Side Return Extension Drawings in Ealing Broadway W5
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered side return extension drawings for Ealing Broadway (W5) homeowners — London Borough of Ealing validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Ealing Broadway (W5) is the heart of 'Queen of the Suburbs' Ealing, and the housing reflects it — substantial Victorian and Edwardian villas climbing the hill north of the Broadway, with mansion flats and larger subdivided houses nearer the station. The scale of these plots means loft conversions, rear extensions and outbuildings are common, but so is the conservation-area control that shapes them.
Three conservation areas meet across the district: Mount Park on the higher ground to the north, Ealing Common to the east and Ealing Green to the south. Which one a property falls in changes what is achievable on the roof and front elevation, so we establish the boundary and the borough's guidance before recommending a permitted-development or full-application route.
Planning in Ealing Broadway (W5): what to know before you apply
W5 carries no borough-wide Article 4 direction affecting typical householder work, so many Ealing Broadway houses retain permitted development rights for rear and loft projects — but the Mount Park, Ealing Common and Ealing Green conservation areas are the significant exceptions, and the generous villa plots mean extensions are judged closely against neighbouring building and garden lines. London Borough of Ealing does not publish an Article 4 schedule to the national open-data register, so we verify the current position with the council before advising.
Typical Ealing Broadway housing stock
Large late-Victorian and Edwardian villas and semi-detached houses on the hill north of the Broadway, many on generous plots, alongside Edwardian mansion flats and subdivided family houses closer to the station.
Streets we regularly draw for in Ealing Broadway
Mount Park Road · Castlebar Road · The Mall · Grange Road · Uxbridge Road
What W5 is actually built of
Measured from 461 classified residential buildings in W5, not from a description of the area.
Ealing Broadway W5 housing mix
Residential building form across the W5 postcode district, from 461 classified buildings.
| Attached on more than one side | 45% |
|---|---|
| Attached on one side | 42% |
| Detached | 12% |
| Median building footprint | 71 m² |
| Addresses per buildingAbove about 2 means flats and maisonettes dominate | 1.79 |
| Buildings classified | 461 |
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.
Side Return Extension Drawings for Ealing Broadway (W5) homes: the package and the process
A side return is a structural drawing as much as a planning one. Removing the original flank wall to open the kitchen into the infill needs a beam and a padstone detail, and the new roof has to be drawn where it meets both the existing rear elevation and the boundary wall.
The boundary is the sensitive line. The drawings set out where the new wall sits relative to it, how the roof drains without discharging next door, and where rooflights fall so the officer can see the room is lit without overlooking. That detail is also what your party wall surveyor will ask for.
The extension only exists where the alley does. Mid-terrace and end-of-terrace houses with a rear outrigger are the classic case; a semi with a flank path is a different scheme with different boundary questions; and a detached house has no side return to infill at all.
Do I need planning permission for a side return extension in London?
Permitted development rights for side extensions are narrower than for rear extensions: they generally cap the extension at a single storey, restrict its width to no more than half the width of the original house, and limit its height. In practice, a full-depth side return running the length of a Victorian or Edwardian terrace usually exceeds one or more of these limits, so most side return projects are drawn and submitted as a full householder planning application.
Conservation area status and Article 4 directions, common across inner London terraces, remove permitted development rights for side extensions entirely in many streets, reinforcing the need for a planning application. We check your property's status before drawing.
What does a side return extension involve?
A side return infills the alley at ground floor level, structurally opening the original flank wall of the kitchen into the new space so the two areas read as one room. Unlike a rear extension, which is bounded on three sides by your own garden, a side return is bounded on one long side by the neighbouring property, which shapes almost every decision in the design, from where the roof glazing sits to how deep the new foundations need to go.
- New flank wall built out to align with the rear of the house, following the boundary line
- Original external wall between kitchen and alley opened up and supported on a steel or glulam beam
- Roof over the new space either glazed in full, glazed in a strip along the boundary for a 'light well' effect, or pitched and tiled to match the main roof
- Kitchen re-planned across the combined footprint, often incorporating an island once the room widens
Will I need a Party Wall Agreement for a side return extension?
Almost certainly. Because the new side wall is built on or immediately against the boundary with the neighbouring property, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies, and your neighbour must be formally notified before work starts. We prepare the drawings and dimensions your Party Wall surveyor needs, and time the notice period so it runs alongside, rather than after, your planning application.
| Package | What it covers | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Side return, planning only | Full householder planning application drawings for the infill | Full Planning pack ~£1,600–£2,400 |
| Side return, planning + Building Regulations | Adds structural calculations, Party Wall drawings and construction detail | Planning + Building Regs pack ~£2,200–£3,850 |
| Side return + rear extension (wraparound) | Combines both extensions into one L-shaped ground floor | see Wraparound Extension Drawings |
| Measured survey only | A measured existing floor-plan set for your own architect, surveyor or builder | from £450 |
Side Return Extension Drawings in Ealing Broadway W5 — FAQs
How much does a side return extension cost to design in London?+
Can I build a side return under permitted development?+
When do I need to serve Party Wall notice on my neighbour?+
Do I need an architect for a side return extension?+
How long does a side return extension take to design and approve?+
Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in Ealing?+
What extra control applies in Bedford Park?+
How long does Ealing Council take to decide a householder application?+
Can you help with a loft conversion on a 1930s Ealing semi?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Ealing?+
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