Rear extension on an interwar semi in Greenford UB6, planning drawings for Ealing Council approval

Greenford · UB6 · Ealing

Lawful Development Certificate Drawings in Greenford UB6

Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered lawful development certificate drawings for Greenford (UB6) homeowners — London Borough of Ealing validation and local constraints handled from the start.

Greenford (UB6) is classic outer-west-London Metro-land: broad avenues of interwar semis with deep gardens, ideal for rear and wraparound kitchen extensions, loft conversions with rear dormers, and garage-to-room conversions. Most householder projects here fall squarely within permitted development or a straightforward Ealing Council householder application.

The one sensitivity is the Canalside conservation area on the neighbourhood's north-west flank near the Grand Union, where materials and rear massing get closer scrutiny. We prepare drawings that hold the interwar building line and gap-to-boundary rhythm Ealing's officers expect, and flag any canal-edge or former-industrial plot early so ground and drainage issues are designed out.

Proposed floor plan

Greenford UB6

Greenford (UB6) — planning at a glance

Council: London Borough of Ealing
Postcode district: UB6
Planning portal: View the Ealing planning portal
Housing stock: Greenford is dominated by 1920s-30s bay-fronted semis and short terraces laid out along wide suburban avenues, many with generous rear gardens and original hipped roofs. Nearer the Grand Union Canal and the old Rockware/Lyon works, plots give way to former industrial land and later flat-roofed infill.
Article 4: London Borough of Ealing does not publish its Article 4 directions to the national planning register, so permitted development rights in Greenford (UB6) can’t be confirmed from open data alone — we check the direction schedule with the council before recommending a route, as part of the fixed fee. No published householder Article 4 in Greenford; the main control is the canalside conservation area to the north-west and the industrial fringe along the Grand Union
Conservation: Canalside (north-west part)
Sample streets: Oldfield Lane North · The Fairway · Costons Avenue · Rockware Avenue
Local constraints: Canalside conservation-area control on the north-west edge affecting works visible from the Grand Union corridorInterwar semis where side-return and rear extensions must respect the established building line and gaps between pairsIndustrial and former-works land near the canal carrying potential contamination and drainage considerationsMature street trees on avenues such as The Fairway that may be TPO-protected

Planning in Greenford (UB6): what to know before you apply

No published householder Article 4 direction in Greenford, so most extensions and lofts run under permitted development or a standard Ealing householder application. Properties bordering the Canalside conservation area lose some permitted-development rights, and rear/side extension depths are assessed against the neighbouring semis' building line.

Typical Greenford housing stock

Greenford is dominated by 1920s-30s bay-fronted semis and short terraces laid out along wide suburban avenues, many with generous rear gardens and original hipped roofs. Nearer the Grand Union Canal and the old Rockware/Lyon works, plots give way to former industrial land and later flat-roofed infill.

Streets we regularly draw for in Greenford

Oldfield Lane North · The Fairway · Costons Avenue · Rockware Avenue

What UB6 is actually built of

Measured from 299 classified residential buildings in UB6, not from a description of the area.

Greenford UB6 housing mix

Residential building form across the UB6 postcode district, from 299 classified buildings.

Attached on more than one side	44%
Attached on one side	54%
Detached	2%
Median building footprint	62 m²
Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate	1.52
Buildings classified	299

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.

Lawful Development Certificate Drawings for Greenford (UB6) homes: the package and the process

A certificate application is an evidence exercise. There is no design judgement to win: either the proposal falls inside the permitted development rules or it does not, and the drawings have to prove which. Every limiting dimension — depth, height, volume, distance to boundary — is set out and labelled against the rule it satisfies.

That makes accuracy on the existing drawings decisive. The allowances are measured from the original house as first built, so previous extensions have to be shown and discounted. We draw that history explicitly, because an unevidenced claim about the original footprint is the usual reason a certificate is refused.

The allowance depends on the original house, and building form sets it: volume limits differ for terraced homes against semi-detached and detached ones, and depth allowances differ again. Establishing which category the property falls into is the first step of the evidence, not a detail.

What is a Lawful Development Certificate?

A Lawful Development Certificate is issued under the Town and Country Planning Act and confirms, in writing, that a building project or a use of land is lawful and would not have required planning permission — or, for existing situations, that enough time has passed that the council can no longer take enforcement action. It carries the same legal weight as a planning permission for the purposes of proving lawfulness, and is the document solicitors and lenders look for when unauthorised-looking work shows up in a survey or a title check.

Proposed development vs an existing use — the two certificate types

Which certificate you need depends on whether the work is planned or already done.

Certificate of Lawfulness for Proposed Use or Development (LDCP)

Confirms, before you build, that a specific extension, loft conversion, outbuilding or use falls within your permitted development rights, so no planning application is needed. Useful where you want written certainty before committing to a project — for example ahead of a sale, or where a neighbour has raised a query.

Certificate of Lawfulness for Existing Use or Development (LDCE)

Confirms that work already carried out, or a use already established, is lawful — either because it fell within permitted development at the time, or because it has continued unchallenged for the statutory period (generally four years for a building operation or an unauthorised use as a single dwellinghouse, and ten years for most other unauthorised uses). This is the route most often needed at the point of sale, when a survey flags work with no paper trail.

Why choose an LDC over a full planning application?

Where a project genuinely falls within permitted development, an LDC is usually faster and less expensive than a householder planning application, because the council is confirming a fact rather than weighing design, amenity and neighbour impact. It also produces a cleaner record for the future: a full planning permission can carry conditions that still need discharging, while a certificate is a straightforward confirmation of lawfulness with nothing further to satisfy. The trade-off is scope — an LDC only works where the project is genuinely within permitted development or an established use; it cannot be used to seek permission for something that needs planning judgement.

LDC vs full planning permission for a London project
Factor	Lawful Development Certificate	Full Planning Permission
What it confirms	That work is lawful and needs no permission	Permission to build, subject to conditions
Typical drawing package	From £950	£1,600–£2,400
Assessment basis	Fact — does it meet permitted development rules	Judgement — design, amenity, neighbour impact
Best for	Extensions, lofts and uses within PD rights	Work exceeding PD limits or needing design sign-off
Statutory determination period	8 weeks (typical)	8 weeks for householder applications

Sheet from a lawful development certificate drawings package drawn for a Greenford property in UB6, showing the existing and proposed arrangement at scale — A sheet from the lawful development certificate drawings package we submit to London Borough of Ealing for Greenford (UB6) properties.

Also in Greenford UB6

Planning Permission Planning Drawings Architectural Drawings Building Regulations Drawings Loft Conversion Drawings Lawful Development Certificate Drawings across Ealing Lawful Development Certificate Drawings across London

FAQ

Lawful Development Certificate Drawings in Greenford UB6 — FAQs

How much does a Lawful Development Certificate cost?+

Our LDC drawing and application packages typically start from £950, depending on the complexity of the project and the evidence required. We agree a fixed fee upfront, before any drawing work begins.

How long does an LDC application take to be decided?+

Councils have a statutory eight-week period to determine most LDC applications, similar to a householder planning application. We prepare a complete, evidence-backed package to avoid the delays that come from a council requesting further information.

What happens if the council refuses my LDC application?+

If a certificate is refused, the underlying work is not automatically unlawful — it simply means the council disputes that it falls within permitted development. We assess this risk before you apply, and where a certificate is unlikely to succeed we recommend a full planning application instead.

Do I need an architect for a Lawful Development Certificate?+

No. As an MCIAT-chartered architectural technologist practice, we prepare the same council-accepted drawings and evidence an architect would, typically at a lower fee, and submit via the Planning Portal on your behalf.

Is an LDC the same as building regulations approval?+

No. An LDC only addresses planning lawfulness. Building regulations approval, covering structural safety, fire and insulation standards, is a separate process and is still needed for most building work, even where no planning permission is required.

Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in Ealing?+

Many Ealing semis and terraces keep permitted development rights for a single-storey rear extension, so a full application isn't always needed. But the borough-wide Article 4 direction on HMO conversions, and conservation areas such as Bedford Park and Pitshanger, remove or restrict those rights in places. We check your address against the designations first and, where it qualifies, confirm permitted development with a Lawful Development Certificate.

What extra control applies in Bedford Park?+

Bedford Park is one of West London's most tightly controlled conservation areas, with detailed control over materials, rooflines, windows and front elevations. A standard permitted-development dormer or cladding change usually won't apply; instead we design to the area's Arts-and-Crafts character and prepare a full householder application with the elevations and materials the council expects — the reliable route to approval there.

How long does Ealing Council take to decide a householder application?+

Ealing determines most householder applications within the statutory eight-week period once they are validated. The commonest cause of delay is a validation query over missing or inconsistent drawings, so we prepare Ealing submissions to the council's validation checklist — correctly scaled existing and proposed plans, elevations and a location plan — to avoid that back-and-forth.

Can you help with a loft conversion on a 1930s Ealing semi?+

Yes. Ealing's Metro-land semis in Perivale, Greenford and Northolt suit hip-to-gable and dormer loft conversions, which frequently qualify as permitted development on semi-detached homes within the volume limits. We confirm eligibility against those limits and any Article 4 or conservation constraint, then produce the planning and building-regulations drawings.

How much do planning drawings cost in Ealing?+

We work to a fixed fee agreed before we start, typically around 30% below an architect's charge for the same council-accepted drawings, with free redraws until Ealing grants approval. The exact figure depends on the project — a single-storey rear extension differs from a double-storey or a loft — so we quote once we understand your scheme rather than on an open-ended hourly basis.

Free Fixed Quote

Get your free Greenford planning assessment

Tell us your Greenford (UB6) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.