Single-storey rear extension behind a Victorian terrace near Romford Market Place in Havering RM1

Romford · RM1 · Havering

Planning Drawings in Romford RM1

Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered planning drawings for Romford (RM1) homeowners — London Borough of Havering validation and local constraints handled from the start.

Romford (RM1) is built around one of London's oldest chartered markets, and the Romford Conservation Area protects the Market Place and the ancient crossroads where North Street, South Street and the High Street meet. Work on or near those frontages faces conservation-area control, so we always check where a property sits against the boundary before choosing a route.

Away from the protected core the district is mostly Victorian and Edwardian terraces with inter-war housing behind, and rear and side-return extensions plus loft conversions are the common projects. Havering's householder guidance sets clear expectations for these, and preparing drawings to match is how RM1 schemes clear first time.

Proposed floor plan

Romford RM1

Romford (RM1) — planning at a glance

Council: London Borough of Havering
Postcode district: RM1
Planning portal: View the Havering planning portal
Housing stock: A historic market-town core of shops and civic buildings around Market Place, ringed by Victorian and Edwardian terraces and later inter-war housing on the residential streets running off North Street and toward Como Street.
Article 4: London Borough of Havering does not publish its Article 4 directions to the national planning register, so permitted development rights in Romford (RM1) can’t be confirmed from open data alone — we check the direction schedule with the council before recommending a route, as part of the fixed fee. Havering has no borough-wide Article 4 direction over RM1 householder work; conservation-area control around Market Place is the defining constraint.
Conservation: Romford
Sample streets: Market Place · North Street · South Street · Como Street · Junction Road
Local constraints: Romford Conservation Area covering Market Place and the ancient crossroads at North Street, South Street, High Street and Market Place — tight control over frontages, materials and shopfrontsLong medieval market plot pattern behind Market Place that constrains rear building linesDense town-centre grain where terraced side-return and rear depth are the realistic extension routes rather than large footprints

Planning in Romford (RM1): what to know before you apply

There is no borough-wide Article 4 direction affecting typical RM1 householder work, so many Romford houses retain permitted development rights for rear and loft projects. The exception is the Romford Conservation Area around Market Place, where frontage, material and shopfront changes are controlled and permitted development is curtailed.

Typical Romford housing stock

A historic market-town core of shops and civic buildings around Market Place, ringed by Victorian and Edwardian terraces and later inter-war housing on the residential streets running off North Street and toward Como Street.

Streets we regularly draw for in Romford

Market Place · North Street · South Street · Como Street · Junction Road

Planning Drawings for Romford (RM1) homes: the package and the process

Every planning drawings we prepare for an Romford property is drawn to London Borough of Havering’s validation standards and tuned to the RM1 constraints above. Here is what the drawing package covers and how the process runs from first survey to approval.

Planning drawings are the scale drawings a London council uses to judge your application: existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, sections and site plans that show the design, scale and neighbour impact of your project. DrawingsDirect produces complete, validation-ready planning drawing sets for extensions, lofts and conversions across London.

What is included in a planning drawing set?

A council will only validate an application that contains the right drawings at the right scale. Our standard planning set covers everything a London validation team expects.

Site location plan (1:1250) and block plan (1:500)
Existing floor plans, elevations and sections
Proposed floor plans, elevations and sections
Roof plans where relevant, with heights and materials annotated
A design and access or heritage statement where the borough requires one

How are planning drawings different from building regulations drawings?

Planning drawings show what the building will look like and how it sits in its context. Building regulations drawings show how it will be built safely — structure, insulation, fire escape and drainage. Most projects need both; our Complete package covers the two together with structural calculations coordinated in-house.

What a London planning drawing set contains
Drawing	Typical scale	What it shows
Site location plan	1:1250	The property in its street context, site edged red
Block plan	1:500	The building's footprint and position in the plot
Floor plans (existing & proposed)	1:100 / 1:50	Room layout, walls, openings and the proposed changes
Elevations (existing & proposed)	1:100 / 1:50	Each face of the building and how it changes
Sections	1:100 / 1:50	A cut through showing heights, levels and roof form

Also in Romford RM1

Planning Permission Architectural Drawings Building Regulations Drawings Loft Conversion Drawings House Extension Drawings Planning Drawings across Havering Planning Drawings across London

FAQ

Planning Drawings in Romford RM1 — FAQs

What scale should London planning drawings be?+

Site location plans are 1:1250, block plans 1:500, and floor plans, elevations and sections are typically 1:100 or 1:50. We format every drawing to your specific borough's requirements.

Do I need an architect to produce planning drawings?+

No. MCIAT-chartered architectural technologists produce the same council-accepted planning drawings with the same professional accountability, and councils assess the drawings, not the author's job title.

How many revisions are included in the fee?+

All of them. The fee is fixed and we redraw free until your council approves — revisions requested by a planning officer never cost you extra.

Can you draw from my existing plans?+

We can work from existing measured drawings, but for accuracy we usually carry out a laser survey so the proposed set matches your property exactly.

Do planning drawings guarantee approval?+

No drawing can guarantee a decision, but drawing to the local plan and validation checklist maximises your odds — and we redraw free until approval.

Do I need planning permission for an extension in Havering?+

Havering has no borough-wide Article 4 direction affecting typical householder permitted development, so its detached and semi-detached homes often keep fuller rights than inner-London terraces — larger rear and single-storey extensions can qualify. Green-belt land toward the east and conservation areas such as Upminster and Emerson Park restrict this. We check your address first and can confirm permitted development with a Lawful Development Certificate.

How does green-belt land affect my Havering project?+

On green-belt properties toward the borough's eastern and northern edges, extensions are assessed against strict limits on disproportionate additions to the original dwelling. It does not rule out an extension, but scale and siting matter and the case must be evidenced carefully. We confirm whether your property is green belt and design a scheme that stays within policy.

Can I build a bigger extension because Havering plots are larger?+

Often, yes. The generous interwar and detached plots across Hornchurch, Emerson Park and Upminster make substantial rear and double-storey extensions viable where a tight terrace could not. The limit is usually policy rather than space. We design to use the plot fully within permitted-development allowances or a well-evidenced full application.

How long does Havering Council take to decide?+

Havering determines most householder applications within the statutory eight-week period once validated; green-belt and conservation cases can involve additional consultation. A complete, correctly scaled submission is the best way to avoid a validation query — we prepare Havering drawings to the council's checklist to keep the application on track.

How much do planning drawings cost in Havering?+

We quote a fixed fee upfront, typically around 30% below an architect's charge for the same council-accepted drawings, with free redraws until Havering approves. Because plots here allow larger schemes, the fee tracks complexity — a single-storey rear differs from a double-storey or a green-belt case — and we confirm it once we understand your plans.

Free Fixed Quote

Get your free Romford planning assessment

Tell us your Romford (RM1) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.