Rear extension and loft project on a dockside terraced house in Custom House E16, in the Royal Docks area of Newham

Custom House · E16 · Newham

Building Regulations Drawings in Custom House E16

Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered building regulations drawings for Custom House (E16) homeowners — London Borough of Newham validation and local constraints handled from the start.

Custom House (E16) grew as Victorian dock-worker housing around the Royal Victoria Dock, which opened in 1855, and now sits inside the Royal Docks regeneration and Enterprise Zone. Surviving and postwar-rebuilt terraces sit alongside major new-build development around the ExCeL and the Elizabeth line, so householder work here is largely extensions and lofts on the terraced houses that line the residential streets.

There is no conservation area covering the Custom House part of E16 — that is a genuine, verified fact, not an omission. Its planning character is instead shaped by the working dockside terraced grain and the surrounding regeneration, and by the London Borough of Newham's householder design expectations, which lean on keeping original building lines, materials and roof continuity intact. We treat that terraced character, rather than a conservation designation, as the reference point when we design an extension.

Demand for rear extensions and loft conversions runs steadily across residential streets like Tollgate Road, Rogers Road and Chadwin Road, where compact terraced houses sit on modest plots. We check each property's permitted-development position against Newham's borough-wide controls first — and any surface-water drainage points given the low-lying dockside land — then prepare drawings that either stay within permitted development or are ready to validate as a full householder application.

Proposed floor plan

Custom House E16

Custom House (E16) — planning at a glance

Council: London Borough of Newham
Postcode district: E16
Planning portal: View the Newham planning portal
Housing stock: A mix of surviving and postwar-rebuilt terraced housing with substantial new-build apartments across the Royal Docks regeneration area. It is the terraced houses on the residential streets, rather than the apartment blocks, that generate most of the rear-extension and loft-conversion work here.
Article 4: No area-specific Article 4 direction is published for the Custom House part of E16; the London Borough of Newham's borough-wide permitted-development controls and householder design guidance still apply.
Sample streets: Barrier Point Road · Tollgate Road · Rayleigh Road · Wesley Avenue · Rogers Road · Ruscoe Road · Egham Road · Chadwin Road · Cranley Road · Selby Road · Caraway Close · Eclipse Road
Local constraints: A mixed dockside grain where surviving and postwar-rebuilt terraces sit close to major new-build development, so extension proposals are read against the prevailing rhythm and building line of each individual residential street rather than one uniform patternNewham's borough-wide permitted-development limits and householder design guidance govern extension depth, height and coverage — no local Article 4 direction narrows them further in the Custom House part of E16Matching original facing brick and roof tiles on terraced runs so a rear or loft addition reads as part of the original house rather than an obvious bolt-onCompact terraced plots and modest rear gardens, which constrain how deep a single-storey rear extension can go before it needs a full householder applicationTerraced forms with party walls on both sides, making party-wall relationships, roof-line continuity and overshadowing central to what gets approvedLow-lying land within the Royal Docks regeneration area near the Thames, where surface-water and flood-risk drainage considerations can bear on a householder scheme

Planning in Custom House (E16): what to know before you apply

Because Custom House is a dockside mix of surviving and rebuilt terraces set within the Royal Docks regeneration area, Newham assess extensions against the prevailing rhythm and building line of the individual residential street, so matching original brick, roof continuity and neighbour relationships matters alongside the numbers. There is no conservation area and no local Article 4 direction in the Custom House part of E16, so many terraced houses retain permitted development rights for rear and loft work — but compact plots, shared party walls and low-lying land mean depth, height, neighbour impact and drainage are the points a householder application is judged on.

Typical Custom House housing stock

A mix of surviving and postwar-rebuilt terraced housing with substantial new-build apartments across the Royal Docks regeneration area. It is the terraced houses on the residential streets, rather than the apartment blocks, that generate most of the rear-extension and loft-conversion work here.

Streets we regularly draw for in Custom House

Barrier Point Road · Tollgate Road · Rayleigh Road · Wesley Avenue · Rogers Road · Ruscoe Road · Egham Road · Chadwin Road · Cranley Road · Selby Road · Caraway Close · Eclipse Road

Building Regulations Drawings for Custom House (E16) homes: the package and the process

Every building regulations drawings we prepare for an Custom House property is drawn to London Borough of Newham’s validation standards and tuned to the E16 constraints above. Here is what the drawing package covers and how the process runs from first survey to approval.

Where planning drawings gain design consent, building regulations drawings prove your project meets the technical standards for a safe, warm, structurally sound building. DrawingsDirect produces full-plans building control packages for London extensions, lofts and conversions, with structural calculations produced in-house rather than subcontracted.

What do building regulations drawings cover?

A building control package translates the approved design into a buildable, compliant specification.

Construction sections and detailed junctions
Structural drawings and calculations (steel beams, foundations, loadings)
Part L thermal performance and insulation specification
Fire safety — escape routes, protected structure, alarms
Drainage and ventilation layouts

Full Plans or Building Notice — which should I choose?

A Full Plans application has your drawings checked and approved by Building Control before work starts, giving certainty and a document lenders and buyers like to see. A Building Notice lets simpler work start sooner but is inspected as it proceeds, with less up-front certainty. For most London extensions and loft conversions we recommend Full Plans, and prepare the package accordingly.

Full Plans vs Building Notice for a London project
Factor	Full Plans	Building Notice
Drawings checked before work starts	Yes	No
Up-front certainty	High — approval in writing	Lower — inspected as built
Best for	Extensions, lofts, structural work	Minor, simple works
Evidence for lenders and buyers	Full approval record	Completion certificate only
Risk of costly on-site rework	Low	Higher if issues are found late

Also in Custom House E16

Planning Permission Planning Drawings Architectural Drawings Loft Conversion Drawings House Extension Drawings Building Regulations Drawings across Newham Building Regulations Drawings across London

FAQ

Building Regulations Drawings in Custom House E16 — FAQs

Do I need building regulations approval as well as planning permission?+

Almost always, yes. Planning permission covers what the building looks like; building regulations cover how safely it is built. Most extensions and loft conversions need both.

How long does Building Control approval take?+

A Full Plans application is typically assessed within about five weeks. We prepare a complete package and respond to any conditions promptly, so approval is not held up by missing detail.

Can building regulations drawings be done after planning approval?+

Yes. Many homeowners secure planning permission first, then commission the building regulations package before starting on site. We can pick a project up at either stage.

Are structural calculations included?+

Yes — we produce structural drawings and calculations in-house as part of the building regulations package, so your builder has everything to price and build.

Can you submit to Building Control for me?+

Yes, we prepare and submit the Full Plans package and respond to any Building Control queries.

Do I need planning permission to extend a house in Custom House?+

Not always. Many Custom House terraced houses retain permitted development rights, so a modest single-storey rear extension or a rear loft conversion can often proceed without a full planning application. Because the terraced plots are compact and sit on low-lying dockside land, we check your property's size limits, party-wall lines and any drainage points against Newham's controls first, and prepare a full householder application where the project goes beyond permitted development.

Is Custom House in a conservation area?+

No. There is no conservation area covering the Custom House part of E16. Its planning character is shaped instead by the working dockside terraced grain, the surrounding Royal Docks regeneration and Newham's householder design expectations, which favour keeping original building lines, materials and roof continuity intact when you extend.

How much do planning and building-regulation drawings cost for a Custom House extension?+

We work to fixed fees agreed before we start, with a typical turnaround of around seven days for a standard rear extension or loft on a Custom House terraced house. As a chartered architectural technologist practice we produce the same council-accepted planning and building-regulation drawings as an architect, usually for a lower fee, and include free redraws until your application is approved.

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