Planning drawings in South Kensington, SW7
Planning an extension or conversion in South Kensington, SW7 starts with drawings the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea can validate and decide. DrawingsDirect, MCIAT chartered architectural technologists, draws planning drawings for SW7 homes from £745. We draw; we do not supply scaffolding or build.
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What the Royal Borough decides on householder projects
Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) shows Kensington and Chelsea decided 664 householder applications, including prior approvals, over the four quarters from 2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2, and granted 94% of them.
The same analysis finds that 92% of the borough's householder decisions, excluding prior approvals, were made within 8 weeks. The statutory period for an application that is not major development is 8 weeks beginning with the day after receipt (DMPO 2015, article 34(2)(b)). The wider process is on our planning permission service page.
Conservation areas around South Kensington
Our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) finds 41 conservation-area entries on the national register for Kensington and Chelsea. If your street is in one, heritage and street character come into an application early; the Royal Borough's conservation area map tells you.
Our guide to extension rules in London conservation areas explains what a designation changes.
Our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) finds 41 conservation-area entries on the national register for Kensington and Chelsea.
When the Royal Borough refuses: the appeal record
Our analysis of the Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026, Casework Database 2609) counts 182 householder-development appeals decided in Kensington and Chelsea between 2021 and 2026. 42% were allowed.
It is a borough figure, not a forecast for your house. Where a refusal is possible, deal with the likely objections, such as bulk or loss of light to neighbours, in the drawings you submit first.
Digging down or building beside a neighbour: party wall rules
A project that goes down, or builds against a neighbour's wall, can bring in the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Section 6 covers digging deeper than a neighbour's foundations: within three metres measured horizontally from their building or structure, or within six metres where your excavation meets a 45-degree plane drawn down from their foundations.
Our guide to party wall agreements in London explains the process, and our basement conversion drawings service covers lower-ground schemes. The Act is on legislation.gov.uk.
The application fee and what we charge
From 1 April 2026 the statutory fee for a householder application for alterations or extensions to a single dwellinghouse is £548 (SI 2012/2920, Schedule 1, Part 2, category 6(1)), paid to the council.
Our fixed fee for planning drawings starts from £745, and the pricing page lists the rest. Redraws are free if the Royal Borough asks for changes. See our planning drawings service for what the set contains.
Sources
Every figure on this page, where it comes from and a link to the original.
| Figure | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 664 | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 94% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 92% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 182 | Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609)) | www.gov.uk |
| 42% | Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609)) | www.gov.uk |
| 41 | Our analysis of MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area and article-4-direction datasets (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) | www.planning.data.gov.uk |
| three metres | Party Wall etc. Act 1996 s6(1): excavating within three metres measured horizontally of an adjoining owner's building or structure below its foundations (source wording: three metres) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| six metres | Party Wall etc. Act 1996 s6(2): excavating within six metres measured horizontally of an adjoining owner's building where it meets a 45-degree plane drawn down from its foundations (source wording: six metres) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| 8 weeks | DMPO 2015 art 34(2)(b): decision period for an application that is not major development (source wording: 8 weeks beginning with the day immediately following receipt) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| £548 | Statutory fee from 1 April 2026, SI 2012/2920 Sch 1 Pt 2 category 6(1): householder application for alterations or extensions to a single dwellinghouse | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| £745 | DrawingsDirect starting fixed fee for planning drawings, from the published price list | drawingsdirect.co.uk |