New Build Drawings in Collier Row RM5
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered new build drawings for Collier Row (RM5) homeowners — London Borough of Havering validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Collier Row (RM5) took shape as an interwar suburb of Romford, expanding through the 1920s and 1930s across former Essex farmland. It is a planned residential district rather than a historic village core, with predominantly semi-detached housing, so almost every householder project here is an extension or loft on one of those consistent interwar pairs.
There is no conservation area covering Collier Row — that is a genuine, verified fact, not an omission. Its planning character is instead shaped by the uniformity of its interwar suburban roads and by the London Borough of Havering's householder design expectations, which favour keeping the semi-detached rhythm, the gaps between pairs and the original materials intact. We treat that suburban cohesion, rather than a conservation designation, as the reference point when we design an extension.
Demand for rear extensions, two-storey side extensions and hip-to-gable lofts is steady across roads like Mawney Road, Silvermere Avenue and Victoria Avenue, where regular plots and gardens are typical. We check each property's permitted-development position against Havering's borough-wide controls first, then prepare drawings that either stay within permitted development or are ready to validate as a full householder application.
Planning in Collier Row (RM5): what to know before you apply
Because Collier Row's suburban roads repeat so consistently, Havering assess extensions against the established semi-detached pattern, so matching original brick, render and roof form and preserving the gap between pairs matters more than on a mixed-typology road. There is no conservation area and no local Article 4 direction, so many houses retain permitted development rights for rear and loft work — but the finite gardens and shared building lines mean depth, height and neighbour impact are the points a householder application is judged on.
Typical Collier Row housing stock
Predominantly interwar semi-detached houses on planned suburban roads, with postwar and modern infill on regular gardened plots. The consistent pairs and generous front and rear gardens are what makes rear extensions, side extensions and hip-to-gable loft conversions the common projects here.
Streets we regularly draw for in Collier Row
Collier Row Road · Lodge Lane · White Hart Lane · Clockhouse Lane · Mawney Road · Lawns Way · Mashiters Hill · Carter Drive · Ravenswood Close · Hunter's Grove · Silvermere Avenue · Victoria Avenue
What RM5 is actually built of
Measured from 275 classified residential buildings in RM5, not from a description of the area.
Collier Row RM5 housing mix
Residential building form across the RM5 postcode district, from 275 classified buildings.
| Attached on more than one side | 33% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 59% |
| Detached | 7% |
| Median building footprint | 61 m² |
| Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate | 1.08 |
| Buildings classified | 275 |
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.
New Build Drawings for Collier Row (RM5) homes: the package and the process
A new dwelling is a full application rather than a householder one, and the drawing set reflects that: site layout with levels and boundaries, floor plans and elevations for the new building, sections showing how it sits in the ground, and street-scene elevations placing it against what is already there.
Two packages follow the approval — the planning set and the construction set — and they have to stay in step. Foundation design, drainage strategy, thermal performance and fire strategy are drawn for Building Control against the same geometry that was granted permission, so the built house matches the approved one.
An infill plot is designed against its neighbours. Plot width, the building line either side, and the ridge heights next door set what the new house can be — and on a tight urban site those constraints usually shape the design more than the brief does.
Is my plot suitable for a new build in London?
A feasibility assessment looks at plot size and shape, access, existing boundary conditions, relevant planning policy for the borough, and the likely impact of a new dwelling on neighbouring properties before any design work begins. Infill plots — a gap between existing buildings on a street — and backland plots — a garden or yard site behind existing houses, reached by a shared access — each raise different issues: infill schemes are usually judged on how well they match the scale, spacing and character of the street, while backland schemes are judged heavily on overlooking, garden loss for neighbours, and whether the access arrangement is acceptable. A feasibility study gives an honest view of whether a scheme is likely to succeed before you commit to full drawings.
What does pre-application advice add to a new build project?
Pre-application advice is a formal, paid process most London boroughs offer, where planning officers give written feedback on a proposed scheme before a full application is submitted. For a new build — where the principle of development itself is often the main issue, not just the design details — this feedback can be invaluable: it surfaces concerns around density, massing, daylight and sunlight or heritage context early enough to be addressed in the drawings, rather than discovered for the first time as a refusal reason months into a full application. We prepare and submit pre-application enquiries as part of the new build service where it is likely to strengthen the eventual planning application.
How do daylight, sunlight and overlooking affect a new build design?
London boroughs assess new dwellings against their effect on the daylight and sunlight reaching neighbouring homes and gardens, commonly using the 45-degree rule as an initial check on a proposal's massing and position relative to neighbouring windows, alongside more detailed daylight and sunlight assessment on sensitive sites. Overlooking and loss of privacy from new windows, upper floors or roof terraces are assessed similarly, and often shape decisions on window placement, floor-to-floor heights and the overall footprint and massing of the new building. Designing with these constraints from the earliest sketch stage, rather than adjusting for them after a refusal, is one of the main advantages of instructing feasibility and pre-application work before a full planning set.
| Stage | What it establishes | Typical fee guide |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility | Whether the plot can support a new dwelling and the likely constraints | Quoted individually, from within the £2,500 new build fee |
| Pre-application advice | Written borough feedback on the scheme before a full application | Quoted individually alongside the planning fee |
| Full planning drawings | The complete drawing set submitted for planning permission | From £2,500 |
| Building regs and structural | Construction-ready drawings and calculations for building | From £2,200–£3,850, quoted once planning is settled |
New Build Drawings in Collier Row RM5 — FAQs
How much do new build drawings cost in London?+
Can any garden or backland plot be built on in London?+
Do I need pre-application advice before a full new build application?+
Do you handle building regulations and structural drawings for a new build, or only planning?+
How long does a new build project take from feasibility to planning permission?+
Do I need planning permission to extend a house in Collier Row?+
Is Collier Row in a conservation area?+
How much do planning and building-regulation drawings cost for a Collier Row extension?+
How long does Havering Council take to decide?+
Get your free Collier Row planning assessment
Tell us your Collier Row (RM5) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.