Double Storey Extension Drawings in Kilburn NW6
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Kilburn (NW6) homeowners — London Borough of Brent validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Kilburn (NW6) straddles a borough boundary at the High Road, and the Brent side is where the North Kilburn conservation area sits — late-Victorian terraces and semis on the streets running off the High Road and Willesden Lane. Brent has attached an Article 4 direction to that conservation area.
The North Kilburn Article 4 direction removes permitted development rights across the conservation area, so rear and roof projects on those streets need a full planning application. Brent's separate HMO Article 4 direction removes the permitted change to a small house in multiple occupation across the borough — directly relevant in NW6, where the large Victorian houses have long been subdivided and HMO conversion is a common intent. The scale of existing flat conversion is itself a constraint: flats have no permitted development rights at all, and leasehold consent sits alongside planning. We confirm the borough, the conservation-area boundary and the tenure of an NW6 address before drawing to Brent's guidance.
Planning in Kilburn (NW6): what to know before you apply
NW6 carries Brent's North Kilburn Article 4 direction, which removes permitted development rights across the North Kilburn conservation area — rear and loft projects there need a full application. Brent's HMO Article 4 direction separately removes the permitted change to small houses in multiple occupation, so NW6 HMO conversions require planning permission. Note that Kilburn straddles a borough boundary at the High Road, so confirming the correct council for an address is the first step; and the district's many converted flats have no permitted development rights regardless.
Typical Kilburn housing stock
Late-Victorian terraces and semi-detached houses on the streets off the High Road and Willesden Lane, many long ago converted into flats, with Edwardian and interwar stock toward Salusbury Road.
Streets we regularly draw for in Kilburn
Kilburn High Road · Willesden Lane · Brondesbury Road · Salusbury Road
Double Storey Extension Drawings for Kilburn (NW6) homes: the package and the process
Every double storey extension drawings we prepare for an Kilburn property is drawn to London Borough of Brent’s validation standards and tuned to the NW6 constraints above. Here is what the drawing package covers and how the process runs from first survey to approval.
A double storey extension builds a second floor above a single-storey side or rear addition, typically adding a bedroom and bathroom upstairs over a widened kitchen or reception room below. Because the foundations and roof of a single-storey extension already carry most of the fixed cost of building, adding a floor on top is often the most cost-effective way to gain two rooms rather than two separate projects. The trade-off is scrutiny: a two-storey addition sits closer to eye level with neighbouring windows and gardens, so councils examine massing, roofline and boundary distance more closely than they would a single-storey extension.
DrawingsDirect draws double storey side and rear extensions for full planning and building regulations, with structural calculations for the additional floor load and foundations produced in-house by our MCIAT-chartered team, on a fixed fee. If a single storey is enough, see our Rear Extension and Side Return Extension pages, or combine both with a Wraparound if you are extending sideways as well as up.
Do I need planning permission for a double storey extension in London?
Almost always. Permitted development rights for two-storey extensions are far more restrictive than for single-storey work, particularly on how close the new structure can come to a boundary and how closely its roof pitch and eaves height must match the existing house, so most double storey projects are drawn and submitted as full householder planning applications rather than relying on permitted development.
Where the property sits in a conservation area or is subject to an Article 4 direction, any remaining permitted development allowance for a second storey is typically removed entirely, reinforcing the need for a full application. We check your property's status and your borough's design guidance before drawing.
How do councils control the impact of a double storey extension on neighbours?
Because a second storey introduces new windows and massing at first-floor level, London boroughs apply design guidance aimed specifically at protecting neighbouring light, privacy and outlook.
- The 45-degree rule, tested at neighbouring windows, to check the extension does not block an unreasonable amount of daylight
- A common design expectation that a two-storey side extension is set in roughly 1 metre from the shared boundary, rather than built hard against it
- A first floor commonly set back from the ground floor front elevation, so the upper storey reads as subordinate to the main house from the street
- Obscure or high-level glazing on flank walls facing directly into a neighbour's garden or windows, to limit overlooking
| Option | What it adds | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | A ground-floor kitchen-diner only, may qualify for permitted development | see Rear Extension Drawings, from £1,100 |
| Double storey side or rear extension | Two rooms across two floors, usually needs full planning | Full Planning pack ~£1,600–£2,400 |
| Double storey + Building Regulations (structural) | Combined pack including structural calculations for two-floor loads and foundations | Planning + Building Regs pack ~£2,200–£3,850 |
| Wraparound (rear + side return) | Combines two single-storey extensions into one L-shaped ground floor | see Wraparound Extension Drawings, from £2,200 |
Double Storey Extension Drawings in Kilburn NW6 — FAQs
How much does a double storey extension cost to design in London?+
Do I need planning permission to add a second storey?+
Will a double storey extension overlook my neighbour's garden?+
Do I need an architect for a double storey extension?+
How long does it take to get double storey extension drawings?+
Do I need planning permission for a side-return extension in Brent?+
What does Brent's borough-wide HMO Article 4 direction affect?+
Is a hip-to-gable loft conversion allowed on my Brent semi?+
How long does Brent Council take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Brent?+
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