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Lewisham, London

Wraparound extension drawings in Lewisham

Lewisham is unusually precise about wraparound extensions: its Alterations and Extensions guidance sets a length, a height and a minimum garden path, and officers measure drawings against them. Our wraparound extension drawings for Lewisham houses start at £1,195 including VAT and dimension each of those three tests on the plans and sections.

From £1,195 (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 wraparound 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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    Brick house being extended, with a wide new opening supported over the ground floor

    The three measurements Lewisham looks for

    The council's Alterations and Extensions SPD deals with infill and wraparound extensions in numbers. Its figures read 3 m / 2.5 m / 1 m path. Put in words, an infill or wraparound that runs up to the first length should be no higher than that same length; one that runs longer and rises above the second figure on the boundary is unlikely to be supported; and an L-shaped extension should leave a path of the third figure to the rear garden.

    Those limits turn a vague design question into a checklist, which helps. A wraparound can be drawn to the line and shown to sit on the right side of it. The risk is the boundary wall, because the height is judged where the extension meets the neighbour, not at the centre of the room, and a parapet or a thick roof build-up can push the measured height over the limit by a few centimetres.

    For that reason we draw the boundary elevation at a large scale with the finished height of the wall, the gutter and any parapet marked from the neighbour's ground level, then repeat it in the section.

    Finished white-rendered rear house extension with large glazed doors

    Local figures for Lewisham

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Infill or wraparound extensions up to 3 m long should be no more than 3 m high; over 3 m long and over 2.5 m high on the boundary is unlikely to be supported; L-shaped extensions should leave a path of at least 1 m to the rear garden.3 m / 2.5 m / 1 m path—lewisham.gov.uk, Lewisham Alterations and Extensions SPD 2019, p.38-39, para 4.5.3; p.31, para 4.2.3 L-shaped
    Conservation areas30 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions57 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 direction areas89 Article 4 direction area polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries367 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Households living in a house42.2 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Householder decisions578 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted89.4 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time95.2 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted2 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused46 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)31.1 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.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 Lewisham
    Single-storey rear extension: the permitted development limitsDepth beyond the original rear wall: 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey. Maximum height: 4 m. Within the zone near the boundary: Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary. 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 SSSIABCD

    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

    Lewisham's heritage and Article 4 picture

    Before the geometry, there is the question of rights. Lewisham publishes 30 conservation areas, and it holds 57 Article 4 directions mapped across 89 areas. An Article 4 direction can take away rights that national rules would otherwise give, so a house that looks like a permitted development candidate may not be.

    Historic England records 367 listed entries within the borough. A listed house needs its own consent for any alteration, and a house next door to one will draw comment on its effect on the setting.

    We search the address against all three layers before drawing, because the answer decides whether the job is a prior approval, a lawful development certificate or a householder application. If a certificate is the right route, our lawful development certificate drawings in Lewisham follow the same measured base.

    Why the prior approval route is rarely worth it here

    National rules describe the rear element of a wraparound like this: 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey. The side element is limited too: Side extension: single storey, max 4 m high, max half the width of the original house. The larger-home prior approval scheme lets the rear go deeper, and that is where Lewisham's recent record is stark. In the latest national statistics the council granted 2 of these notifications and refused 46.

    A refusal rate like that means that prior approval is a poor first choice unless every neighbour is content. A householder application, judged against the guidance above, is usually the better plan for a deeper wraparound.

    How Lewisham householder cases perform

    Lewisham decided 578 householder applications in its latest published year, granted 89.4 per cent and met the eight-week target or an agreed extension for 95.2 per cent. These cover every kind of domestic project and are not a prediction for yours, but they tell us the planning team is processing householder work quickly and approving most of it.

    42.2 per cent of the borough's households live in a house, so there is a decent supply of houses with the side passage a wraparound needs. Domestic gardens make up 31.1 per cent of the borough's land, and the path requirement above exists to stop that garden being walled off at the back.

    Wraparound extension drawings in Lewisham: price and process

    The fixed fee of £1,195 including VAT covers existing and proposed plans, sections and elevations, plus the location and block plans. A second chartered technologist checks every sheet, and if the council asks for changes before deciding, we redraw at no charge. The council's own householder fee is £548.

    Glazing in the new wings is limited as well. In summary: 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. We total the openings in the schedule so the figure is easy to check.

    Related drawings and neighbouring boroughs

    The same house may suit a smaller scheme, so compare side return extension drawings in Lewisham and house extension drawings in Lewisham. If the roof is in play, see dormer loft conversion drawings in Lewisham. The borough overview is architectural drawings in Lewisham. Next door, Greenwich and Southwark publish different limits.

    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.
    Two-storey rear extension under construction on a semi-detached house
    Every side considered
    Flick across the turntable to spin it.

    Other services in Lewisham

    Wraparound extension drawings nearby

    Questions

    What are Lewisham's limits for a wraparound extension?

    The Alterations and Extensions SPD sets a length and height for infill and wraparound extensions, a height cap on the boundary, and a clear garden path for L-shaped schemes (3 m / 2.5 m / 1 m path). We dimension each on the drawings.

    Can a Lewisham house use permitted development for a wraparound?

    Sometimes. The house must be outside any Article 4 direction and conservation area, and the side and rear parts must together stay inside the national limits. We check the address first.

    How much do wraparound extension drawings cost in Lewisham?

    From £1,195 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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