Lawful Development Certificate in Hammersmith and Fulham

A small certificate caseload, and what it tells us

Hammersmith and Fulham recorded 94 certificate applications of all kinds in the latest full year of its returns to government.

In the same returns the council decided 560 householder planning applications, so its officers see far more planning drawings than certificate drawings. We draw one practical lesson from that: we label each sheet to show which paragraph of the Order every dimension answers.

Terraces, rear additions and the eaves rule

Where a terrace falls outside a conservation area, the usual project is a rear addition. The single-storey limit is: 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey. Terraced plots are narrow, and the boundary eaves rule applies hard: Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary.

We draw the neighbour's wall and eaves on the section, because on a party boundary the neighbouring structure shapes what is practical. Party wall notices may be needed if you build on or against that wall.

Flats and mansion blocks

Only 24.6 per cent of households here live in a house or bungalow. The Order states: Householder permitted development (Sch 2 Part 1) does not apply to flats or buildings containing flats. Flat owners should therefore not expect a certificate for an extension.

For a flat, we prepare a planning application, with the freeholder's consent handled separately. See our planning drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Party walls and tight plots

On a terraced plot, an extension often sits against a neighbour's wall. A Lawful Development Certificate says nothing about your neighbour's rights, which come from the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Work to or against a shared wall can need a notice, even when no planning application is required.

Our survey records the neighbour's flank wall, the eaves line and any chimney or window near the boundary, and the drawings show them. That helps the officer, and it gives your builder and party wall surveyor accurate information from the start.

We flag the likely notices in the handover note, so you can serve them in good time before building begins.

Fee, timing and what we send

The council's fee for a proposed-use certificate is: Half the normal planning fee (householder: £274). You pay it to the council; our fixed fee is £645 including VAT. The statutory decision period is 8 weeks.

The submission has location and block plans plus existing and proposed plans, elevations and a section. A second chartered technologist checks the set. Any amendment the officer asks for is drawn without a further fee.

Because plots are tight, we also show the position of any drain or manhole near the extension on the plan when the survey records one, so the builder can plan around it from the outset.

Where to go next

After a certificate, the technical stage is covered by building regulations drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham. For the borough overview, see architectural drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham. Next door, compare Kensington and Chelsea and Wandsworth.