Planning consultant in Harrow

Green belt, gardens and the typical Harrow plot

Green belt covers 22 per cent of the borough, and the test there differs: an extension must not be disproportionate to the original building. Outside it, Harrow plots are generous. Domestic gardens cover 34.7 per cent of the land, which explains the steady demand for rear extensions, garden rooms and loft conversions.

Ownership is high too: 58.8 per cent of households own their home. Owners tend to be planning for the long term, so the questions are about how to stage works, whether to apply once for a larger scheme and what a future sale will want to see on paper.

There are 31 conservation areas and 295 listed entries, with 22 Heritage at Risk entries in the boundary. For a house in one of those areas we add a heritage note to the statement. In an area without a designation, permitted development often applies, and a Lawful Development Certificate in Harrow proves it.

Reading Harrow's decision figures

In the latest twelve months we hold, Harrow made 917 householder decisions, granting 81.7 per cent, with 93.7 per cent decided inside eight weeks or an agreed extension. Minor applications show a much lower grant rate: 341 decisions, 60.4 per cent granted and 85.6 per cent in time.

The gap is the planning story of the borough. A family home project is usually received well. A scheme that adds units, converts a house to flats or changes the character of a street meets a much stricter test. If your project belongs in the second group, we plan for a longer conversation with the officer, and we use the pre-application route when it helps.

Harrow also recorded 461 certificates of lawfulness in the quarterly series, so a good share of owners check permitted development before they build. We often suggest the same, especially for loft and outbuilding projects.

How a Harrow brief runs with us

After the free check we agree the route and the scope. For most houses that is our planning drawings service in Harrow with a short statement. A larger rear extension under the national rules uses the prior approval drawings in Harrow. If wildlife or trees are involved, we advise on the biodiversity net gain plan in Harrow.

An independent chartered technologist, never the person who drew the set, checks every package. Officer amendments are made within five working days, and redrawing is free until approval. The council's levy is shown as £196.43/m² (Residential, Use Class C3, borough-wide) and the Mayor's rate is 60 pounds per square metre before indexation, which we test for any scheme that adds a home.

A basement or lower-ground room may need a basement impact assessment in Harrow.

Before submission we read the council's local validation list against the package, and we check how recently it was adopted: a council can only require local items from a list adopted within the last 2 years. That check, with the statement written against the new plan, keeps the application clear of the delays that are in your hands.

Timing, fees and appeals

A non-major application has a statutory period of 8 weeks, and the householder fee is £548. If an application is refused, a householder appeal must be made within 12 weeks, and our planning appeals service in Harrow starts from the decision notice.

The wider picture is on our architectural drawings page for Harrow, and the service is described under planning consultant. Send the address and a line about the project to begin.