Double Storey Extension Drawings in Bloomsbury WC1E
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Bloomsbury (WC1E) homeowners — London Borough of Camden validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Bloomsbury in WC1E is the Georgian garden-square heart of Camden's university and British Museum quarter, one of the capital's most protected historic townscapes. Projects here centre on internal reconfiguration, sensitive refurbishment, roof and rear works and change of use, almost always requiring full planning and, on the many listed buildings, listed-building consent.
Because so much of the fabric is both listed and within the Bloomsbury, Fitzroy Square and Charlotte Street conservation areas, we prepare measured drawings and heritage statements that respect the original brickwork, fenestration and square setting, working to the standard Camden Council and its conservation officers demand.
Planning in Bloomsbury (WC1E): what to know before you apply
There is no published householder Article 4 direction, but conservation-area status combined with widespread statutory listing means most external and internal alterations need consent; the garden-square townscape governs what is acceptable.
Typical Bloomsbury housing stock
Formal Georgian terraces of brown and yellow stock brick frame the celebrated garden squares, many now in institutional, university or office use with residential upper floors. A high proportion of buildings are statutorily listed as well as sitting within the conservation area.
Streets we regularly draw for in Bloomsbury
Bedford Square · Montague Street · Store Street · Great Russell Street
What the wider borough is built of
WC1E has too few classified residential buildings to publish a district figure of its own, so we do not estimate one. The measured figures below are borough-wide and WC1E is not among the districts they cover.
Borough-wide building mix
Residential building form across 5 of the borough's 6 postcode districts, from 1,296 classified buildings. WC1E is below the publication floor and is excluded from these totals, so they describe the borough around it rather than the district itself.
| Attached on more than one side | 59% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 31% |
| Detached | 11% |
| Buildings attached on more than one side | 761 |
| Detached buildings | 137 |
| Buildings classified | 1,296 |
| Postcode districts measured | 5 |
Source: Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database (derived statistics). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Extracted 2026-08-17.
Double Storey Extension Drawings for Bloomsbury (WC1E) homes: the package and the process
At first-floor level the drawings have to answer for daylight, privacy and massing. That means proposed elevations showing every new window with its position relative to the boundary, a section taken through the extension and the neighbouring building, and a roof form drawn to sit below the existing ridge rather than compete with it.
We draw the neighbouring property alongside your own, because the officer's assessment is comparative — the effect on their windows and outlook is the test. Setting the first floor in from the boundary, and showing that set-back as a dimension, resolves most objections before consultation begins.
At first floor the boundary relationship decides everything. A detached house has room to set the addition in on both sides; a semi has one shared wall and one clear flank; a mid-terrace can usually only go to the rear, where the effect on both neighbours has to be drawn.
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
Matching the roofline and materials
Planning officers assess a double storey extension heavily on how convincingly it reads as part of the original house rather than an addition bolted onto the side. Our drawings match ridge height, roof pitch, eaves detail and brick or render finish to the existing building wherever the design brief allows, which is consistently one of the strongest factors in securing approval without delay or redesign. Where a subtly contrasting material is proposed instead — a different brick tone, or a zinc or slate roof against a tiled original — we set it out clearly on the elevations so the design intent reads as deliberate rather than a mismatch, which is how most London boroughs prefer a genuine design statement to be presented.
| 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 Bloomsbury WC1E — 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 rear extension in Camden?+
What is a Basement Impact Assessment and will I need one in Camden?+
Can I make changes to a listed building in Camden?+
How long does Camden take to decide an application?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Camden?+
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