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Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

Brent, London

Change of use drawings in Brent

Brent did not make one Article 4 direction for commercial buildings; it made four, each aimed at a different kind of place, and the government told it to cut them back. Our change of use drawings in Brent start from £879, and we work out which of the four, in its modified form, reaches your building.

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

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  • £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.
A few lines: what you want to build, and anything the council has already said.
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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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    Four directions, four places

    The council's page records the set as four directions from 1 August 2022, modified February 2024. They cover industrial land and local site allocations, ground-floor commercial uses in designated town centres, offices on upper floors in those centres, and offices and light industrial buildings in the rest of the borough.

    Part of Brent lies in the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation area, and the council records that the OPDC area has its own direction. A site on that boundary is therefore governed by a different authority, and we confirm which one before anything else.

    Where no direction applies, the national route stands: Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use, with 56 days for the council to decide.

    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London

    Local figures for Brent

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    The council confirmed four Class E to dwelling Article 4 directions on 29 July 2022, requiring planning permission from 1 August 2022 for different locations (industrial land, town centres, site allocations, and the rest of the borough for offices and light industrial); the Secretary of State directed the council to modify four of them on 9 February 2024.four directions from 1 August 2022, modified February 2024—brent.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 Directions, Use Class E to residential dwelling
    An over-concentration of HMOs is where three or more of the ten nearest properties are HMOs (Local Plan Policy BH7 e).3 of the 10 nearest properties—brent.gov.uk, HMO SPD 2022, p.6, para 4.3; p.13
    HMO bedrooms must be at least 7.5m2 (2.15m wide) for one person and 11.5m2 (2.55m wide) for two, excluding en-suites.7.5m2 single; 11.5m2 double—brent.gov.uk, HMO SPD 2022, p.9
    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 house43.3 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Minor application decisions734 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted74.8 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time95.2 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas23 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 Brent
    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

    Homes to shared houses

    The council's page also confirms a direction on changing a house to a small HMO, and Brent's planning rules for shared houses include a concentration test: 3 of the 10 nearest properties. Rooms are judged too, with bedrooms at 7.5m2 single; 11.5m2 double.

    For the detail see HMO conversion drawings in Brent. Splitting a house into flats is a separate route, because Using a single dwellinghouse as two or more dwellinghouses is a material change of use.

    What the drawings must prove

    New homes must meet the space standard: Homes created under PD must meet the nationally described space standard. Between floors, Separating 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. Brent has 43.3 per cent of households in houses, and many conversions are former workshops and units on industrial estates, where sound and ceiling height decide the layout.

    For a full application we add the evidence the council asks for on lost employment space: vacancy and marketing, with the floor area of the existing use marked.

    The council's record and fees

    Brent decided 734 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 74.8 per cent and decided 95.2 per cent in time. It has 23 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

    Compare flat conversion drawings in Brent for splitting a house, and see architectural drawings in Brent for the overview. A lawful development certificate settles an uncertain use.

    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.
    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Brent

    Change of use drawings nearby

    Questions

    How many Class E Article 4 directions does Brent have?

    Four, recorded as four directions from 1 August 2022, modified February 2024.

    Which part of Brent is not covered by the council's directions?

    The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation area, which made its own direction.

    How long does prior approval take where it is open?

    The council has 56 days to decide.

    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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