Dormer loft conversion drawings in City of London

Conservation areas, listing and Article 4 in the City

The City has 28 conservation areas and 1 Article 4 direction. Inside a conservation area the national right to enlarge a roof does not apply, so a dormer needs planning permission whatever its size.

Historic England records 637 listed entries within the City's boundary. A listed building needs listed building consent for roof work, with a heritage statement and drawings that go further than a planning set.

Only 2 per cent of households here live in a house or bungalow. Flats do not carry the householder permitted development rights that houses do, so a flat's roof work is a planning application whatever its size. If the building is a house with its rights intact, the volume allowance is 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume.

Householder applications in the City of London

In its latest published year the City decided 1 householder application. It was granted (100 per cent) and decided inside the period (100 per cent).

A sample of one tells you nothing about how the next dormer will be received, and we do not treat it as evidence. What it does show is that householder applications are rare here, so there is little local precedent to lean on and the design has to make its own case.

We prepare for that by documenting the existing roof carefully, with photographs and a measured survey, and by drawing the proposal against the neighbouring buildings.

Finish and glazing are where a heritage officer will look. The national condition for permitted development is that exterior materials are Exterior materials similar in appearance to the existing house, and upper-floor side windows must be Upper-floor side windows obscure-glazed and non-opening below 1.7 m above floor. In the City we treat those as the minimum and describe the cladding, glass and framing in more detail on the elevations.

What the City dormer loft conversion drawings include

A set shows the existing and proposed plans, the stair, the roof in section with the dormer and its build-up, and each elevation, with location and block plans. On a listed or conservation-area building we add annotated details of the joinery and finishes.

The stair follows the loft rule in the building regulations: Loft conversions where 2.0 m cannot be achieved: 1.9 m at the centre of the stair, 1.8 m at the side (half width). The new storey needs a protected escape route: New storey above 4.5 m by loft conversion: protect the full escape route with fire-resisting doors (min E 20) and partitions (min REI 30). In a flat, the lease and the freeholder's consent are separate matters we flag early.

The price is £695 including VAT, fixed before you commit. A second MCIAT chartered architectural technologist checks every sheet, and we redraw at no charge if the council asks for changes.

Other drawings in the City and the boroughs around it

If a dormer is not practical, rooflights may be, and Velux loft conversion drawings in City of London covers that route. For loft work in general, see loft conversion drawings in City of London.

Compare the neighbouring boroughs: dormer loft conversion drawings in Islington, in Hackney and in Southwark. The overview is architectural drawings in City of London, and the national rules are on the dormer loft conversion drawings hub.