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Sutton, London

Prior approval drawings in Sutton

Prior approval drawings in Sutton reach most of the borough's houses: there are only 8 conservation areas, and 62.9 per cent of households live in a house. The latest return lists 9 larger home extension prior approvals granted and 35 refused, so the notification has to carry the neighbour argument. We draw it 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

    What the return says about larger extensions in Sutton

    The council's latest return lists 9 larger home extension prior approvals granted and 35 refused. Refusals are the clear majority, so the route is open in principle for most addresses and hard in practice where a neighbour objects.

    Our reading of the Design of Residential Extensions SPD is that the council cares most about how an addition sits against its neighbours, and the Urban Design Guide SPD sets the wider design expectations. Neither decides a prior approval, but both show what concerns an officer.

    With only 8 conservation areas, land designation rarely stops the route here. If your house is in one, the route is closed and we say so immediately.

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

    Local figures for Sutton

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areas8 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries209 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Households living in a house62.9 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted9 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused35 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)34.5 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Average price, terraced464,085 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted91.8 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time94.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Lawful development certificate applications (PS1)297 certificates2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.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 Sutton
    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

    Big gardens, big ambitions

    Domestic gardens cover 34.5 per cent of the borough's land in the government's generalised land use database. Long plots and houses make up the borough: 62.9 per cent of households live in one.

    Room to build is what drives enquiries, and it is what drives objections, because a neighbour's kitchen window faces the new wall. A terraced house here averages £464,085, so owners weigh each pound.

    The borough lists 209 entries on the national list, and a listed house falls outside the route.

    The national rules we draw to

    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 the allowance is counted from the original house, we survey and mark everything that was built later.

    The Order requires Written description (depth beyond rear wall, max height, eaves height), site plan, addresses of adjoining premises, developer contact address, and the council notifies neighbours: LPA notifies adjoining owners/occupiers, giving at least 21 days for representations. We include a section through the extension and the nearest neighbouring window, since that is the picture an objector will describe.

    If the council has not decided within 42 days, work may begin, although a written decision is safer to build on.

    When another route fits better

    Householder applications do better here than larger extension notifications: the council granted 91.8 per cent of 601 decisions and decided 94.8 per cent in time. If the extension needs more than the Order, our planning drawings in Sutton cover the application.

    For work inside the permitted limits, a certificate is another option. The council recorded 297 certificate applications in its return, and Lawful Development Certificate drawings in Sutton explain the process.

    The borough also has an Article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation, which matters if you plan to let the extended house.

    Where the argument is usually won or lost

    A refused notification here is rarely a fight about depth in the abstract. It is a fight about one window next door. We therefore begin the design by photographing and measuring the neighbouring rear elevations, then position the extension so that the nearest habitable window keeps most of its outlook.

    The tools are simple: a slightly shorter projection on the boundary side, a lower eaves line where the extension meets the neighbour, and a stepped plan that keeps a clear gap from the nearest glazing. Each is drawn and shown on a section, so the officer sees the effect and not just a claim about it.

    If the scheme still cannot clear the test, we say so early and talk through the householder route, where the council has a better recent record.

    How we work in Sutton

    The free constraints check comes first. Then we survey, draw the notification, test it against the next-door windows and have a second chartered technologist check it against the Order.

    We submit, track the neighbour period and answer the officer, and an amendment redraw is not charged again. The national rules are on our prior approval drawings page and the borough overview is architectural drawings in Sutton.

    Neighbouring Merton records far more decisions for the same route, which is a helpful comparison.

    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 Sutton

    Prior approval drawings nearby

    Questions

    Is larger home extension prior approval available in Sutton?

    For most houses, yes: the borough has only 8 conservation areas. We still check other limits first.

    How often does the council refuse?

    The latest return lists 35 refused and 9 granted.

    Does the council have an HMO Article 4 direction?

    Yes. It does not stop an extension, but it affects what you can do with the extra rooms in a let house.

    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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