Planning Permission & Building Regulations in Kensington, W8
Planning applications, lawful development certificates, listed building consent, building control and party wall matters for properties in Kensington, prepared and managed by our own team.
Covered under one contract
- Planning applications and lawful development certificates
- Listed building and conservation area consent
- Building regulations, full plans or building notice
- Structural calculations
- Party wall notices
- Licence to alter for flats
Planning Permission & Building Regulations in Kensington.
Whether a project in Kensington needs planning permission, and how difficult that permission is to obtain, depends on the property: whether it is in a conservation area, whether it is listed, whether it is a flat with a freeholder, and whether the council has removed permitted development rights on the street. We check all of this at the first visit and tell you the route before any drawings are made.
We then prepare and submit whatever is needed to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: a householder application, a lawful development certificate for permitted development, listed building consent with a heritage statement, or prior approval for a larger extension. Building regulations are handled through an approved inspector or the council's building control, and party wall notices are served where a neighbour's structure is affected.
Because our architects prepare the drawings and our team builds from them, there is no handover between designer, agent and builder. One team is responsible for getting the approval and for building what was approved.
- Area
- Kensington, W8
- Council
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Housing
- Stucco and red-brick Victorian terraces, garden squares, mews houses, mansion flats and large detached villas off Kensington Church Street
- Transport
- High Street Kensington, Gloucester Road
- Householder application
- 8 weeks from validation
- Listed building consent
- 8 weeks, longer with Historic England
- Lawful development certificate
- 8 weeks
- Party wall notice
- 1 or 2 months before works
- Building control
- Inspections to completion certificate
Kensington: the houses and the planning rules.
Kensington is one of the most consistently protected residential districts in London: white stucco terraces and garden squares south of the High Street, red-brick Queen Anne revival houses around Kensington Court and Phillimore Gardens, and a scatter of mews behind them. Almost every street is in a conservation area and a large share of the houses are listed.
The projects we see here are deep refurbishments of houses that have been divided and reunited over the years, lateral flats in the mansion blocks, and basements under the larger houses where the borough's policy allows. Design quality is scrutinised closely, so drawings and heritage statements have to be right first time.
The Kensington, Kensington Square, De Vere, Edwardes Square and Kensington Palace conservation areas cover almost the whole district.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
RBKC decides applications and has some of the most detailed conservation area guidance in London, with Article 4 directions on many streets removing permitted development rights.
Basements
The borough's basement policy limits new basements to a single storey under no more than half the garden, with a construction traffic management plan and an impact assessment.
Listed buildings
Many houses are Grade II listed, so internal alterations need listed building consent alongside planning permission.
Approvals for planning permission and building regulations in Kensington.
We confirm the approvals route at the site visit, prepare the drawings to the council's validation standard and manage each application through to decision, including building control inspections and party wall notices.
RBKC decides applications and has some of the most detailed conservation area guidance in London, with Article 4 directions on many streets removing permitted development rights.
What planning permission and building regulations in Kensington includes.
- Planning applications and lawful development certificates
- Listed building and conservation area consent
- Building regulations, full plans or building notice
- Structural calculations
- Party wall notices
- Licence to alter for flats
From site visit to handover.
- 01
Site visit & consultation
We visit, listen and measure. Brief, budget and constraints understood before any advice is given.
- 02
Design & itemised quote
Our architects and engineers draw the scheme, and from that we provide a transparent, itemised quotation for your approval.
- 03
Planning & approvals
Planning applications, building control and party wall matters handled for you.
- 04
Build, managed weekly
Our own trades, sequenced by a site manager. Progress reported every week.
- 05
Handover & aftercare
Joint snagging walk-through, documentation, and a guarantee on our workmanship.
Planning Permission & Building Regulations in Kensington: your questions.
Who decides planning applications in Kensington?
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Householder applications are normally decided within eight weeks of validation; listed building consent runs to the same timescale unless Historic England is consulted.
Do I need planning permission in Kensington?
It depends on the property and the proposal. Permitted development covers many rear extensions and lofts, but not in flats, listed buildings or where Article 4 directions apply. We confirm the route at the first visit.
Which parts of Kensington do you cover?
All of Kensington and W8, including Kensington Church Street, Phillimore Gardens, Kensington Square, Edwardes Square, Victoria Road, Campden Hill Road, and the neighbouring districts. We are based in London and our teams work across central, north, north-west, west and south-west London.
Other services in Kensington.
House Refurbishment in Kensington
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Flat Refurbishment in Kensington
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House Extensions in Kensington
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Structural Alterations in Kensington
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Loft Conversions in Kensington
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Basement Conversions in Kensington
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Kitchen Renovation in Kensington
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Bathroom Renovation in Kensington
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Bespoke Joinery & Fitted Furniture in Kensington
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Architectural & Interior Design in Kensington
Read morePlanning Permission & Building Regulations across London.
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We will visit, listen and explain what is possible for your property and how it would be approved. No pressure, no sales pitch.