs, additional storeys and, from November 2026, porches and corner-block alterations in the Becontree Estate; it lists no direction removing the Class E to dwellings right.no Class E direction listed—lbbd.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 directions, list of directions
    The council's Article 4 direction on HMOs was made in May 2011 and confirmed in May 2012; small HMO proposals are assessed against a Local Plan that resists the loss of housing of three bedrooms or more.made May 2011, confirmed May 2012—lbbd.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 directions, houses in multiple occupation section
    The Local Plan allows other HMO proposals only if several criteria are met, including that the houses converted to flats and/or HMOs in any road (counting unimplemented valid permissions) do not exceed 10% of the total houses in the road.10% of the houses in a road—lbbd.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 directions, houses in multiple occupation section
    Sch 2 Pt 3 Class MA, para MA.1(1)(b)Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use—legislation.gov.uk
    Sch 2 Pt 3 para W(11)(c)56 days—legislation.gov.uk
    GPDO 2015 art 3(9A)Homes created under PD must meet the nationally described space standard—legislation.gov.uk
    Approved Document E 2003 incl. 2015, Table 0.1aSeparating walls 43 dB DnT,w+Ctr (min); floors and stairs 43 dB airborne (min), 64 dB L'nT,w impact (max) for dwellings formed by material change of use—gov.uk
    TCPA 1990 s55(3)(a)Using a single dwellinghouse as two or more dwellinghouses is a material change of use—legislation.gov.uk
    Change of use of a building to one or more separate dwellinghouses, not more than 10: per dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026610 GBP per dwelling—ribblevalley.gov.uk
    Households living in a house68.8 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Green Belt share of the council area14 % of council area covered by green-belt polygons—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions169 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted71 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time100 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas4 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Barking and Dagenham
    Which application your project needsLawful Development Certificate decision: 8 weeks. Prior approval decision: 42 days. Householder decision: 8 weeksYour projectWithin permitted development?Lawful Development CertificatePrior approvalHouseholder applicationYesLarger rear extensionNoABC

    Which application your project needs

    The usual route for a house; flats and listed buildings follow other rules.

    A · Lawful Development Certificate decision
    8 weeks
    B · Prior approval decision
    42 days
    C · Householder decision
    8 weeks

    Houses to shared houses

    The HMO control is recorded as made May 2011, confirmed May 2012, with a road-level cap of 10% of the houses in a road. See HMO conversion drawings in Barking and Dagenham.

    Barking and Dagenham has 68.8 per cent of households in houses, and Green Belt covers 14 per cent of the borough. Splitting a house into flats is its own route: Using a single dwellinghouse as two or more dwellinghouses is a material change of use. See flat conversion drawings in Barking and Dagenham.

    The Becontree Estate

    The council's Article 4 page also records directions for the Becontree Estate, made as non-immediate directions, so they take effect later to give residents time to prepare: porches on every property, and side and roof alterations on corner blocks, will need planning permission.

    That matters to an owner who plans a conversion in the estate's cottage-style houses, because a side or roof alteration on a corner block is the usual way to gain a room. We check whether the house is a corner block before drawing any extension.

    The council's record and fees

    The council decided 169 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 71 per cent and decided 100 per cent in time. It has 4 conservation areas.

    The fee to change a building to separate dwellings is £610 each in a scheme of not more than ten, paid to the council.

    Next steps

    For the borough overview see architectural drawings in Barking and Dagenham. The prior approval drawings page lists what a submission contains.

    What you receive

    Planning drawing sheet for a rear extension with plans, elevations and sections
    Sample drawing. Planning drawings for a rear extension: plans, elevations and sections on one sheet set.
    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Barking and Dagenham

    Change of use drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does Barking and Dagenham have a Class E to homes Article 4 direction?

    The council's page shows no Class E direction listed.

    Can I add storeys to a commercial building?

    Only with planning permission in the covered area: additional storeys, from 22 February 2022.

    Does a small HMO need consent?

    Yes: the direction is made May 2011, confirmed May 2012.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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