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Free 2026 London Planning ReportDouble Storey Extension Drawings in Old Malden KT4

Loft conversion with skylights in an interwar Old Malden KT4 house, planned for Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames approval
Old Malden · KT4 · Kingston

Double Storey Extension Drawings in Old Malden KT4

Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Old Malden (KT4) homeowners — Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames validation and local constraints handled from the start.

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Old Malden in KT4 is unusual for the area: a genuine historic village core around its medieval parish church and Plough Green, ringed by a comfortable interwar suburb of detached and semi-detached family houses. Most projects on the suburban avenues are rear extensions, two-storey side additions and loft conversions built to Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames standards.

Homes within or beside the Old Malden conservation area face tighter control over materials, elevations and any demolition, so schemes there need a conservation-led design. We balance the extra space owners want with the village setting, and prepare planning and building-control drawings that Kingston's officers can approve first time.

Loft conversion with skylights in an interwar Old Malden KT4 house, planned for Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames approval
Isometric illustration of a Old Malden KT4 home double storey extension drawings design
Proposed floor plan
Old Malden KT4

Planning in Old Malden (KT4): what to know before you apply

There is no published householder Article 4 direction for Old Malden, so many suburban houses retain permitted-development rights; the principal constraint is the Old Malden conservation area covering the historic core, where front, roof and material changes need planning permission. Tree preservation orders on mature plots can also shape foundation and layout decisions.

Typical Old Malden housing stock

Old Malden pairs a small historic village core around the medieval church and Plough Green with a broad interwar suburb of detached and semi-detached houses on curving avenues. The suburban streets support rear and two-storey side extensions and loft conversions, while the older core demands a more sensitive conservation-led approach.

Streets we regularly draw for in Old Malden

Raleigh Drive · Collingwood Avenue · Oakdene Drive · Southwood Drive

What KT4 is actually built of

Measured from 324 classified residential buildings in KT4, not from a description of the area.

Old Malden KT4 housing mix

Residential building form across the KT4 postcode district, from 324 classified buildings.

Attached on more than one side37%
Attached on one side52%
Detached11%
Median building footprint67 m²
Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate1.21
Buildings classified324

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 Old Malden (KT4) 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.

Extending once vs twice: single versus double storey
OptionWhat it addsTypical fee
Single-storey rear extensionA ground-floor kitchen-diner only, may qualify for permitted developmentsee Rear Extension Drawings, from £1,100
Double storey side or rear extensionTwo rooms across two floors, usually needs full planningFull Planning pack ~£1,600–£2,400
Double storey + Building Regulations (structural)Combined pack including structural calculations for two-floor loads and foundationsPlanning + Building Regs pack ~£2,200–£3,850
Wraparound (rear + side return)Combines two single-storey extensions into one L-shaped ground floorsee Wraparound Extension Drawings, from £2,200
Sheet from a double storey extension drawings package drawn for a Old Malden property in KT4, showing the existing and proposed arrangement at scale
A sheet from the double storey extension drawings package we submit to Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames for Old Malden (KT4) properties.
FAQ

Double Storey Extension Drawings in Old Malden KT4 — FAQs

How much does a double storey extension cost to design in London?+
Double storey extension drawings start from £2,400, covering full planning permission and structural design for the additional floor. A combined planning and building regulations package with full structural calculations runs up to around £3,850, fixed and agreed upfront.
Do I need planning permission to add a second storey?+
In almost all cases, yes. Permitted development rights for two-storey extensions are much tighter than for single-storey work, particularly around boundary distance and roof matching, so we design double storey projects on the assumption a full householder planning application is required.
Will a double storey extension overlook my neighbour's garden?+
That is exactly what planning officers check, using the 45-degree daylight rule alongside boundary set-in and first-floor set-back guidance. Where a new flank window would look directly into a neighbour's garden, we typically specify obscure or high-level glazing to address it before submission rather than after an objection.
Do I need an architect for a double storey extension?+
No. DrawingsDirect is an MCIAT-chartered architectural technologist practice, producing the same council-accepted drawings and in-house structural coordination as an architect, for a fixed fee typically around 30% lower, with structural calculations for the additional floor produced by the same team rather than a separately appointed engineer.
How long does it take to get double storey extension drawings?+
Drawings are typically ready around 7 days from survey. A householder planning application then has a statutory 8-week determination period once submitted.
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Kingston?+
The interwar semis of New Malden, Chessington and Tolworth often keep permitted development rights for rear extensions and lofts, so a full application isn't always needed. Conservation areas such as Surbiton, Coombe and the town centre, and riverside flood-zone constraints, can restrict this. We check your address first and can confirm permitted development with a Lawful Development Certificate.
My Kingston home is near the river — does flood risk affect my plans?+
It can. Riverside plots near Kingston lie within the Thames flood zone, and the council expects flood-risk and finished-floor-level considerations to be addressed for works there. We evidence these within the application so the council can validate and approve without repeated revisions.
Can I build a larger extension on a Coombe plot?+
Often, yes. The substantial detached houses on the Coombe hill sit on generous plots that make larger rear and double-storey extensions viable, subject to design and amenity policy. We design to use the plot fully within permitted-development allowances or a well-evidenced full application, checking the limits for detached homes first.
How long does the Royal Borough of Kingston take to decide?+
Kingston determines most householder applications within the statutory eight-week period once validated; conservation and riverside cases can involve additional consultation. We prepare submissions to the council's validation checklist to avoid the drawing queries that cause most delays.
How much do planning drawings cost in Kingston?+
We agree a fixed fee before starting, typically around 30% below an architect's fee for the same council-accepted drawings, with free redraws until Kingston approves. A suburban semi extension and a riverside or Coombe scheme differ in the evidence required, so we quote once we understand your address and project rather than by the hour.
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