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Tower Hamlets, London

Side return extension drawings in Tower Hamlets

Only 12 per cent of Tower Hamlets households live in a house, and domestic gardens cover just 7.4 per cent of the land. A side return here is a rare, valuable project on a surviving terrace, and we draw it from £745 including VAT once we have checked the address against 59 conservation areas.

From £745 (VAT included)

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  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • 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

    What the council's documents say about a side return

    Tower Hamlets' development plan is the Tower Hamlets Local Plan 2031: Managing Growth and Sharing the Benefits. The council's published supplementary documents are mostly about the Central Area and large developments, such as the Central Area Good Growth SPD and the High Density Living SPD. We found no council document that sets a numeric limit for a side return extension, so we do not quote one.

    What officers do instead is judge each house against its street. On a surviving terrace in Bethnal Green, Bow or Limehouse, the neighbouring extensions are the real guide: how deep they run, how high the boundary wall stands and whether the rear wing keeps its original profile.

    That is why we search the council's planning register for decisions on your street before design begins. A recent approval for an infill on the same terrace is better evidence than any general guidance, and we draw inside it.

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

    Local figures for Tower Hamlets

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Households living in a house12 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)7.4 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Conservation areas59 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions64 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation orders72 tree preservation orders published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries916 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Heritage at Risk entries39 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions191 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted92.7 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time95.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Average price, terraced690,210 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Householder: alterations/extensions to a single dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026548 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 Tower Hamlets
    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)

    Conservation areas, Article 4 and listed buildings

    The borough has 59 conservation areas and 64 Article 4 directions. It has 72 tree preservation orders, and 2 World Heritage Sites reach into the borough.

    Historic England lists 916 buildings here, and 39 entries sit on the Heritage at Risk Register. For a house inside a conservation area the national rule is: No side extensions under PD on article 2(3) land (conservation areas etc.).

    That means a householder application is the realistic route for most side returns in the borough. The council's fee is £548, paid to the council, and our planning drawings service prepares the sheets and the submission.

    How Tower Hamlets decides household applications

    The council decided only 191 householder applications in the latest twelve months of published figures, a small number for a borough this size. It granted 92.7 per cent and decided 95.8 per cent inside eight weeks or an agreed extension.

    The low number tells you something. Few homes here are houses with a back yard, so householder cases are rare, and a side return application will often be one of very few the officer sees on that street. We draw it clearly for that reason.

    These are borough-wide records for every kind of householder job. They describe the past and do not predict a decision on your house.

    Prices, ownership and the cost of a mistake

    A terraced house averaged £690,210 in the latest Land Registry figures, and just 23.1 per cent of households own their home. For those who do, a house is a scarce asset, and an extension that passes cleanly keeps the project on budget.

    The council's levy runs in three zones: £335.33/m² (Zone 1); £179.64/m² (Zone 2); £59.88/m² (Zone 3).

    Glass, party walls and what we deliver

    A side return needs daylight, and the simple energy route limits openings: 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. Over that, a calculation is needed through our SAP calculations service.

    Terraces here share long party walls, so notices are routine. The notice for a new wall up to the boundary is: Line-of-junction (new wall) notice at least 1 month before work. Our party wall notices service prepares it from the drawings.

    Side return extension drawings in Tower Hamlets start at £745 including VAT. You receive plans, elevations, sections, location plan and block plan, checked by a second chartered technologist.

    Where to go next

    Our overview of the borough is architectural drawings in Tower Hamlets. To go further than the side, compare wraparound extension drawings in Tower Hamlets and rear extension drawings in Tower Hamlets.

    Nearby councils treat the same design differently: side return extension drawings in Newham, Hackney and Southwark. The national rules are on the side return extension drawings 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.
    Finished white-rendered rear house extension with large glazed doors
    Every side considered
    Flick across the turntable to spin it.

    Other services in Tower Hamlets

    Side return extension drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does Tower Hamlets set a size limit for side returns?

    We found no council document with a numeric limit. Officers judge the design against the street, so we study nearby decisions before drawing.

    Will my side return need a planning application in Tower Hamlets?

    Very likely if the house is in one of the 59 conservation areas, because permitted development for side extensions does not apply there.

    How much do side return extension drawings cost in Tower Hamlets?

    From £745 including VAT. The council's fee of £548 is separate.

    Are there many houses to extend in Tower Hamlets?

    Only 12 per cent of households live in a house. Flats have no householder rights, so a flat needs a different route.

    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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