House Extension Drawings in Greenwich
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered house extension drawings for Greenwich homeowners — Royal Borough of Greenwich validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Greenwich stretches from the Georgian streets of West Greenwich and the Georgian-fringed heath at Blackheath — set against the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site — out to the Edwardian villas of Westcombe Park and the interwar and post-war suburbs of Eltham and Kidbrooke. The northern, historic core carries strong conservation and protected-view control, while the outer suburbs and newer riverside development along the Thames offer more generous plots for extensions and lofts. The right route depends heavily on where in the borough you are.
The character shifts street by street. Conservation areas at West Greenwich, Ashburnham Triangle, Blackheath, Westcombe Park, Eltham Park and Woolwich each carry design control over materials, rooflines and front elevations, and the sloping sites around Blackheath and the Greenwich hills shape what an extension can be. Protected views toward the Royal Observatory and across the river, together with Article 4 directions on HMO conversions in parts of the borough, mean the constraints on a heritage-led scheme in the historic core differ sharply from a straightforward suburban addition toward Eltham or Charlton.
We prepare Greenwich planning drawings tuned to the specific area — heritage-led applications around West Greenwich and Blackheath, and simpler extension and loft schemes toward Eltham and Kidbrooke — confirming the World Heritage Site setting and conservation designations for your address first. It is the same council-accepted drawing set an architect would prepare, usually at around 30% less, with a fixed fee agreed up front, a roughly seven-day drawing turnaround and free redraws until the Royal Borough of Greenwich approves. Most householder applications are decided within the statutory eight-week period once validated, so we draw to the council's validation checklist from the start.
Planning in Greenwich: what to know before you apply
A distinctive Greenwich consideration is the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and its buffer zone, where the council protects townscape and long views toward the Royal Observatory — proposals nearby are assessed against that setting. Conservation-area control in West Greenwich, Blackheath and Westcombe Park, and Article 4 directions on HMO conversions in parts of the borough, also apply. We confirm what affects your address before drawing.
Typical Greenwich housing stock
Georgian and early-Victorian terraces around West Greenwich and Blackheath, Edwardian villas in Westcombe Park, interwar and post-war housing toward Eltham and Kidbrooke, and newer riverside development along the Thames.
Areas we regularly draw for in Greenwich
Greenwich · Blackheath · Westcombe Park · Charlton · Woolwich · Eltham · Kidbrooke
What the numbers say about Greenwich planning decisions
These are Royal Borough of Greenwich’s own reported figures, published by government rather than estimated by us. They are what we design against — a borough that refuses one householder application in five needs a different drawing package from one that refuses one in twenty.
Permitted development in Greenwich
Larger householder extensions put to Royal Borough of Greenwich under the prior-approval route, and lawful-development certificates decided, over eight quarters.
| Prior approval not requiredWent ahead without a full application | 0 |
|---|---|
| Prior approval granted | 154 |
| Prior approval refused | 126 |
| Granted where a decision was neededFrom 280 determinations | 55% |
| Building upwards, prior approval refused | 0 |
| Certificates of lawful development decided | 839 |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
What removes permitted development in Greenwich
Live entries on the national planning registers for Royal Borough of Greenwich. Article 4 directions withdraw permitted development rights, so a project inside one needs a full application rather than prior approval. Revoked and expired entries are excluded.
| Conservation areasPermitted development is already narrower inside one | 14 |
|---|
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
House Extension Drawings for Greenwich homes: the package and the process
Extension drawings are read for their dimensions. The proposed plan needs depth measured from the original rear wall — not from a previous extension — eaves and ridge heights taken from existing ground level, and the distance to each boundary marked. A site plan showing how much garden remains is what an officer reaches for when the amenity question comes up.
We draw the existing building accurately first, because everything else is measured from it. Where the original footprint has already been added to, that history goes on the drawing: it decides which allowances are still available and it is the first thing an officer checks against the council's own records.
The plot decides the extension type long before taste does. A mid-terrace has depth to work with and an alley if it is lucky; a semi has one clear flank; a detached house can go wide. Reading the building form first is what stops a design being drawn that the plot cannot take.
Which extension types do you draw?
Every London extension is shaped by the plot, the neighbours and the borough's design guidance. We draw them all.
Rear extension
A single-storey rear extension is often permitted development within depth limits — ideal for an open-plan kitchen-diner.
Side-return
Fills the alley beside a Victorian terrace, widening the ground floor without losing garden.
Wraparound
Combines a rear and side-return extension for a transformative ground floor, usually needing planning permission.
Double-storey
Adds space above and below, subject to tighter scale and neighbour-impact scrutiny.
Basement
Creates space downward where footprint is limited, with structural and party-wall care.
Do I need planning permission for a house extension in London?
Single-storey rear extensions within permitted development limits (up to 6m for terraced/semi-detached homes under the larger-home scheme, subject to neighbour consultation) may not need a full application. Wraparounds, double-storeys and anything in a conservation area usually do. We assess your plot and recommend the right route before drawing. The current depth, height and eaves limits are set out in full in the guide to planning permission for a rear extension, and where you would rather one practice ran the design, the application and the building-regulations stage together, Architectural Drawings covers that full scope.
How do you maximise the footprint the council will approve?
We know each borough's depth, height and daylight standards, so we design to the edge of what will be approved rather than guessing — and we check the 45-degree neighbour daylight rule and any rear building line before submission. Where a plot is tight we test a permitted-development scheme against a slightly larger householder application and show you the trade-off in space, cost and timescale, so the drawn scheme is the one that actually maximises value rather than just floor area.
| Extension | Typical route | Package | Fee from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-storey rear | Permitted development / householder | Planning + building regs | £1,100 |
| Side-return | Householder planning | Planning + building regs + structural | £1,600 |
| Wraparound | Householder planning | Full package + structural | £2,200 |
| Double-storey | Householder planning | Full package + structural | £2,400 |
House Extension Drawings across Greenwich
House Extension Drawings in Greenwich — FAQs
How far can I extend without planning permission in London?+
Do extension drawings include structural calculations?+
How long do extension drawings take?+
Will my rear extension need a party wall agreement?+
Can I extend a house in a conservation area?+
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Greenwich?+
How does the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site affect my project?+
Can I extend a home in Blackheath or Westcombe Park?+
How long does the Royal Borough of Greenwich take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Greenwich?+
Get your free Greenwich planning assessment
Tell us your Greenwich address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.