Planning and building regulation drawings in Cricklewood (NW2)
Cricklewood's housing is predominantly late-Victorian and Edwardian, but it comes in two quite different forms. On the Mapesbury streets, large villas and semi-detached houses stand in mature garden settings. Along the Broadway and toward the north, the stock turns to denser Victorian terraces and interwar housing. The district's streets include Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewood Lane, Mapesbury Road and Anson Road. A homeowner in a Mapesbury villa and a homeowner in a Broadway terrace may share a postcode, but they face quite different questions about what they can build.
- MCIAT chartered technologists
- London Borough of Brent granted 85% of 924 householder applications
- Drawings in about 7 days
In the villa streets, owners may consider a rear extension, a loft conversion with a dormer or a reworked ground floor. The Mapesbury conservation area, however, controls the large villa frontages, rooflines and garden setting, and it carries its own Article 4 direction. That direction removes permitted development, so rear and roof projects within the area need a full planning application, including work that could be permitted development on a street outside it. Outside the area, Brent's terraces and interwar houses frequently qualify as permitted development for a side-return or a hip-to-gable loft, although that has to be checked rather than assumed.
Cricklewood is also affected by Brent's rules on shared housing. Article 4 directions remove the permitted change from a house to a small house in multiple occupation, so turning a family home into a shared house is a planning matter. Our first step on any NW2 address is to find out whether it lies in Mapesbury, and then to draw for the right route.
Planning in Cricklewood: what to know before you apply
In Cricklewood the first planning question is whether the property sits in the Mapesbury conservation area. Inside it, the Article 4 direction means that rear and roof alterations need permission, and the council looks at how new work sits against the villa frontages, rooflines and mature planting. Outside the area, a side-return or hip-to-gable loft may be permitted development, and we confirm that for the specific house before drawing. Brent's HMO Article 4 directions apply as well, so conversion to shared occupation requires an application. We check the conservation boundary and directions against your address before pricing the work and tailor the drawings to Brent's validation requirements.
Applications are decided by London Borough of Brent — its planning pages.
Does your Cricklewood project need planning permission?
Cricklewood (NW2) in numbers
What London Borough of Brent has decided, and what NW2 is built of — the two facts that shape every job here.
Householder planning decisions — London Borough of Brent
Cricklewood (NW2) applications are decided by London Borough of Brent; these are its published householder figures for the last four quarters.
| Householder applications decided2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 924 |
|---|---|
| Granted | 790 |
| Refused | 134 |
| Grantedof 924 decisions · England 90% | 85% |
| Decided within 8 weeksof 690, excluding prior approvals | 98% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Permitted development prior approvals — London Borough of Brent
How the larger-home-extension route has fared with London Borough of Brent, which decides NW2 notifications.
| Larger home extension prior approvals — not required2024 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 335 |
|---|---|
| Prior approval granted | 15 |
| Prior approval refused | 174 |
| Grantedof 189 determined | 8% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Planning appeals — London Borough of Brent
Refusals in NW2 can be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate; this is London Borough of Brent's householder appeal record.
| Householder appeals determined2021–2026 | 283 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 118 |
| Allowedof 283 · England 36% | 42% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions — London Borough of Brent
Register counts for London Borough of Brent. A count describes what the council has published, never a rank against another council.
| Conservation areas in the register22 dated, 1968–2024 | 23 |
|---|---|
| Article 4 directions in the register | 39 |
| Areas covered by an Article 4 direction | 162 |
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
What NW2 is built of
Residential building form across Cricklewood (NW2), from 414 classified buildings — the fact that decides party walls, side returns and loft headroom before any policy does.
| Attached on more than one side | 43% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 49% |
| Detached | 8% |
| Median building footprint | 78 m² |
| Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate | 2.27 |
| Buildings classified | 414 |
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 2026-09-22.
- Day 0Measured survey of your Cricklewood property — or your existing plans if you have them.
- About 7 daysDrawings issued for your approval. Free redraws until you are happy.
- SubmissionWe validate against London Borough of Brent’s checklist and submit on your behalf.
- Council: 8-week targetHouseholder applications carry an 8-week statutory target. London Borough of Brent decided 98% of 690 recent householder applications inside it.
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Streets and neighbourhoods in NW2
Nearby postcode districts
Cricklewood (NW2) — FAQs
Does the Mapesbury conservation area mean I cannot extend my house?+
Can I turn my Cricklewood house into an HMO without permission?+
Get your free Cricklewood planning assessment
Tell us your NW2 address and ambition — feasibility, constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.