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Greenwich, London

Side return extension drawings in Greenwich

Royal Greenwich granted 77.1 per cent of its householder applications in its latest year, roughly three in four, so a side return here repays careful drawing. Our side return extension drawings for Greenwich start at £745 including VAT. The borough also contains a World Heritage Site and 23 conservation areas.

From £745 (VAT included)

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  • Fixed fees, 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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    House extension under construction with scaffolding, new glazed doors and building materials

    Side return extension drawings in Greenwich: reading the grant rate

    Greenwich decided 624 householder applications in its latest published year and granted 77.1 per cent, while deciding 94.2 per cent on time. The council is quick, and roughly one application in four does not succeed, which is a good reason to answer the likely objections before they are raised.

    In practice that means the neighbour's windows, the height at the boundary, the materials and the roof. We draw the sight lines from the nearest windows on the site plan, show the eaves height at the fence, and put the materials on the elevations. Officers can then see in one glance what they would otherwise have to ask about.

    The timing figure matters too. A decision in the statutory period means a short wait for a clear application, and we plan the survey, the drawings and the notices around that, so your builder is not waiting on paperwork. If the council does ask for a change, the survey data is already in our model to work from.

    Brick house being extended, with a wide new opening supported over the ground floor

    Local figures for Greenwich

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Householder applications granted77.1 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder decisions624 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time94.2 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas23 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries540 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    worldHeritageSites1 World Heritage Sites intersecting the LPA boundary—planning.data.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted82 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused76 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Households living in a house48.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Average price, terraced545,565 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Party Wall etc. Act 1996 s3(2)(a)Party structure notice at least 2 months before work—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.

    Councils bordering Greenwich
    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)

    The policy base and the heritage layer

    The borough's plan is the Royal Greenwich Local Plan: Core Strategy with Detailed Policies, adopted in 2,014. It sets design principles but no numbered limit for a side extension, so we do not quote one. The site's heritage does more work: 540 list entries, 23 conservation areas and 1 World Heritage Site.

    Around the heritage core, side extensions are judged for what they do to the setting and to views along the street. Further out, the Victorian and Edwardian terraces are treated like those in any inner suburb. We check the constraint maps before quoting, and a conservation area closes the permitted route that the national rule would otherwise leave open: Side extension: single storey, max 4 m high, max half the width of the original house.

    Larger extensions and prior approval in Greenwich

    Owners who want a side and a rear addition often look at prior approval. In Greenwich the council granted 82 larger home extension notifications and refused 76 in the period we hold, an almost even split. Neighbour impact is a large part of how these cases are judged.

    If a neighbour is likely to object, a full householder application may be the more predictable route, because it lets the officer weigh the case with the drawings in hand. We explain both and let you choose. The rear extension drawings in Greenwich page describes the other half of that design.

    Houses, prices and lawful development certificates

    48.4 per cent of Greenwich households live in a house, the average terraced house costs £545,565, and gardens cover 23.2 per cent of the borough's land. That mix of houses and gardens explains why extension work is common in the borough.

    Greenwich also has an Article 4 direction on houses in multiple occupation. A side return for family use is outside it, but if the new space is for lettings the use needs checking first. Where your rights survive, a certificate proves them: our lawful development certificate page has the details.

    Party walls, structure and timing

    A new wall against the neighbour's means a notice, and a cut into a shared wall means a longer one: Party structure notice at least 2 months before work. Our party wall notices page covers how we prepare them from the same drawings.

    Taking out the old flank wall needs a beam, so we coordinate with an engineer through structural calculations and keep the opening sizes on our plans in step with theirs.

    Price and what you receive

    Greenwich side return drawings start at £745 including VAT, fixed before you commit. The set has existing and proposed plans, elevations, a section and location and block plans.

    A second chartered architectural technologist checks every sheet, and we redraw free until approval if the council asks for changes. See planning drawings in Greenwich, or the overview of architectural drawings in Greenwich.

    Greenwich owners often compare side return work with a loft or a garden room. We are glad to price those on the same visit, and the house extension drawings in Greenwich page shows how the options fit together on one plot.

    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.
    Finished white-rendered rear house extension with large glazed doors
    Every side considered
    Flick across the turntable to spin it.

    Other services in Greenwich

    Side return extension drawings nearby

    Questions

    How often does Greenwich grant householder applications?

    It granted 77.1 per cent of 624 decisions in its latest published year. Clear drawings help your case, but nothing is certain.

    Does Greenwich have a limit for side extensions?

    We have no numbered rule with a page reference to quote. Officers judge design, materials and neighbour impact.

    Does the World Heritage Site affect my side return?

    Only if you are near it. The borough has 23 conservation areas, and we check the maps for your address.

    How much are side return extension drawings in Greenwich?

    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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