Wraparound extension drawings in Brent

Article 4 directions, tree orders and conservation areas

Brent has published 39 Article 4 directions covering 162 separate mapped areas, and 23 conservation areas. In a direction area some of the permitted development rights you would otherwise use are withdrawn, so you may need a planning application for work that looks routine elsewhere.

Trees matter too. The council has recorded 1,229 tree preservation orders across 301 zones, and a wraparound that digs near a mature garden tree can fall foul of one. We note protected trees on the survey and keep the foundation line outside the root zone where we can.

For the national position in a conservation area: On article 2(3) land (conservation areas etc.): no side extensions, no cladding, no rear extension of more than one storey under Class A. A wraparound includes a side arm, so that rule alone usually settles the route.

Prior approval in Brent: the refusal record

The prior approval route for a larger single-storey rear extension is where many Brent wraparounds meet their first hurdle. In the latest twelve months of national figures the council granted 10 of them and refused 79.

Householder applications fare better: Brent decided 879 and granted 86.6 per cent, with 97.2 per cent decided in time.

We read these numbers as a reason not to lean on prior approval for the rear arm. A full application, drawn with the neighbour's windows plotted accurately, gives you a clearer path. See our planning drawings for how that set is built.

Where a house already has an old outrigger or rear addition, it already counts towards the enlargement allowance, so what looks like free space on the plan is partly spent. We measure it before talking about depth.

Who owns a house in Brent, and why it matters

Only 43.3 per cent of Brent households live in a house, and 38.4 per cent own their home. A lot of the borough is flats and converted houses, where the national extension rights do not apply at all.

If you own a whole house the position is better, but you may still share a boundary with a flat conversion whose occupants read every proposal. Notice to them is not optional where a party wall is involved: Line-of-junction (new wall) notice at least 1 month before work.

Gardens cover 30.3 per cent of the borough's land, so plots are often long enough to take a deep rear arm. The side arm is the harder piece, because the gap beside a semi is often narrow and can be shared with a neighbour's access.

Where flats overlook a garden from above, the roof of the extension becomes a fifth elevation. A green or sedum roof reads better from those upstairs windows, so we show the roof finish on the drawings.

Fees, glazing and what the drawings include

The council's householder fee is £548. A wraparound kitchen tends to be glass-heavy, so keep the energy guidance in mind: 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.

Our drawings start at £1,195 including VAT and cover existing and proposed plans, sections and elevations, a location plan and a block plan. If the council asks for amendments we redraw at no charge, and a second chartered technologist checks every sheet.

Before submitting, we also check the drainage route. A wraparound often builds over an existing manhole or shared sewer, and the water company's consent for that is a separate matter that can stall a start on site.

Wraparound extension drawings in Brent: the package

Compare rear extension drawings in Brent with a wraparound if you are unsure the side arm is worth it, and see architectural drawings in Brent for the full list of local services. Nearby, the same work is covered in Ealing, Harrow and Camden.

If you are weighing a smaller scheme first, our house extension drawings in Brent page sets out every extension type side by side, and the borough overview lists the other drawing services available at your address.