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Brent, London

Planning consultant in Brent

Brent treats an application as invalid if a listed item is left out without written justification, and it holds 39 Article 4 directions. A planning consultant in Brent therefore starts with the validation lists, then the route. We advise and write on a fixed quote after a free constraints check.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

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  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, VAT included

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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 planning consultant

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

    Planning consultant in Brent: validation comes first

    Brent's rule is justify omissions in writing. Both the national and local lists must be met, and the council treats an application as invalid if an item is omitted without a written reason. For a householder scheme the local list also asks for a tree survey where excavation, including a basement, may affect trees.

    The practical result is that a clean-looking submission can still bounce. We go through both lists item by item, supply what applies and write a one-line justification for what does not. The statutory clock does not start until the application is valid, so a missed item costs weeks.

    The Residential Extensions and Alterations Supplementary Planning Document then sets the test for the design, and the Brent Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD1) the wider principles. The Basement Supplementary Planning Document applies if a lower floor is involved, and the Houses in Multiple Occupation SPD if the house is to be shared.

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

    Local figures for Brent

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Article 4 directions39 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 direction areas162 Article 4 direction area polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation orders1,229 tree preservation orders published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Conservation areas23 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions879 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted86.6 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Households living in a house43.3 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted10 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused79 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Both the national and local lists must be met; the council treats an application as invalid if a listed item is omitted without written justification. The householder list also requires a tree survey where excavation (including basements) may affect trees.justify omissions in writing—brent.gov.uk, Brent validation list: Full, Outline, Technical Details Consent applications, p.1; tree survey: householder list p.4

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Brent
    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

    Article 4 directions and tree protection

    Brent publishes 39 Article 4 directions across 162 separate areas, and the borough holds 1,229 tree preservation orders. A direction removes permitted development for particular alterations in particular streets, and a protected tree limits both foundations and trenches.

    A tree survey is worth commissioning early. It takes time to arrange, it informs where the building can sit, and it removes a common reason for an application to be returned. We coordinate it with our drawing team so the root protection areas appear on the plan.

    Brent also publishes planning guidance for shared houses, and a house in multiple occupation raises parking, refuse and amenity questions that an ordinary family home does not. If that is your plan, we check the use history first and gather the evidence the officer will ask for.

    Together with 23 conservation areas and 93 listed entries, those layers decide which route is open. We map each address before we advise, and the result is a short list: what you can do without consent, what needs a certificate, and what needs a full application.

    Because the tree survey rule is tied to excavation, a basement or a deep foundation near a mature tree changes the document list even if the building itself looks modest.

    Prior approval is a hard route in Brent

    In the year to March the council granted 10 larger home extension prior approvals and refused 79. It also handled 348 lawful development certificate applications.

    Planning history matters just as much. A neighbouring approval on a similar house is useful evidence, and a refusal on your own site is a fact the statement must address directly. We look both up before we advise and quote them in the statement where they help.

    A homeowner reading only the national rules sees a quick route to a longer rear extension. Brent's record shows that the neighbour-impact test is applied seriously. We would rather tell you that now than after the prior approval fee has been spent. If a smaller or different scheme can be dealt with by a lawful development certificate, we say so.

    Householder and minor outcomes

    The council made 879 householder decisions in the latest twelve months, granted 86.6 per cent and decided 97.2 per cent in time. Minor applications show 734 decisions with 74.8 per cent granted.

    These describe the borough, not your case. Only 43.3 per cent of households live in houses, so many applicants are flat owners or conversion schemes, which is why the statement often has to explain amenity and servicing as well as appearance.

    Fees, deadlines and our quote

    A householder application costs £548 in council fee, and a householder appeal must be lodged within 12 weeks of a refusal.

    The consultancy fee for a Brent case is set once we have run the free constraints check on your address, and it is fixed before we start. A second chartered technologist checks the validation pack, the statement and the drawings before submission, and any redraw the officer asks for is free until approval. See the national planning consultant guide, the planning drawings service, or architectural drawings in Brent.

    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 Brent

    Planning consultant nearby

    Questions

    What makes a Brent planning application invalid?

    An omitted item on the national or local lists without written justification: justify omissions in writing. A tree survey is also needed where excavation may affect trees.

    How many Article 4 directions does Brent have?

    39 directions covering 162 areas. We check your address against them for free.

    Is prior approval worth trying in Brent?

    Think carefully. 79 larger home extension prior approvals were refused and 10 granted in the year to March.

    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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