New Build Drawings in Eltham SE9
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered new build drawings for Eltham (SE9) homeowners — Royal Borough of Greenwich validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Eltham (SE9) sits in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and is best known for the Progress Estate at Well Hall — a 1915 Arts-and-Crafts garden suburb that inspired much interwar housing and has been a conservation area since 1971. An Article 4 direction covers the estate, so on those streets even small external changes need consent, and rear and loft projects have to be handled with real care for the original detailing.
Away from the estate, much of Eltham is consistent interwar semi-detached and terraced housing where side-return, rear and loft projects are the staple. The district also carries the setting of Eltham Palace and its listed gardens. We check where an Eltham property sits relative to the Progress Estate Article 4 area and the palace setting before recommending a permitted-development or full-application route under Greenwich's guidance.
Planning in Eltham (SE9): what to know before you apply
Eltham's Progress Estate at Well Hall carries a conservation-area designation and an Article 4 direction (1973), so permitted-development rights are removed across the estate and external changes need planning permission. Elsewhere in SE9 many interwar houses retain PD rights for rear and loft work, but the consistent frontages and the setting of Grade I listed Eltham Palace mean elevation and roof changes are assessed closely. We confirm which controls apply to a specific address before drawing.
Typical Eltham housing stock
The 1915 Arts-and-Crafts cottages and greens of the Progress Estate around Well Hall Road, interwar semi-detached and terraced housing across much of Eltham, and later post-war housing toward Mottingham and New Eltham.
Streets we regularly draw for in Eltham
Well Hall Road · Court Road · Eltham High Street · Ross Way
What SE9 is actually built of
Measured from 511 classified residential buildings in SE9, not from a description of the area.
Eltham SE9 housing mix
Residential building form across the SE9 postcode district, from 511 classified buildings.
| Attached on more than one side | 39% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 57% |
| Detached | 4% |
| Median building footprint | 62 m² |
| Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate | 1.22 |
| Buildings classified | 511 |
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 Eltham (SE9) 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 Eltham SE9 — 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 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 Eltham planning assessment
Tell us your Eltham (SE9) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.