Greenwich, London
Double-storey extension drawings in Greenwich
Double-storey extension drawings for a Greenwich house start at £1,295 including VAT. The borough holds 1 World Heritage Site and 23 conservation areas, so for an address inside one of them a second storey is a planning application judged against the setting, not a permitted development job.
From £1,295 (VAT included)
- MCIAT chartered
- £2m PI insured
- LABC Partnered
- Fixed fees, VAT included
Request a fixed quote
The setting that shapes double-storey extensions in Greenwich
Royal Greenwich's planning framework is the Royal Greenwich Local Plan: Core Strategy with Detailed Policies, adopted in 2,014. No council dimension for first-floor additions sits in that plan, so the weight falls on heritage and neighbour tests. The World Heritage Site and its surroundings are the most sensitive ground, and an upper storey within that setting needs a design that respects it.
Away from the heritage core, the national rules decide whether you need an application at all. Permitted development reaches: Over one storey: max 3 m beyond the original rear wall and not within 7 m of the rear boundary. On conservation area land: No rear extension of more than one storey under PD on article 2(3) land. With 23 conservation areas in the borough, we check that second rule first.
We therefore begin with a constraints check: world heritage setting, conservation area, listed neighbours, then the plot itself. The survey also records ground levels, because a first floor on a sloping plot reads taller from the neighbour's garden than a flat elevation suggests. The result tells you whether to expect a certificate or a householder application.
Local figures for Greenwich
| Measure | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| worldHeritageSites | 1 World Heritage Sites intersecting the LPA boundary | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Conservation areas | 23 named conservation areas published by the council | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Listed building entries | 540 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary) | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Heritage at Risk entries | 22 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England) | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Householder decisions | 624 decisions | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Householder applications granted | 77.1 % | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Householder applications decided in time | 94.2 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Local plan | Royal Greenwich Local Plan: Core Strategy with Detailed Policies | — | royalgreenwich.gov.uk |
| Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005) | 23.2 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005) | 2005 | data.london.gov.uk |
| Class A, para A.1(h) | Over one storey: max 3 m beyond the original rear wall and not within 7 m of the rear boundary | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Class A, para A.2(c) | No rear extension of more than one storey under PD on article 2(3) land | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Approved Document B Vol 1, 2019 ed. incl. 2026 amendments, para 2.10 | Escape window: unobstructed openable area at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm high and 450 mm wide, bottom of opening no more than 1100 mm above floor | — | gov.uk |
A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.
The 45-degree test in plan
A line from the middle of the neighbour's nearest window: the extension should stay behind it.
- A · Test used in daylight assessments
- 45 degrees (plan and elevation)
Listed buildings and heritage at risk in Greenwich
Historic England lists 540 entries inside the borough, and 22 places are on its Heritage at Risk Register. A listed house needs listed building consent for an extension, and a house next to a listed building is judged on its effect on that neighbour.
For those cases the drawings do more work: elevations that show the neighbouring roofline, junction details where new meets old, and a clear description of what is lost and what is kept. We build that detail in from the start, so the application does not stall on a request for more information.
Greenwich's decision record
In its latest published year, Greenwich decided 624 householder applications and granted 77.1 per cent. It decided 94.2 per cent within eight weeks or an agreed extension.
Those figures include every type of householder project, from dormers to porches, and say nothing about one house. Treat the grant rate as a reason for a careful design and a clear drawing set, not as a prediction. We send you the options in outline first, so you choose a direction before the full set is drawn. Domestic gardens cover 23.2 per cent of the borough in the Greater London Authority's land-use survey.
Upper-floor design, fire and party walls
Upstairs side windows must be: Upper-floor side windows obscure-glazed and non-opening below 1.7 m above floor. A first-floor bedroom needs: Escape window: unobstructed openable area at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm high and 450 mm wide, bottom of opening no more than 1100 mm above floor. The roof of the new storey follows: Roof pitch of a 2+ storey enlargement to match the original house so far as practicable.
Where the house shares a wall with a neighbour, the Party Wall Act applies: Party structure notice at least 2 months before work. Our party wall notices service prepares the notices and the supporting drawings.
Cost and what you receive
Our fee starts at £1,295, VAT included, fixed before you commit. You receive plans of both floors, elevations, sections and location and block plans, checked by a second chartered technologist. The council's householder application fee is £548. If the council asks for changes, we redraw at no charge until approval.
The route and the contents of a submission are explained under planning drawings.
Related drawings and neighbouring boroughs
For the borough overview see architectural drawings in Greenwich. A smaller option is rear extension drawings in Greenwich, and loft conversion drawings in Greenwich add space within the roof. The national rules are on the double-storey extension drawings hub. Compare Lewisham, Bexley and Newham.
What you receive
Related pages
Other services in Greenwich
Questions
Does the World Heritage Site affect a two-storey extension in Greenwich?
It can. An upper storey visible in the setting of the site is examined closely. We check your address against the site and the borough's 23 conservation areas.
Do I need planning permission for a double-storey extension in Greenwich?
Often. Permitted development stops at: Over one storey: max 3 m beyond the original rear wall and not within 7 m of the rear boundary, and not at all in a conservation area.
What share of Greenwich householder applications are granted?
77.1 per cent in the latest published year, across all householder work. It is a borough figure, not a forecast for your house.
How much do the drawings cost?
From £1,295 including VAT, fixed up front.
Sources and dates
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, retrieved
- royalgreenwich.gov.uk, retrieved
- data.london.gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- ribblevalley.gov.uk, retrieved
- merton.gov.uk, retrieved
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
- Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Historic England data © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Tell us about your property.
We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.