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Greenwich, London

Change of use drawings in Greenwich

Royal Greenwich has used Article 4 directions twice on change of use, once for shops in its retail centres and once for shared houses everywhere. Our change of use drawings in Greenwich start from £879, and we check which of the two, if either, 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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    Shops in the retail centres

    The council's Article 4 page records a Class E to dwellings direction across many retail centres, major, district and local centres and neighbourhood parades, in these words: retail centres, in force 8 August 2023. It was made as a non-immediate direction, which is why there was a gap between making and effect.

    Inside those centres, a shop turning into a flat needs planning permission, and the council can weigh the loss of the shop. Outside them the national route stands: Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use.

    Each centre has its own map, so a unit on the edge of a parade needs the parade's map, not the borough's.

    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    Local figures for Greenwich

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    On 3 August 2022 the council made a non-immediate Article 4 direction withdrawing the Class E to dwellings (C3) permitted development right across many retail centres (major, district, local centres and neighbourhood parades); it came into force on 8 August 2023.retail centres, in force 8 August 2023—royalgreenwich.gov.uk, Council page: Areas with extra planning restrictions (Article 4 directions), Class E to C3 entry
    The Article 4 direction on HMOs was made in September 2017 and came into force on 27 September 2018 across the whole of Royal Greenwich; the council states that you need planning permission to convert a house into an HMO.whole borough from 27 September 2018—royalgreenwich.gov.uk, Council page: Areas with extra planning restrictions (Article 4 directions), HMO direction entry
    An additional HMO licensing scheme came into effect across Royal Greenwich on 1 January 2024 for properties with three or more residents in separate households sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet; mandatory licensing applies at five or more people.borough-wide from 1 January 2024—royalgreenwich.gov.uk, Council news item on the new additional scheme (2024) and HMO licensing page, article text
    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
    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 house48.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Minor application decisions396 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted79.3 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time92.7 % 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
    Listed building entries540 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—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 Greenwich
    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, everywhere

    The other direction covers the whole borough. The council's record reads whole borough from 27 September 2018, and the additional licensing scheme is borough-wide from 1 January 2024. See HMO conversion drawings in Greenwich for how that shapes a layout.

    Splitting a house into separate flats is a third route, since Using a single dwellinghouse as two or more dwellinghouses is a material change of use. See flat conversion drawings in Greenwich.

    Standards the layout must meet

    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.

    Greenwich has 48.4 per cent of households in houses, so the stock is mixed, with many parades of shops with flats above. We test the existing floors and ceilings on the survey, because a conversion above an active shop has to deal with sound as well as space.

    The council's record and fees

    Greenwich decided 396 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 79.3 per cent and decided 92.7 per cent in time. It has 23 conservation areas and 540 list entries.

    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 Greenwich. The prior approval drawings page covers the permitted route where it is open.

    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 Greenwich

    Change of use drawings nearby

    Questions

    Which Greenwich shops are covered by the Class E direction?

    Many in the retail centres, recorded as retail centres, in force 8 August 2023. Each centre has its own map.

    Do small HMOs need consent in Greenwich?

    Yes: the council's record reads whole borough from 27 September 2018.

    What does the council charge for homes created by change of use?

    £610 for each dwelling in a scheme of not more than ten.

    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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