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Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window

Kensington and Chelsea, London

Change of use drawings in Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea asked for a borough-wide direction on shops and offices, and the Secretary of State narrowed it to parts of the borough. Our change of use drawings in Kensington and Chelsea start from £879, and because the covered parts are specific streets, the map check comes first.

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.
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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    What was cut back

    The council's Article 4 page explains that the direction applies in parts of the borough and that commercial, business and service floorspace there needs planning permission before it can become homes. Its record reads parts of the borough; modified direction from 27 July 2022.

    The original proposal covered the whole borough. The Secretary of State asked for evidence that smaller areas had been considered, and the version now in force is the smaller one. The council's interactive map shows the exact boundaries, and that map, not the original proposal, decides the route.

    Outside the covered parts, the national route is open: Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use. The council has 56 days to decide, and may consider only the matters the Order lists.

    Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline

    Local figures for Kensington and Chelsea

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    The Class E to dwellings (C3) Article 4 direction applies in parts of the borough, where commercial, business and service floorspace needs planning permission before conversion to homes; the Secretary of State modified it on 22 July 2022 to cover a smaller area than planned, and the modified direction took effect on 27 July 2022.parts of the borough; modified direction from 27 July 2022—rbkc.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 directions, Class E to C3 entry
    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
    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 house17 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Listed building entries1,350 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Conservation areas39 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions84 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions840 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted93.2 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time93.7 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.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 Kensington and Chelsea
    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

    A borough of flats and listed buildings

    Only 17 per cent of households here live in houses, and the borough has 1,350 list entries and 39 conservation areas. A change of use inside a listed building usually needs listed building consent for the internal work as well.

    The borough also has 84 Article 4 directions of all kinds, so check the street for others on top of the commercial one.

    What the layouts 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. In older stuccoed terraces, the existing floors are rarely built to modern sound standards, which is why we test them on the survey.

    The council's record and fees

    Kensington and Chelsea decided 840 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 93.2 per cent and decided 93.7 per cent in time.

    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 Kensington and Chelsea for splitting a house, and see architectural drawings in Kensington and Chelsea for the overview.

    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.
    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Kensington and Chelsea

    Change of use drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does the Class E direction cover all of Kensington and Chelsea?

    No. The council records it as parts of the borough; modified direction from 27 July 2022, after the Secretary of State reduced it.

    What if my building is outside the covered parts?

    The national route applies: Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use.

    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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