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City of London, London

Planning drawings in the City of London

Planning drawings for a City of London home start at £745 including VAT. Only 2 per cent of households here live in a house, so most projects are flats, and many sit in one of the 28 conservation areas.

From £745 (VAT included)

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, VAT included

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
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    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window

    The City of London's own rules for planning drawings

    The Square Mile is planned under the City of London Local Plan 2015, adopted in 2,015. For homes, the supporting document we work from is the Barbican Estate Listed Building Management Guidelines: Volume I Introduction and Volume II Residential (SPD). The plan itself has a rule that matters for many flats: its policy on roof gardens encourages roof gardens and terraces where they do not immediately overlook homes, harm rooflines or historic roof forms, or affect identified views. A proposed terrace is therefore drawn with its sightlines to nearby windows and its effect on the roofline shown.

    That title tells you how the council sees the estate: as a listed building to be managed, with residential alterations dealt with in its own volume. Anyone changing a flat in the estate is working inside a framework written for that purpose, and the drawings are prepared against it from the outset.

    For other City homes, the drawings answer the general policies of the local plan on design, heritage and neighbours. The sheets show the proposal in its context, including the buildings around it, because a City flat often has neighbours close by on more than one side.

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

    Local figures for City of London

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areas28 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions1 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries637 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions1 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted100 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Households living in a house2 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Owner-occupied households36.5 % of households owner-occupied (owned outright or with mortgage/loan)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Householder: alterations/extensions to a single dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026548 GBP—ribblevalley.gov.uk
    DMPO 2015 art 15: site notice or neighbour notification for not less than 21 days21 days—legislation.gov.uk

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

    Councils bordering City of London
    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

    A very small caseload and what it means

    The council decided 1 householder application in its latest twelve months, and granted 100 per cent of it. A single decision tells you nothing about how the council treats homeowners, so we do not draw conclusions from it. The figure is worth quoting only to show how rare a householder case is in the Square Mile.

    Because there is so little householder history, precedent is thin. We rely on the guidance itself and on a pre-application conversation where the project calls for one, rather than on a street of earlier approvals.

    For a flat, our measured survey records ceiling heights, window positions and any party structure the proposal must respect, so the proposed plans and the elevations agree with each other and with the building as it stands. That consistency lets an officer read a set quickly.

    Conservation areas and listed buildings in the Square Mile

    The council publishes 28 conservation areas and 1 Article 4 direction. Historic England lists 637 entries inside the City boundary.

    In a conservation area permitted development is limited, and in a listed building almost any alteration needs listed building consent in addition to planning permission. Our constraints check settles which of these applies before we quote.

    Only 36.5 per cent of households are owner-occupied, so many applicants hold a lease, and the freeholder's agreement is needed alongside the council's.

    Choosing the route for a City flat or house

    Householder permitted development never applies to a flat, so a flat owner in the City normally needs an application. For the few houses, a Lawful Development Certificate in the City of London can show whether rights remain.

    The council fee for a householder application is £548, and the statutory period is 8 weeks unless you agree longer. Neighbours are consulted for at least 21 days.

    If the lease requires the freeholder's consent, we draw the set so it can go to both.

    The Mayor of London's levy also applies to some new floor space. The City is in charging band 1 at £96.97 per square metre for permissions granted this year, and we flag any liability we spot.

    Price and what the set contains

    A set holds existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections, a location plan and a block plan, to stated scales with north shown. Prices start at £745 with VAT included.

    A second chartered technologist checks every sheet before it is submitted. If the council asks for changes we redraw at no charge until approval, and we never promise the outcome.

    Nearby councils and related pages

    The wider picture is on architectural drawings in the City of London. Once the design is agreed, building regulations drawings in the City of London cover the technical stage.

    Look next door for different rules: planning drawings in Islington, Tower Hamlets and Southwark, or read the national process at planning drawings.

    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 City of London

    Planning drawings nearby

    Questions

    Can I extend a flat in the City of London without an application?

    No. Householder permitted development does not apply to flats, so a flat owner needs an application, and often the freeholder's consent too.

    Which City guidance covers the Barbican?

    The Barbican Estate Listed Building Management Guidelines: Volume I Introduction and Volume II Residential (SPD), which treats the estate as a listed building.

    How much do planning drawings cost in the City of London?

    From £745 including VAT, fixed up front. The application fee is paid to the council.

    How many conservation areas does the City have?

    The council publishes 28, and Historic England lists 637 entries in the area. We check your address for both.

    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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