Rear extension drawings in Barnet

Prior approval, appeals and what they say about Barnet

A deeper extension can use prior approval, where the council has 42 days to respond. In Barnet that route has been closed more often than it has been opened: the council granted 18 large householder extension prior approvals and refused 103 in the period we hold. Neighbour objections and the impact on adjoining windows are what we address up front.

Appeals show the same care. The Planning Inspectorate decided 413 Barnet householder appeals and allowed 50.6 per cent of them. We read that as a reason for care: clear drawings that show the garden length, the neighbour's windows and the proposed height make an application easier to assess.

Which house type is yours

Barnet's depth limit turns on whether the house is terraced, semi-detached or detached, and the answer is not always obvious on the ground. An end-of-terrace house may have been linked to a neighbour by an earlier addition, and a pair of semis may have been joined by a side extension.

We settle this on the survey by reading the original building, then check our reading against the council's wording before the depth goes on the drawing. The half-garden test is measured the same way, from the original rear wall to the rear boundary, and shown on the site plan so there is no argument over the figure.

Trees, Green Belt and heritage in Barnet

Barnet has 718 tree preservation orders covering 3,219 mapped zones, so a protected tree near the proposed footprint is worth checking for. We record trees on the survey and keep the extension and its foundations clear of root protection areas where the design allows.

Green Belt covers 28 per cent of the borough, where extensions are judged against a different test. The borough also has 16 conservation areas, 15 Article 4 directions and 651 list entries. Article 4 directions remove permitted development rights and conservation areas limit them, so we check the address before suggesting a route.

How Barnet has been deciding householder applications

Barnet decided 1,361 householder applications in its latest published year and granted 80.2 per cent, with 95.1 per cent decided in time. Domestic gardens cover 28.1 per cent of the borough's land, so garden length is a live issue. These figures describe the borough, not your house, and we use them to plan timing.

What the drawings include and the price

A Barnet rear extension set has existing and proposed floor plans, a roof section, all elevations and the location and block plans. Rear extension drawings start at £695 with VAT included, fixed before you commit, and are normally ready after the survey.

Every sheet is checked by a second chartered technologist, and if the council asks for changes we redraw at no charge until approval. After design, the same survey carries the extension into building regulations drawings for structure, insulation and drainage.

Related extensions and nearby boroughs

A larger scheme may suit house extension drawings in Barnet, side return extension drawings or loft conversion drawings. The overview of the service is at rear extension drawings, and the borough overview at architectural drawings in Barnet. Compare neighbouring guidance in Brent, Harrow and Enfield.