Planning and building regulation drawings in Becontree (RM9)
Becontree is the Becontree Estate, a very large council-built cottage estate laid out by the London County Council on garden-suburb lines between the early 1920s and the mid-1930s. The houses are two-storey cottages, short terraces and semi-detached runs in brick or render, set behind small front gardens on wide, uniformly planned streets. Lodge Avenue, Gale Street, Marlborough Road, Fitzstephen Road, Ilchester Road, Rutland Gardens, Babington Road, Dronfield Gardens, Hewett Road, Cornworthy Road, Harrold Road and Easebourne Road are among the many roads on the estate.
- MCIAT chartered technologists
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham granted 68% of 406 householder applications
- Drawings in about 7 days
A lot of those cottages are now privately owned after Right to Buy, and private ownership is what opened the door to rear extensions and loft conversions across the estate. Many terraced runs have modest gardens, so a single-storey rear extension can only go so deep before it needs a householder application.
The estate's uniformity is the design brief. Barking and Dagenham expects extensions to respect the consistent cottage character, so front changes, roof forms and materials are read against the street rather than against one house. Matching the original brick, render and roof tiles helps a rear or side addition look like part of the cottage. Where houses share side and rear lines with neighbours, party-wall issues and overshadowing matter. We know of no conservation area on the estate and no area-specific Article 4 direction.
Planning in Becontree: what to know before you apply
Barking and Dagenham applies the national permitted development limits and its householder design guidance across the estate, and no local direction narrows them further. The one borough-wide restriction worth knowing is the Article 4 direction removing permitted development for turning a family house into an HMO, which matters if you plan to let rooms to three to six unrelated sharers. Extensions and lofts are assessed separately, with officers looking at depth on narrow plots, roof form, materials and neighbour amenity whenever an application is needed. Flats have no householder permitted development rights. We check the plot against the current limits before recommending a route, and draw to the council's validation list.
Applications are decided by London Borough of Barking and Dagenham — its planning pages.
Does your Becontree project need planning permission?
Becontree (RM9) in numbers
What London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has decided, and what RM9 is built of — the two facts that shape every job here.
Householder planning decisions — London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Becontree (RM9) applications are decided by London Borough of Barking and Dagenham; these are its published householder figures for the last four quarters.
| Householder applications decided2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 406 |
|---|---|
| Granted | 276 |
| Refused | 130 |
| Grantedof 406 decisions · England 90% | 68% |
| Decided within 8 weeksof 379, excluding prior approvals | 100% |
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 Barking and Dagenham
How the larger-home-extension route has fared with London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, which decides RM9 notifications.
| Larger home extension prior approvals — not required2024 Q2 to 2026 Q1 | 501 |
|---|---|
| Prior approval granted | 14 |
| Prior approval refused | 76 |
| Grantedof 90 determined | 16% |
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 Barking and Dagenham
Refusals in RM9 can be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate; this is London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's householder appeal record.
| Householder appeals determined2021–2026 | 171 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 52 |
| Allowedof 171 · England 36% | 30% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions — London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Register counts for London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. A count describes what the council has published, never a rank against another council.
| Conservation areas in the register | 4 |
|---|---|
| Article 4 directions in the register | 3 |
| Areas covered by an Article 4 direction | 3 |
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-09-22.
What RM9 is built of
Residential building form across Becontree (RM9), from 248 classified buildings — the fact that decides party walls, side returns and loft headroom before any policy does.
| Attached on more than one side | 62% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 37% |
| Detached | 1% |
| Median building footprint | 48 m² |
| Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate | 1.06 |
| Buildings classified | 248 |
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 Becontree 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 Barking and Dagenham’s checklist and submit on your behalf.
- Council: 8-week targetHouseholder applications carry an 8-week statutory target. London Borough of Barking and Dagenham decided 100% of 379 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 RM9
Nearby postcode districts
Becontree (RM9) — FAQs
Can I add a loft conversion to a former council house in Becontree?+
Does Right to Buy affect what I can build?+
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