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Service area · London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Architectural Designers in Richmond upon Thames

Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, one of the most heavily designated boroughs in London. Our typical Richmond projects are rear and side-return extensions to Victorian terraces in Twickenham and St Margarets, dormer lofts in Kew and Teddington, and side extensions and garden rooms on 1930s semis in Whitton and Hampton. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.

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Planning authority
Richmond upon Thames
Decision time
8 weeks statutory
Common work
Rear extension
Quote
Within 24 hours
01Local context

Typical homes we work on in Richmond upon Thames

  • Georgian and Regency houses on Richmond Hill, in Petersham and around Richmond Green
  • Victorian terraces in Twickenham, St Margarets, Mortlake and East Sheen
  • Edwardian houses in Kew, Teddington and Barnes
  • 1930s semis and bungalows in Whitton, Hampton, Hampton Hill and Ham
  • Riverside houses and boathouses along the Thames at Barnes, Kew and Twickenham
  • Post-war estates and recent apartment schemes in Ham, Twickenham and Hampton
02Planning permission

Do I need planning permission in Richmond upon Thames?

Answer-first guides for the projects we see most here, with the national rules and the local constraints that change them.

03Constraints

Planning constraints in Richmond upon Thames

What changes the planning route in this area. Always confirm on the council's constraints map before relying on permitted development.

Conservation areas

Richmond has more than 70 conservation areas, covering a large share of the borough's housing. Roof extensions, cladding and side extensions in these areas need planning permission rather than permitted development, and the council publishes character appraisals that officers use to judge design. Check the constraints map for your address before assuming PD applies.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Article 4 directions

Many Richmond conservation areas carry Article 4 directions removing permitted development for front elevations, windows, porches, boundary walls and hardstandings. The exact rights removed differ from area to area, so we check the schedule for your street before recommending a route.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

House Extensions and External Alterations SPD

The council's supplementary planning document on house extensions and external alterations sets out its expectations for depth, height, subordination, roof form and materials. Officers apply it closely, so our drawings are checked against it before submission.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Thames flood zones

Low-lying land at Barnes, Mortlake, Kew, Twickenham riverside, Teddington and Hampton falls within Flood Zones 2 and 3. Basements and new ground-floor habitable rooms may need a flood risk assessment, and the Thames Policy Area adds design expectations for riverside sites.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Metropolitan Open Land and Royal Parks

Richmond Park, Bushy Park, Kew Gardens (a World Heritage Site) and Ham Lands are Metropolitan Open Land or protected landscapes. Houses backing onto them are judged on their effect on openness and setting, and outbuildings near the boundary attract extra scrutiny.

Checked 15 Sept 2026

Listed buildings

The borough has a high number of listed buildings, particularly around Richmond Green, Richmond Hill, Petersham, Twickenham riverside and Hampton. Almost any external or internal alteration to a listed house needs listed building consent in addition to planning permission.

Checked 15 Sept 2026

What London Borough of Richmond upon Thames planning officers look for

Richmond is one of the more design-led London planning authorities and its officers apply the House Extensions SPD closely. Rear extensions deeper than neighbouring precedent, roof extensions that are not clearly subordinate, and front dormers are common refusal reasons. Side extensions on suburban semis are expected to be set back and lower than the main roof so the gap between houses reads. In conservation areas expect detailed comments on windows, brick and rainwater goods. Pre-application advice is available for a fee and, in our experience, is worth it for anything in a conservation area or on the river.

Council links

Extensions and loft conversions in Richmond upon Thames

Richmond upon Thames combines Georgian and Regency set pieces on Richmond Hill and around the Green with a large stock of Victorian and Edwardian family houses in Twickenham, St Margarets, Kew, Teddington and Barnes, and 1930s suburbs in Whitton, Hampton and Ham. The typical brief is a rear or side-return extension to open up a terrace kitchen, a dormer loft to add a bedroom and bathroom, or a side extension and garden room on a suburban semi.

Because so much of the borough is designated, the first question in Richmond is almost never “what do you want to build?” but “what does your street allow?”. We answer that before drawing.

Planning constraints in Richmond upon Thames

Richmond has more than 70 conservation areas and a long list of Article 4 directions, so permitted development rights vary from one street to the next. The designations that most often shape a Richmond project are:

  • Conservation areas across Richmond, Kew, Barnes, Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton, which remove PD for roof extensions and cladding.
  • Article 4 directions in many of those areas, removing further rights for front elevations, windows, porches and boundary treatments.
  • Flood Zones 2 and 3 along the Thames, and the Thames Policy Area for riverside design.
  • Metropolitan Open Land and the Royal Parks, including the Kew Gardens World Heritage Site.
  • Listed buildings in large numbers, requiring listed building consent.

Flats and maisonettes, including converted Victorian houses, have no householder PD rights at all.

What Richmond planning officers look for

Richmond’s officers apply the House Extensions and External Alterations SPD closely. For rear extensions they look for depth that does not exceed neighbouring precedent, respect for the 45-degree rule, and eaves and parapet heights that stay subordinate. For lofts they expect rear dormers set down from the ridge, in from the party walls and clad to match the roof; front dormers are usually refused.

Side extensions on Whitton and Hampton semis should be set back from the front wall and have a roof below the main ridge so the gap between houses is retained. In conservation areas expect comments on sash proportions, brick bond and rainwater goods. Pre-application advice is available for a fee and we recommend it for riverside sites and listed houses.

Our services in Richmond upon Thames

Example projects nearby

Guides

Read our guides on extending or converting a loft in a conservation area and householder planning applications in London.

Ready to start in Richmond upon Thames? Get an instant estimate: your indicative fee on screen and by email in two minutes, then a written fixed-fee quote within 24 hours.

04Examples

Example projects in and around Richmond upon Thames

Proposed loft floor plan for a hip-to-gable and rear dormer conversion to an Edwardian semi in TwickenhamExample project
Loft conversionTwickenham, Richmond

Loft Conversion in Twickenham, Richmond upon Thames

Hip-to-gable roof extension with a rear dormer to an Edwardian semi-detached house in a Twickenham conservation area, creating a master bedroom and bathroom in the roof.

Typical route: Householder planning application in an Article 4 conservation area

05Questions

Planning questions we hear in Richmond upon Thames

Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in Richmond upon Thames?

If your house is outside a conservation area and not a flat, a single-storey rear extension up to 3 m (terrace or semi) or 4 m (detached) is usually permitted development, extending to 6 m or 8 m under prior approval. In Richmond's many conservation areas the rear extension itself may still be PD, but Article 4 directions and roof restrictions often mean a planning application is the safer route. We check the schedule for your street first.

Can I convert my loft under permitted development in Richmond?

Only outside conservation areas. Within the 40 m³ (terrace) or 50 m³ (semi or detached) volume limit and with no dormer facing the road, a rear dormer is usually PD. In a conservation area roof extensions need planning permission, and Richmond expects them to sit below the ridge, away from the party walls and in matching materials.

How long does Richmond council take to decide a householder application?

The statutory period is 8 weeks from validation for a householder planning application or a Lawful Development Certificate, and 42 days for a larger home extension prior approval. Richmond handles a high volume of householder applications and often uses the full period. The council fee is £528 for a householder application (verify before applying).

Does Richmond have a design guide for house extensions?

Yes. The council's House Extensions and External Alterations supplementary planning document sets out expectations for depth, height, roof form, subordination and materials. Officers refer to it in decisions, so we design to it and cite it in the design statement we submit with your application.

What if my Richmond house is listed?

You will need listed building consent for almost any alteration, internal or external, in addition to planning permission for extensions. There is no council fee for listed building consent, but a heritage statement is required. We prepare the drawings and heritage statement together so the two applications run in parallel.

06Coverage

Everywhere we work

One team, one process, every area. Choose yours.

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