Islington, London
Rear extension drawings in Islington
Rear extension drawings for an Islington house start at £695 including VAT. Islington's Urban Design Guide asks for rear extensions no higher than one full storey below eaves, and across its 41 conservation areas the design is read closely.
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Rear extension rules in Islington
Islington's Urban Design Guide SPD says a rear extension must be subordinate to the house and should be no higher than one full storey below eaves. The guide adds that a full-width rear extension of more than one storey is normally resisted, so the practical choice on a terrace is between a single-storey extension and a reshaped rear return.
The second test is about the neighbour's light. The guide says that if the centre of a neighbour's main rear window lies within the angle of 45 degrees (plan and elevation) from the end of your extension, in both plan and elevation, the depth is likely to be unacceptable.
That test needs two drawings to answer it. We draw the plan with the line marked, and a section through the boundary with the same line, so both halves of the test can be read off the sheets.
Together, the height and the angle give Islington owners a clear brief. Keep the extension one storey below the eaves, keep it clear of the angle to the neighbour's window and keep it subordinate in its proportions, and the officer has little to object to. Push on any of the three and the drawings must make a stronger case.
Local figures for Islington
| Measure | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear extensions must be subordinate and no higher than one full storey below the eaves; full-width rear extensions higher than one storey are normally resisted. | one full storey below eaves | — | islington.gov.uk, Urban Design Guide SPD, p.51, para 5.134 |
| If the centre of a neighbour's main rear window lies within a 45 degree angle from the end of the extension on both plan and elevation, the depth is likely to be unacceptable. | 45 degrees (plan and elevation) | — | islington.gov.uk, Urban Design Guide SPD, p.52, para 5.135 |
| Conservation areas | 41 named conservation areas published by the council | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Listed building entries | 1,050 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary) | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Households living in a house | 16.3 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced) | Census 2021 | nomisweb.co.uk |
| Householder decisions | 337 decisions | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Householder applications granted | 92.6 % | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Householder applications decided in time | 98.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005) | 19.7 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005) | 2005 | data.london.gov.uk |
| GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class A, para A.1(f)(i) | 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey | — | legislation.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 |
A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.
Householder applications by street in Islington
| Street | Applications | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Corbyn Street | 35 | 85% |
| Plimsoll Road | 28 | 93% |
| Aberdeen Park | 24 | 91% |
| Thorpedale Road | 21 | 90% |
| Highbury Hill | 20 | 94% |
| Hungerford Road | 20 | 88% |
| Sussex Way | 18 | 100% |
| Avenell Road | 15 | 85% |
| Hemingford Road | 15 | 79% |
| Huddleston Road | 15 | 100% |
| Romilly Road | 15 | 92% |
| Harberton Road | 14 | 100% |
| Offord Road | 14 | 86% |
| St George's Avenue | 14 | 100% |
| Thornhill Road | 14 | 79% |
Single-storey rear extension: the permitted development limits
The house in section with a rear extension; the dashed lines mark the zone near the boundary.
- A · Depth beyond the original rear wall
- 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey
- B · Maximum height
- 4 m
- C · Within the zone near the boundary
- Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary
- D · Larger extension under prior approval
- 6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI
Close neighbours: where the angle line falls
On a narrow plot the neighbour's rear window can sit close to the boundary, which makes the angle test the main limit on depth, well before any fixed number is reached.
Every terrace is different, so we survey the neighbour's window positions from your side where we can, and we use photographs and the planning history of the next house where we cannot. If your neighbour already has an extension, its length and height set the baseline against which yours is judged.
Gardens are valuable here. Domestic gardens make up 19.7 per cent of the borough's land in the Greater London Authority's land-use data, and we show how much open space remains after the extension, together with any trees and the boundary treatment.
Materials and detailing matter in this setting. Brick that matches the host, slim-framed glazing, a restrained parapet and a green roof where the structure allows are the usual ingredients, and we show them in elevation and section so the officer reads the intent. The rear elevation is part of the street's record even when it cannot be seen from the road.
Conservation areas, listed houses and the planning route
Islington has 41 conservation areas, and Historic England records 1,050 listed building entries in the borough. A listed house needs listed building consent for most alterations, and in a conservation area the rear elevation is judged as part of the area's character.
Permitted development is often not available. Only 16.3 per cent of Islington households live in a house or bungalow, and a flat has no householder permitted rights, so a planning application is the usual route. For a house, the householder fee is £548, paid to the council.
We recommend using the guide's two tests as the design brief and building the drawings around them, so that the application answers the officer's questions before they ask.
Listed houses add another layer. The application must explain what is original, what is changed and why, and the drawings are the main evidence. We prepare them to a standard that supports a heritage statement written alongside.
Islington's householder decisions
Islington decided 337 householder applications in its latest published year, granted 92.6 per cent and decided 98.8 per cent in time.
These figures describe the whole borough and every type of householder project. They help us plan the programme and do not predict the outcome for your house.
Given the closeness of the buildings, we also recommend talking to the neighbour early. A clear set of drawings is the easiest way to explain what is proposed, and it can head off an objection.
What you receive and what it costs
An Islington set shows the existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections, plus a location plan and block plan. We charge £695 including VAT, fixed before you commit. A second chartered technologist checks every sheet, and we redraw at no charge if the council asks for changes.
Read more about the borough at architectural drawings in Islington, or about the service across London at rear extension drawings.
Related projects and nearby councils
Where the house has room at the side, side return extension drawings in Islington cover the infill; wraparound extension drawings in Islington combine both. Planning to go up? See loft conversion drawings in Islington.
Across the boundary the same test reads differently in Hackney, Camden and Haringey.
What you receive
Related pages
Other services in Islington
Questions
How high can a rear extension be in Islington?
Islington's Urban Design Guide says no higher than one full storey below eaves, and normally resists full-width rear extensions of more than one storey.
What is Islington's angle test for rear extensions?
If the centre of a neighbour's main rear window lies within 45 degrees (plan and elevation) from the end of your extension, depth is likely to be unacceptable.
Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in Islington?
Usually, yes. Flats have no householder permitted rights, and the borough has 41 conservation areas. We check the address first.
Sources and dates
- islington.gov.uk, retrieved
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- nomisweb.co.uk, retrieved
- assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, retrieved
- data.london.gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- ribblevalley.gov.uk, retrieved
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
- Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Historic England data © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
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