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Croydon, London

Side return extension drawings in Croydon

Croydon is a borough of houses, and a side return suits many of them. Our side return extension drawings for Croydon start at £745 including VAT. 60.2 per cent of Croydon households live in a house, and the council decided 94.4 per cent of householder applications in time, so a well-drawn scheme can move quickly.

From £745 (VAT included)

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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 side return extension drawings

    Nine 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.

    8. Building regulations

      Technical drawings are coordinated with the structural engineer's calculations, the drainage and the planning conditions.

    9. Approval and hand-over

      Building control approval, then a next-steps pack covering the commencement notice, party wall timing and CIL.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    Finished white-rendered rear house extension with large glazed doors

    Side return extension drawings in Croydon: what the council has and has not written

    Croydon has no published figure for side extensions that we can quote as a rule with a page reference, so we do not invent one. What it does publish is the Croydon Local Plan 2018, adopted in 2,018, and a Conservation Areas General Guidance SPD for the older parts of the borough. A side return is judged against the plan's design policies and against the street.

    Without a numbered rule, the weight falls on the drawings. We measure the original house, show the existing building line and the neighbours' extensions on the block plan, and put the new flank wall against that evidence. An officer who can see that three of the next five houses already have a similar addition has little reason to object on character.

    Two-storey rear extension under construction on a semi-detached house

    Local figures for Croydon

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Households living in a house60.2 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Conservation areas19 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries180 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions786 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted86.6 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time94.4 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted17 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused34 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)32.8 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Average price, terraced396,579 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Approved Document L Vol 1 2021, para 10.7(d)Windows, roof windows, rooflights and doors in an extension should not exceed 25% of the extension floor area plus the area of openings removed or covered—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 Croydon

    Householder applications by street in Croydon

    Streets in Croydon with the most householder applications, and the share approved
    StreetApplicationsApproved
    Devonshire Way3556%
    Mount Park Avenue3079%
    Farley Road2885%
    Chaldon Way2592%
    Norbury Hill2482%
    Pollards Hill South2463%
    Bradmore Way2387%
    Woodcote Valley Road2376%
    Littleheath Road2264%
    Valley Road2264%
    Shirley Road2174%
    Upfield2065%
    Arkwright Road1983%
    Georgia Road1963%
    Caterham Drive1878%
    Counts of householder applications by street; no individual applications are shown. Streets with fewer than five applications are left out.Source: GLA Planning London Datahub, householder applications, all years held. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
    The 45-degree test in planTest used in daylight assessments: 45 degrees (plan and elevation)A

    The 45-degree test in plan

    A line from the middle of the neighbour's nearest window: the extension should stay behind it.

    A · Test used in daylight assessments
    45 degrees (plan and elevation)

    Heritage in Croydon is patchier than in inner London

    The borough has 19 conservation areas and 180 list entries, far fewer than Camden or Westminster, so many Croydon houses can use permitted development for a side extension if they fit the limits. Once the extension is built, the energy rules for glazing apply too: Windows, roof windows, rooflights and doors in an extension should not exceed 25% of the extension floor area plus the area of openings removed or covered. A side return with a long glazed roof is where that limit bites.

    We check the address for conservation area, listing and any restriction on the original planning permission, since some estates built in the last century removed rights by condition. A short constraints check costs nothing and decides whether you need an application or a lawful development certificate, which our lawful development certificate page describes.

    Larger rear extensions: where the refusals are

    Many Croydon owners add a side return to a rear extension. Here the numbers need care. Under prior approval for larger home extensions, Croydon granted 17 and refused 34 in the period we hold, so refusals outnumbered grants two to one.

    A side return drawn alone is a normal householder matter. Once it joins a deep rear extension, the combined design is a wraparound and the prior approval route usually closes. Our wraparound extension drawings in Croydon page covers that case, and we draw the two together so the neighbour sees one proposal, not two.

    Householder decisions in Croydon

    Croydon decided 786 householder applications in its latest published year, and granted 86.6 per cent. Domestic gardens take up 32.8 per cent of the borough's land, which tells you why side and rear additions are the staple of its caseload.

    An average terraced house costs £396,579, and a side return that adds a usable kitchen-diner is among the better value improvements for such a house. We say that with caution: values move, and we do not promise any return. What we can say is that the strip beside a Croydon terrace is often wide enough to matter, and that measuring it properly on the survey is what separates a workable kitchen layout from a corridor with a skylight. The survey also records drain runs and manholes, which in this strip can decide where the new wall may stand.

    Houses in multiple occupation and Article 4

    Croydon has an Article 4 direction on houses in multiple occupation. If your extension is meant to add bedrooms for letting, the use itself needs its own check, and our HMO conversion drawings page sets out the process. For a family kitchen, the direction does not apply.

    Party wall notices come up on most side returns here, since the extension meets a neighbour's flank. Our party wall notices page explains the timing, and the notice is prepared from the same drawings.

    What you receive and the price

    A Croydon set contains existing and proposed plans, elevations, a section, and location and block plans. From £745 including VAT, fixed before you commit, with the council fee separate.

    A second chartered architectural technologist checks every sheet, and if Croydon asks for amendments we redraw them free until approval. For wider work see architectural drawings in Croydon, the rear extension drawings in Croydon page, or the planning drawings in Croydon page.

    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.
    House extension under construction with scaffolding, new glazed doors and building materials
    Every side considered
    Flick across the turntable to spin it.

    Other services in Croydon

    Side return extension drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does Croydon set a depth or width limit for side extensions?

    We have no numbered rule with a page reference to quote. Officers judge a side return against the Croydon Local Plan 2018 and the street, so evidence on the drawings matters.

    Can I use permitted development for a side return in Croydon?

    Often, if you are outside the 19 conservation areas and no condition removes the right. We check the address first.

    How often does Croydon refuse larger extension prior approvals?

    It refused 34 and granted 17 in the period we hold, so we assess neighbour impact before you notify.

    How much are side return extension drawings in Croydon?

    From £745 including VAT, fixed before you commit. The council fee is separate.

    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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