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Redbridge, London

Prior approval drawings in Redbridge

Prior approval drawings in Redbridge are in steady demand: the council's latest return lists 46 larger home extension prior approvals granted and 93 refused, among the largest for any council in our data, in a borough where 66.2 per cent of households live in houses. We draw the notification from a fixed quote after a free constraints check.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
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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 prior approval drawings

    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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    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    One of the largest records for this route

    The latest return shows 46 larger home extension prior approvals granted and 93 refused. Those counts are among the largest for any borough, and the refusals matter as much as the grants: a large share of owners here try the route and are turned away.

    The council's Housing Design Guide SPD sets out how it wants houses altered and extended, and it is the best single clue to how officers will view the relationship with neighbours. The prior approval test is narrower than a full application, but the two share the same concern for outlook and light.

    There are only 16 conservation areas, so land designations seldom close the route. The deciding factors are the depth, the height and the neighbours.

    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London

    Local figures for Redbridge

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areas16 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries134 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Households living in a house66.2 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted46 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused93 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)27.4 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Average price, terraced534,863 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted82.8 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time94.7 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Lawful development certificate applications (PS1)812 certificates2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder decisions991 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Class A, para A.1(g)6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI—legislation.gov.uk
    Class A, para A.4(10)(c): development may begin if the LPA has not notified a decision within 42 days of receiving the information42 days—legislation.gov.uk
    Class A, para A.4(5)(d)LPA notifies adjoining owners/occupiers, giving at least 21 days for representations days—legislation.gov.uk
    Prior approval: Larger Home Extensions Part 1 Class A; Additional storeys Part 1 Class AA249 GBP—ribblevalley.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 Redbridge
    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

    Why demand here is so high

    Houses make up 66.2 per cent of households, and the borough decided 991 householder applications in its latest year. A terraced house averages £534,863, so extra space at the back of the house has real value.

    Gardens are generous. Domestic gardens cover 27.4 per cent of the borough's land in the government's generalised land use database, which gives owners room to build back, and gives neighbours reason to object.

    The borough lists 134 entries on the national list, and any listed house needs consent that prior approval cannot replace.

    Getting the notification right the first time

    The depth limits are 6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI. Because so many notifications arrive each year, a clear submission stands out. We measure from the original rear wall, mark each later addition and put the figures on the drawing.

    The Order asks for Written description (depth beyond rear wall, max height, eaves height), site plan, addresses of adjoining premises, developer contact address, and we add a section through the extension and the neighbouring windows. Neighbours are notified: LPA notifies adjoining owners/occupiers, giving at least 21 days for representations.

    If the council has not decided within 42 days, work may begin, but we advise waiting for the written decision.

    Certificates, planning and the one upward case

    The council recorded 812 certificate applications in its latest return, among the highest in our data for any council, so certificates are a popular alternative. If your project is within the permitted limits, see Lawful Development Certificate drawings in Redbridge.

    For a project beyond the Order, a householder application is the route. The council granted 82.8 per cent and decided 94.7 per cent in time, and our planning drawings in Redbridge cover it.

    The record also shows 1 refused upward extension prior approval, so adding storeys under this route is uncommon.

    Reading the numbers before you commit

    The figures above carry a warning: a record of 93 refused alongside 46 granted does not tell you how many of those were weak notifications. What it tells you is that the route here is used heavily, so officers see every kind of submission.

    That favours a notification that is plainly complete. We state the depth, the maximum height and the eaves height on the drawing, as the Order requires, and we keep the covering description to the facts on the plans.

    Where your house has a feature that makes a refusal more likely, such as a close neighbour window or a long flank wall, we tell you before you pay for the full set and discuss the householder alternative.

    How we prepare a Redbridge notification

    We run the free constraints check first. Then we survey the house and the neighbouring rear elevations, draw the notification and test it against the next-door windows. A second chartered technologist checks it before we submit.

    We track the neighbour period and answer the officer, and an amendment redraw is not charged again. See prior approval drawings for the national rules and architectural drawings in Redbridge for the borough.

    The neighbouring Newham page shows how the same route behaves with fewer notifications.

    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.
    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Redbridge

    Prior approval drawings nearby

    Questions

    Is prior approval common in Redbridge?

    Yes. The latest return lists 46 granted and 93 refused, a high volume for the route.

    Do conservation areas limit the route?

    There are only 16 in the borough, so most addresses are open.

    Should I choose a certificate instead?

    If the work fits permitted development limits outright, a certificate may do. The council recorded 812 of them in its return.

    What is the council fee?

    The fee is £249, paid to the council. Our fee is fixed after the free constraints check.

    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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