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
Side Return Extension Drawings for Ealing Broadway (W5) homes: the package and the process
Every side return extension drawings we prepare for an Ealing Broadway property is drawn to London Borough of Ealing’s validation standards and tuned to the W5 constraints above. Here is what the drawing package covers and how the process runs from first survey to approval.
Behind most London terraces sits a narrow side alley, a metre or so wide, running from the front boundary to the back garden. A side return extension builds into that alley at ground floor, pushing the kitchen wall out to line up with the rest of the house and topping the new space with a glazed or pitched roof — often the single biggest transformation available to a galley kitchen without touching the garden at all. Because the alley typically sits hard against next door's boundary wall, this is also the extension type most likely to involve your neighbour directly, both through the planning application and through the Party Wall process.
DrawingsDirect draws side return extensions for full planning, coordinates the Party Wall paperwork your neighbour will need to see, and produces the structural calculations for the beam that carries the new roof, all under one MCIAT-chartered team and one fixed fee. If you are also extending the rear at the same time, our Wraparound Extension page covers the combined project.
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
| 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?+
Get your free Ealing Broadway planning assessment
Tell us your Ealing Broadway (W5) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.