Rear Extension Drawings in Shoreditch EC2A
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered rear extension drawings for Shoreditch (EC2A) homeowners — London Borough of Hackney validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Shoreditch around EC2A is defined by its former industrial fabric, brick warehouses, workshops and print buildings now reworked as creative lofts, studios and apartments, with the Arts-and-Crafts Boundary Estate nearby. Projects here lean toward change of use, warehouse-to-residential conversion, roof-level and mansard additions and the reconfiguration of loft apartments rather than the suburban rear extension.
The South Shoreditch and Redchurch Street conservation areas protect this warehouse character closely, so visible roof additions and facade alterations are heavily scrutinised. We prepare Shoreditch drawings to the London Borough of Hackney's conservation and change-of-use standards, coordinating planning, fire and building-regulation detail so conversions and roof schemes stand up first time.
Planning in Shoreditch (EC2A): what to know before you apply
No published householder Article 4 direction governs the EC2A part of Shoreditch, but the South Shoreditch conservation area and change-of-use policy mean nearly all warehouse-conversion, mansard and facade work requires full planning permission with detailed heritage and amenity justification.
Typical Shoreditch housing stock
Shoreditch around EC2A is former industrial and warehouse territory, brick workshops, print buildings and factories now converted into creative lofts, studios and flats, alongside the Arts-and-Crafts Boundary Estate. The work here is less about garden extensions and more about change of use, warehouse-to-residential conversion, roof-level additions and internal loft-apartment reconfiguration.
Streets we regularly draw for in Shoreditch
Worship Street · Columbia Road · Barnet Grove · Galway Street
What the wider borough is built of
EC2A has too few classified residential buildings to publish a district figure of its own, so we do not estimate one. The measured figures below are borough-wide and EC2A is not among the districts they cover.
Borough-wide building mix
Residential building form across 5 of the borough's 6 postcode districts, from 2,243 classified buildings. EC2A is below the publication floor and is excluded from these totals, so they describe the borough around it rather than the district itself.
| Attached on more than one side | 74% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 21% |
| Detached | 5% |
| Buildings attached on more than one side | 1,664 |
| Detached buildings | 107 |
| Buildings classified | 2,243 |
| Postcode districts measured | 5 |
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 2026-08-17.
Rear Extension Drawings for Shoreditch (EC2A) homes: the package and the process
Depth is the number the application turns on, and it has to be measured from the original rear wall of the house rather than from whatever is there now. The drawings carry that dimension, the eaves and ridge heights, the position of any rooflight, and the boundary distances on both sides.
Where the scheme goes beyond the standard allowance and relies on the larger home extension route, the drawings serve a second purpose: they are what the council sends to the neighbours during the consultation. A clear, dimensioned proposed elevation answers the objection about overshadowing before it is made.
Depth is limited by the plot as much as by the rules. A long garden behind a terrace can take the full allowance, while a short one runs out before the rules do — and on a semi or detached house the same depth reads very differently from the boundary.
Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in London?
Many single-storey rear extensions qualify as permitted development, meaning no planning application is needed, provided depth, height and materials stay within set limits. That changes if your property sits in a conservation area or is subject to an Article 4 direction, both of which can remove permitted development rights across a street or borough — in that case a full householder planning application is required regardless of size.
Even where an extension qualifies, most homeowners obtain a Lawful Development Certificate to confirm that status in writing before building — useful for mortgage lenders, buyers and Building Control. We check your property against your borough's constraints before recommending a route.
How deep can a single-storey rear extension go?
Depth is the main constraint on a rear extension, and it depends on your house type and whether you use standard permitted development or the larger home extension scheme.
Permitted development
Standard permitted development allows a single-storey rear extension up to 3 metres deep for terraced and semi-detached houses, or 4 metres for detached houses, generally with eaves height limited to match or stay close to the existing house.
Larger home extension scheme
The prior-approval scheme extends this to 6 metres for terraced and semi-detached houses and 8 metres for detached houses. Your council writes to affected neighbours; if none object within the notification period, approval follows without a full planning application. If an objection is raised, the council assesses the impact on neighbouring light and outlook itself, rather than automatically refusing, so a well-considered design still has a good chance of approval.
Designing the kitchen-diner: rooflights, bi-folds and daylight
Most rear extensions exist to create one open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, so the drawing work focuses on getting light and flow right within the depth you are allowed.
- Structural opening sized for bi-fold or sliding doors across most of the rear elevation
- Rooflights or a roof lantern positioned to light the centre of the room, away from the shadow line of the main house
- Open-plan layout tested against the 45-degree rule, which protects daylight to your neighbours' windows and can limit how close a flank wall or roof comes to the boundary
- Floor build-up and threshold detail coordinated so the new floor meets the existing one without a step
| Route | When it applies | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Permitted development (Lawful Development Certificate) | Depth within 3m (terraced/semi) or 4m (detached), height and materials within PD limits | PD/LDC pack ~£950–£1,450 |
| Larger home extension (prior approval) | Depth up to 6m (terraced/semi) or 8m (detached), with neighbour notification | from £1,100 |
| Full householder planning permission | Extension exceeds PD/larger-home limits, or the property is in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction | Full Planning pack ~£1,600–£2,400 |
| Planning + Building Regulations (structural) | Combined planning and construction-ready pack with structural calculations for the opening and roof | Planning + Building Regs pack ~£2,200–£3,850 |
Rear Extension Drawings in Shoreditch EC2A — FAQs
How much does a rear extension cost to design in London?+
Do I need an architect for a rear extension?+
How long does it take to get rear extension drawings?+
What is the 45-degree rule?+
Will I need a Party Wall Agreement for a rear extension?+
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Hackney?+
My Hackney property is a converted flat — can I still extend?+
What does Hackney's borough-wide HMO Article 4 direction cover?+
How long does Hackney Council take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Hackney?+
Get your free Shoreditch planning assessment
Tell us your Shoreditch (EC2A) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.