Double Storey Extension Drawings in West Norwood SE27
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for West Norwood (SE27) homeowners — London Borough of Lambeth validation and local constraints handled from the start.
West Norwood (SE27) in Lambeth is a Victorian neighbourhood defined by West Norwood Cemetery — opened in 1837, the first cemetery designed in the Gothic Revival style, and now home to dozens of Grade II and II* listed monuments. The cemetery and its neighbouring streets form the West Norwood conservation area (CA24), so rear and loft projects nearby are worked carefully around that setting.
Lambeth also has Article 4 controls in the wider area (Modified Direction 2), so permitted-development rights can't be assumed on every street. We check where a West Norwood property sits relative to the conservation area, the listed cemetery setting and the Article 4 direction before recommending a permitted-development or full-application route under Lambeth's guidance.
Planning in West Norwood (SE27): what to know before you apply
West Norwood carries an Article 4 direction (Lambeth's Modified Direction 2), so permitted-development rights are restricted on the affected streets and we confirm the position for a specific address. The West Norwood conservation area (CA24), built around the listed Gothic-Revival cemetery, adds close control of frontages and rooflines, and the consistent Victorian terraces mean dormer and elevation changes are judged against the established pattern.
Typical West Norwood housing stock
Victorian terraces and villas on the streets around Norwood Road and Knight's Hill, with later interwar and post-war housing on the rising ground toward Tulse Hill and Gipsy Hill.
Streets we regularly draw for in West Norwood
Norwood Road · Knight's Hill · Rosendale Road · Chatsworth Way
Double Storey Extension Drawings for West Norwood (SE27) homes: the package and the process
Every double storey extension drawings we prepare for an West Norwood property is drawn to London Borough of Lambeth’s validation standards and tuned to the SE27 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 West Norwood SE27 — 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 Lambeth?+
My Lambeth home is a converted flat — does that change things?+
What does Lambeth's HMO Article 4 direction affect?+
How long does Lambeth Council take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Lambeth?+
Get your free West Norwood planning assessment
Tell us your West Norwood (SE27) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.