Lawful Development Certificate in Haringey

Caseload and what officers expect

Haringey dealt with 396 certificate applications of all kinds in the latest full year of its returns to government. That is a steady flow, and a clear sheet with the Order's tests marked on it is the quickest for an officer to check.

We follow that approach. Each sheet notes the paragraph of the Order it answers, and the key measurements are repeated on plan, elevation and section so they never disagree.

Terraces, semis and the rear extension

In Haringey, 38.9 per cent of households live in a house or bungalow, and a rear extension is the usual project. The rear limit reads: 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey.

A second-storey addition is tighter: Over one storey: max 3 m beyond the original rear wall and not within 7 m of the rear boundary. We draw the rear boundary distance on the plan, which is the measurement owners most often forget.

In a conservation area the Order reduces these rights further, and an Article 4 direction can remove more. We confirm the position before drawing.

Side extensions and lofts

Where a plot is wide enough, a side extension may be possible. The limit is: Side extension: single storey, max 4 m high, max half the width of the original house.

For lofts, the volume allowance is 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume. We measure the roof and show the volume sum on the sheet, with any earlier roof alteration included in the total.

When a Haringey home needs a certificate and a planning application

Some projects split in two. A rear extension may fit the Order and qualify for a certificate, while a front dormer or a side addition on land covered by a direction needs planning permission. Each part has its own application and its own drawings.

We keep the two sets consistent, because the officer reading the planning application can see the certificate, and a conflict between the sheets causes delay. Where the planning part is in the area covered by the South Tottenham SPD, we draw to that guidance from the outset.

Splitting a project also helps you to sequence the work. The certificate part can move quickly once issued, while the planning part follows its own timetable.

Fee, timing and the drawings

The council's fee for a proposed-use certificate is: Half the normal planning fee (householder: £274). It is paid to Haringey, separate from our fixed fee of £645 including VAT. The statutory period is 8 weeks.

You receive location and block plans plus existing and proposed floor plans, elevations and a section, reviewed by a second chartered technologist. If the officer asks for changes, we draw them without charging again.

Where a house is in one of Haringey's conservation areas, we confirm which parts still qualify before either application goes in.

Related services and neighbouring boroughs

If the certificate route is shut, see planning drawings in Haringey. The borough overview is architectural drawings in Haringey. Nearby, compare Barnet, Hackney and Enfield.