Redbridge architects | Residential architect projects

At GOAStudio London residential architecture we have extensive experience with working with the Redbridge planning department and we are familiar with all the relevant planning policies that might apply for your home project.

Please see below links to some of our Redbridge residential architect projects for ideas and inspiration.

Your brief requirements, the setting of the property, and the immediate context of the property are some of the factors that will determine what home alterations the Redbridge planners will be prepared to allow. We will advise you about what is reasonable to expect to get approval, what might be tricky but possible, and what most likely the planners will say no to.

According to the Redbridge Housing Design Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) – Adopted September 2019 these are some of the key considerations that will determine the outcome of your planning application.

Below we have copied and highlighted extracts of the most relevant current policy and advice for your home project.

EXAMPLES OF SOME OF OUR REDBRIDGE RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT PROJECTS – PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR IDEAS AND INSPIRATION.

Summary planning and design guide | Redbridge residential architect advice

SINGLE STOREY REAR EXTENSIONS

• When intending to undertake a single storey rear extension, householders must pay careful attention to its size by way of depth and height, and its design and proximity to shared boundaries.

• When intending to undertake a single storey rear extension, householders must pay careful attention to its size by way of depth and height, and its design and proximity to shared boundaries.

• It is important that single-storey rear extensions do not dominate the host or original property or project too far into the garden from the original rear wall of the house. This is to avoid the extension being overbearing and causing a significant loss of outlook, light, or an increased sense of enclosure. The following measurements are maximum depths and a general rule of thumb for household extensions. Terraced house (including end terrace) = 3.5m. Semi-detached house = 3.5m. Detached house = 4.5m

• In determining the acceptable depth, and if the property has a small rear garden, the need to retain adequate amenity space, as well as sufficient outlook from rear habitable rooms, will be taken into consideration when deciding applications. Depths greater than those above will only be acceptable where this would be consistent with adjoining properties. Therefore ‘creep’ beyond the adjoining neighbours would generally not be supported.

• Flat roof extensions should generally be 3m in height, and where there is a parapet wall this should be kept to a maximum of 150mm in height.

• Pitched roof extensions should not have an eaves height greater than 3m, and a maximum height of 4m. The height would need to ensure that the roof does not encroach on the first floor of the property. Using a flat roof as a balcony, a roof terrace or garden could have a negative impact on the privacy of neighbouring properties and will normally be refused. Conservatories are considered by the Council in the same way as an extension.

TWO STOREY AND FIRST FLOOR REAR EXTENSIONS

• The ground floor element of the extension should take into consideration the same design principles as outlined above in terms of the depth. The depth of the first-floor element should generally be kept to a maximum of 3m and will need to also have regard to the 45-Degree Rule.

• The first-floor element should generally be no more than half the width of the original rear elevation to ensure it is proportionate and subordinate to the host property and minimises impact on the amenity of adjoining neighbours.

• The eaves height of the extension should not be higher than the eaves height of the host property. The roof of the extension should match the roof design of the original house.

• To evaluate the impact on neighbouring properties, in terms of daylight/sunlight, and to help determine the appropriate depth of rear extensions, the ‘45 Degree Rule’ is used to assess proposals.

SINGLE STOREY SIDE EXTENSIONS

• It is important that side extensions reflect the design or style of the host property and that their scale or size is also proportionate to its dimensions. The depth should not exceed that of the host property, except where it is appropriate to combine with a rear extension.

• The design and style of the roof of a side extension, including the angle of the roof, should match the roof of the host property. A separate front entrance door in the side extension will not be acceptable.

• It is important that all side extensions are designed so that no part of them cross the boundary line shared with neighbouring properties, unless they form a party wall. To ensure that neighbouring properties are not overlooked and their privacy is not threatened the roof of side extensions must not be used as a balcony.

TWO STOREY AND FIRST FLOOR SIDE EXTENSIONS

• The ground floor element of the extension should follow the same principles as single storey side extensions.

• The angle of the roof of the extension must also match the angle of the main roof of the house, and it should be designed in the same form. Where the original roof space has been changed from hip to gable it is likely that a hipped roof to the side extension will be required to maintain the character of the area and visual separation at roof level. The eaves and guttering should be appropriate to the design of the house and not introduce uncharacteristic parapets.

• Where a two-storey or first floor side extension is proposed the first-floor element should be set back at least 0.5m from the main front elevation of the house.

ROOF EXTENSIONS, LOFT CONVERSIONS AND OTHER ROOF ALTERATIONS

• It is important that any roof alterations are subordinate in size to the roof of the house and do not appear as a dominant feature. To convert a hipped roof to a gable-end roof will generally be refused permission where this would be out of character with the prevailing pattern of development in the area, or harm the symmetry of a pair of semi-detached properties.

• The erection of rear dormer windows and insertion of roof lights into the roof slope are in principle acceptable approaches for extending the roof of your house. Dormer windows or roof extensions must remain subordinate within the roof slope. Rear dormers should be symmetrically located and be at least 0.5m below the ridge of the roof, 1m above the eaves and set in 1m from shared boundary and from the edge of the roof (0.5m from the edge for hipped roofs).
• These set-in measurements should be increased on larger detached houses with larger roof face areas to ensure it remains subordinate. Where terraced houses have parapet walls on either side of the roof they should not be built up and any dormer extensions should be set in. Front and side dormers are generally not considered to be appropriate, unless they are an original or common feature of properties in that street.
• Roof lights would be generally acceptable at the front of the property, reflecting the position of the windows at the first-floor level on the front elevation.
• The Council supports proposals for solar panels to help achieve the aims of Local Plan policy LP20 ‘Low Carbon and Renewable Energy’, and in most cases solar panels will benefit from permitted development rights. However, householders are advised to seek advice from the Council through its preapplication process.

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