Planning and building regulation drawings in Marylebone (W1U)

That mix of uses shapes the work. An owner may be reorganising a flat, refitting a consulting room, or working out whether part of a building can change between clinical, office and residential use. Change of use in the Harley Street medical district is a sensitive subject in its own right, so it is worth a conversation before any drawings are produced.

Three conservation areas cover the district: Harley Street, Portman Estate and East Marylebone. They control elevations, rooflines and materials, so alterations visible from the street receive careful attention. Where a terrace is listed, listed building consent is needed for internal alterations too. The estates add another layer, since the Howard de Walden and Portman freeholders' consent is required alongside the council's permission. We find out which designation and which freeholder apply to your building and then draw for both.

Planning in Marylebone: what to know before you apply

Westminster expects a full planning application for most Marylebone work, because conservation area control removes most permitted development, and listed building consent is added where a building carries a listing. No area-specific Article 4 direction is published for the district, so the conservation areas, the listing and the medical-district change-of-use pressures define what is possible. Basement work falls under the City Plan basement policy, which requires a basement impact assessment and limits scale. Estate freeholders' consent is required for leasehold works. We settle each of these questions at the outset, so the application is complete and consistent with what the estate will accept.

Applications are decided by Westminster City Council — its planning pages.