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Free 2026 London Planning Report — Chipping Ongar CM5

Tile-hung box dormer loft conversion with white uPVC windows on a rendered house, next to brick chimneys with clay pots.
CM5 · Chipping Ongar · Epping Forest

Planning and building regulation drawings in Chipping Ongar (CM5)

CM5 is the Chipping Ongar district, with Shelley named alongside it, and the planning authority is Epping Forest District Council. The national planning data register shows five conservation areas overlapping this postcode: Blake Hall, Bobbingworth; Chipping Ongar; Great Stony School, Chipping Ongar; High Ongar; and Moreton. A householder here should treat a designation as a live question until the address has been checked against the council's map, because two of those names refer to Chipping Ongar and a postal address will not say which, if any, applies.

  • MCIAT chartered technologists
  • Epping Forest District Council granted 76% of 777 householder applications
  • Drawings in about 7 days

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The consequence is practical. Where a house stands in conservation area land, permitted development no longer covers a side extension, an enlargement of the roof or a rear extension of more than one storey. External cladding is restricted as well. A homeowner who has read the national rules for a typical house may find that the project they had in mind now needs a householder application, with drawings that justify it on its own merits.

Those drawings do more work than in an undesignated street. Existing and proposed elevations need to show the materials and the way a new wall or roof meets the old one. The site plan needs to show the extension against the boundaries. Trees need attention too, because giving the council six weeks' notice before most work on a tree in a conservation area is a separate requirement from the planning application, and a tree covered by a preservation order needs the council's consent. Our chartered architectural technologists prepare the drawings, our fixed fees are on the pricing page, and we confirm the fee for a house in Chipping Ongar or Shelley when we quote.

Planning in Chipping Ongar: what to know before you apply

Epping Forest District Council takes householder applications directly, and a valid submission needs the plans, the ownership certificate or notice and the fee in the right form before the decision period starts to run. For addresses in the Chipping Ongar or High Ongar conservation areas, the drawings should explain materials, roof form and window detail clearly, because the council has to consider the effect on the character of the area. The application is publicised to neighbours, and a parish council that has asked to be told about applications is notified. A householder scheme can be decided by an officer under delegated powers or referred to a committee. Building regulations are assessed separately and need their own set of construction drawings.

Applications are decided by Epping Forest District Council — its planning pages.

Check your route

Does your Chipping Ongar project need planning permission?

Route check · Chipping Ongar (CM5)

Listed building?
Conservation area?
Likely permitted development — no planning applicationNeeds checking
  • A single-storey rear extension up to 4 m deep on a detached house, or 3 m on any other house, is Class A permitted development subject to the height and materials conditions.
  • This council does not publish its Article 4 directions to the national register, so the schedule is confirmed with the council first.
  • Where permitted development applies, a lawful development certificate proves it for lenders and buyers.

Sources: GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1 · Planning Portal — common projects · Building Regulations 2010 — when approval is needed

This is a first-pass indication from the national rules, not planning advice for your property. Your council's registers, any Article 4 schedule and the exact dimensions decide it — the free appraisal checks all three before we recommend a route.

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Chipping Ongar (CM5) in numbers

What Epping Forest District Council has decided, and what CM5 is built of — the two facts that shape every job here.

Householder planning decisions — Epping Forest District Council

Chipping Ongar (CM5) applications are decided by Epping Forest District Council; these are its published householder figures for the last four quarters.

Householder applications decided2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1777
Granted591
Refused186
Grantedof 777 decisions · England 90%76%
Decided within 8 weeksof 580, excluding prior approvals95%

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.

Permitted development prior approvals — Epping Forest District Council

How the larger-home-extension route has fared with Epping Forest District Council, which decides CM5 notifications.

Larger home extension prior approvals — not required2024 Q2 to 2026 Q1121
Prior approval granted67
Prior approval refused9
Grantedof 76 determined88%

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.

Planning appeals — Epping Forest District Council

Refusals in CM5 can be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate; this is Epping Forest District Council's householder appeal record.

Householder appeals determined2021–2026278
Allowed116
Allowedof 278 · England 36%42%

Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.

Conservation areas and Article 4 directions — Epping Forest District Council

Register counts for Epping Forest District Council, and the designations whose polygons hold CM5's own postcodes. A count describes what the council has published, never a rank against another council.

Conservation areas in the register25 dated, 1969–199625
Conservation areas in the register, within CM5Blake Hall, Bobbingworth, Chipping Ongar, Great Stony School, Chipping Ongar5

Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22. Source: MHCLG planning.data.gov.uk; Ordnance Survey Code-Point Open. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.

  1. Day 0Measured survey of your Chipping Ongar property — or your existing plans if you have them.
  2. About 7 daysDrawings issued for your approval. Free redraws until you are happy.
  3. SubmissionWe validate against Epping Forest District Council’s checklist and submit on your behalf.
  4. Council: 8-week targetHouseholder applications carry an 8-week statutory target. Epping Forest District Council decided 95% of 580 recent householder applications inside it.

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.

Nearby

Other Essex postcode districts

Chelmsford CM1Braintree CM7Waltham Abbey EN9Maldon CM9Epping CM16
FAQ

Chipping Ongar (CM5) — FAQs

Can I extend a house in the Blake Hall, Bobbingworth or Moreton conservation areas without an application?+
If the house sits inside the relevant conservation area, a single-storey rear extension may still fall within permitted development, but a side extension, a loft dormer or a rear extension of more than one storey does not. Even for a modest rear extension the size and boundary limits still apply. The safe route is to confirm the designation for the specific address and, where there is doubt, consider an optional lawful development certificate.
Do I need a heritage statement for a house in Chipping Ongar?+
A council's local validation list may ask for a short statement describing how a proposal affects a conservation area, and the register shows two conservation areas carrying the Chipping Ongar name in this postcode. We would draw the existing building, the proposal and the materials, and prepare a proportionate statement if the council's validation list asks for one.
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