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CM9 · Maldon · Maldon

Planning and building regulation drawings in Maldon (CM9)

CM9 is the Maldon district, with Tollesbury among its named places, and Maldon District Council decides householder applications here. The national planning data register shows five conservation areas overlapping the postcode: Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, Heybridge Basin, Maldon, Tollesbury and Tolleshunt D'arcy. A conservation area boundary follows the land the council has designated, not the postal address, so the name of a town or a waterway on the list does not settle whether a particular house is inside it.

MCIAT chartered technologists
Maldon District Council granted 91% of 209 householder applications
Drawings in about 7 days

For a homeowner, that means a kitchen extension, a rear addition or a change to the roof has to start with an address check. A house within the Maldon, Heybridge Basin or Tollesbury areas loses permitted development for side extensions, roof enlargements and rear extensions of more than one storey. A house beside the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation may or may not be inside the designated line, and the drawings should not be started on a guess.

When a conservation area applies, the application has to persuade rather than just describe. Existing and proposed elevations need to be drawn to the same standard, and the materials for walls, roof and windows should be written on the plans. Work that affects only the inside of a house, such as reconfiguring a kitchen, is not development in itself, although a listed building needs separate listed building consent for internal works. Once the job involves a new opening, a new roof light or an enlarged footprint, the external work has to fit within permitted development or receive planning permission. We are a team of chartered architectural technologists, our fixed fees are on the pricing page, and we confirm the fee for a Maldon or Tollesbury house when we quote.

Planning in Maldon: what to know before you apply

Maldon District Council is the local planning authority for householder work in CM9. A valid application brings together the application form, a location plan, a block plan, existing and proposed plans and elevations, the ownership certificate or notice and the fee, plus anything on the council's local validation list. In the Maldon and Tollesbury conservation areas, the effect on the character of the area is part of the assessment, so materials and window details deserve a clear note on the drawings. The application is publicised to neighbours, and a parish or town council that has asked to be told about applications is notified. A householder case can be decided by officers under delegated powers or referred to the planning committee. Building regulations are dealt with on a separate track.

Applications are decided by Maldon District Council — its planning pages.

Check your route

Does your Maldon project need planning permission?

Route check · Maldon (CM9)

ProjectProperty

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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Maldon (CM9) in numbers

What Maldon District Council has decided, and what CM9 is built of — the two facts that shape every job here.

Householder planning decisions — Maldon District Council

Maldon (CM9) applications are decided by Maldon District Council; these are its published householder figures for the last four quarters.

Householder applications decided2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1	209
Granted	190
Refused	19
Grantedof 209 decisions · England 90%	91%
Decided within 8 weeksof 126, excluding prior approvals	94%

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 — Maldon District Council

How the larger-home-extension route has fared with Maldon District Council, which decides CM9 notifications.

Larger home extension prior approvals — not required2024 Q2 to 2026 Q1	10
Prior approval granted	8
Prior approval refused	5

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

Planning appeals — Maldon District Council

Refusals in CM9 can be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate; this is Maldon District Council's householder appeal record.

Householder appeals determined2021–2026	104
Allowed	47
Allowedof 104 · England 36%	45%

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

Conservation areas and Article 4 directions — Maldon District Council

Register counts for Maldon District Council, and the designations whose polygons hold CM9's own postcodes. A count describes what the council has published, never a rank against another council.

Conservation areas in the register14 dated, 1969–2022	92
Conservation areas in the register, within CM9Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, Heybridge Basin, Maldon	5

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.

Day 0Measured survey of your Maldon property — or your existing plans if you have them.
About 7 daysDrawings issued for your approval. Free redraws until you are happy.
SubmissionWe validate against Maldon District Council’s checklist and submit on your behalf.
Council: 8-week targetHouseholder applications carry an 8-week statutory target. Maldon District Council decided 94% of 126 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.

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Maldon (CM9) — FAQs

Can I add a side extension to a house in Tollesbury?+

Only through a householder application if the house is inside the Tollesbury conservation area, because side extensions are excluded from permitted development there. Outside the area, the permitted development rules for side extensions are narrow and depend on the width and height of the work. Check the designation first, then draw to the rules that apply.

Does the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation conservation area affect a house near the water?+

It can, if the house stands inside the boundary the council has drawn. The register shows it as a conservation area in CM9, so a home nearby should have its position confirmed against the council's map. If it is inside, the usual conservation area restrictions on roof enlargements, side extensions, rear extensions of more than one storey and cladding apply.

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