Planning Drawings in Richmond
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered planning drawings for Richmond homeowners — London Borough of Richmond upon Thames validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Richmond upon Thames is one of London's most design-sensitive boroughs. A high proportion of its housing — Georgian and Victorian townhouses, Edwardian villas and riverside cottages — sits within conservation areas such as Richmond Green, Twickenham Riverside, Teddington, Kew Green and Barnes Green, and much of it lies within the Thames flood zone. Applications here succeed on the strength of careful, context-led drawings rather than standard templates, and permitted development cannot be assumed even for modest works.
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has some of the most extensive Article 4 coverage in London, with widespread directions removing permitted development rights across its conservation areas, plus basement and front-garden controls in parts of the borough. In practice that means alterations which would be automatic elsewhere — dormers, cladding, some rear works — need a full householder application here. Near the river in Twickenham, Richmond and Hampton, Thames flood-zone requirements apply, and protected views and river-frontage design control shape what is achievable, so we confirm the constraints for your exact address before drawing.
We prepare Richmond planning applications that respond to the borough's conservation and riverside setting, designing context-led drawings that reflect the period townscape and evidencing flood-risk and finished-floor-level considerations within the submission so the council can validate and approve without repeated revisions. The fee is fixed and agreed up front, typically around 30% below an architect's fee for the same council-accepted drawings, with free redraws until Richmond approves. Because so much turns on design detail, we prepare submissions to the validation checklist with the elevations and materials the council expects; conservation and riverside cases can attract additional consultation, but most householder applications are still determined within the statutory eight-week period, and our roughly seven-day drawing turnaround gets schemes moving quickly.
Planning in Richmond: what to know before you apply
Richmond has some of the most extensive Article 4 coverage in London, so permitted development cannot be assumed even for modest works — many conservation areas require a full application. Thames flood-zone considerations also apply near the river. We confirm the constraints for your exact address before drawing.
Typical Richmond housing stock
Georgian and Victorian townhouses, Edwardian villas and riverside cottages, many within conservation areas and close to the Thames.
Areas we regularly draw for in Richmond
Richmond · Twickenham · Teddington · Kew · Barnes · East Sheen · Hampton
What the numbers say about Richmond planning decisions
These are London Borough of Richmond upon Thames’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.
Householder decisions in Richmond
Every householder application London Borough of Richmond upon Thames decided over the four quarters to 2026 Q1.
| Householder applications decided | 1,362 |
|---|---|
| Granted | 1,113 |
| Refused | 249 |
| GrantedEngland average 90% | 82% |
| Of which prior approvalsPrior approvals are granted far more often than full applications, so this share moves the rate above | 30% |
| Decided within 8 weeksExcludes prior approvals. England average 93% | 98% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Permitted development in Richmond
Larger householder extensions put to London Borough of Richmond upon Thames 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 | 135 |
| Prior approval refused | 46 |
| Granted where a decision was neededFrom 181 determinations | 75% |
| Building upwards, prior approval refused | 1 |
| Certificates of lawful development decided | 913 |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Designated areas in Richmond
Conservation areas London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has published to the national register, and when it designated them. Where a borough has supplied no Article 4 data the row is omitted rather than shown as zero.
| Conservation areas on the register | 85 |
|---|---|
| First designatedOf the 85 whose designation date the register records | 1,969 |
| Most recent designation | 2,023 |
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
If London Borough of Richmond upon Thames refuses: appeal outcomes
Planning appeals against London Borough of Richmond upon Thames determined by the Planning Inspectorate, 2021–2026. Enforcement notices and withdrawn cases are excluded.
| Appeals determined | 633 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 243 |
| Dismissed | 390 |
| Householder appeals allowedFrom 379 householder appeals. England average 36% | 45% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Planning Drawings for Richmond homes: the package and the process
A planning set is judged as a set, not as individual sheets. Every existing drawing needs its proposed counterpart at the same scale and orientation so the officer can read the change at a glance, each sheet needs its own number, title, scale bar and north point, and the whole package needs to survive being printed at A3 without a dimension becoming illegible.
We draw to the conventions validation teams expect: plans and elevations at 1:100 or 1:50, a location plan at 1:1250 with the site edged red, a block plan at 1:500, and sections cut where the change in level or roof form actually happens rather than where they are easiest to draw.
The drawing list itself changes with the building. A detached house needs four elevations; a mid-terrace needs two plus a section through the party walls to show what is not visible from outside. Getting that list right at the start is what stops a validation officer asking for a sheet three weeks in.
What is included in a planning drawing set?
A council will only validate an application that contains the right drawings at the right scale. Our standard planning set covers everything a London validation team expects.
- Site location plan (1:1250) and block plan (1:500)
- Existing floor plans, elevations and sections
- Proposed floor plans, elevations and sections
- Roof plans where relevant, with heights and materials annotated
- A design and access or heritage statement where the borough requires one
How are planning drawings different from building regulations drawings?
Planning drawings show what the building will look like and how it sits in its context. Building regulations drawings show how it will be built safely — structure, insulation, fire escape and drainage. Most projects need both; our Complete package covers the two together with structural calculations coordinated in-house.
How quickly can you produce planning drawings in London?
After a laser survey, a standard householder set is typically ready within 7 days. We review every drawing against your borough's validation checklist before it reaches a planner's desk, which is why our first-time approval rate sits around 96%.
| Drawing | Typical scale | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Site location plan | 1:1250 | The property in its street context, site edged red |
| Block plan | 1:500 | The building's footprint and position in the plot |
| Floor plans (existing & proposed) | 1:100 / 1:50 | Room layout, walls, openings and the proposed changes |
| Elevations (existing & proposed) | 1:100 / 1:50 | Each face of the building and how it changes |
| Sections | 1:100 / 1:50 | A cut through showing heights, levels and roof form |
Planning Drawings across Richmond
Planning Drawings in Richmond — FAQs
What scale should London planning drawings be?+
Do I need an architect to produce planning drawings?+
How many revisions are included in the fee?+
Can you draw from my existing plans?+
Do planning drawings guarantee approval?+
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Richmond?+
My Richmond home is near the river — does flood risk affect my application?+
What does Richmond's Article 4 coverage mean in practice?+
How long does Richmond Council take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Richmond?+
Get your free Richmond planning assessment
Tell us your Richmond address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.