# Magna Studio

> Planning-ready architectural documentation for homeowners and builders across London and the Home Counties. Fixed-fee planning drawings, Lawful Development Certificates and Building Regulations packages across London and the Home Counties. Get an indicative fee estimate by email from the two-minute quote tool at https://magnastudio.co.uk/quote.

Contact: hello@magnastudio.co.uk, +44 20 3400 9917. Based in London, UK. Site: https://magnastudio.co.uk

## Services

- [Planning Documentation](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/planning-documentation): Planning documentation is the measured survey, existing and proposed drawings, statements and application forms your London borough needs to decide an extension, loft conversion or alteration. Magna Studio produces the full set for a fixed fee, submits it and acts as your agent until the decision. It is for homeowners across London who want a clear, low-risk route to permission rather than an open-ended design process.
- [Householder Planning Applications](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/householder-planning-applications): A householder planning application is the full planning route for extending or altering a single house when permitted development does not apply. We prepare the drawings and statements, submit to your London borough and act as your agent until the 8-week decision. It is for homeowners whose extension, loft or alteration exceeds permitted development limits or sits in a conservation area or Article 4 area.
- [Permitted Development & LDC](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/permitted-development-ldc): Permitted development (PD) lets you extend or convert a house in England without planning permission, provided the work stays within set limits. A Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) is the council's written confirmation that your project qualifies. We check your PD rights, screen for Article 4 directions and conservation areas, and prepare the LDC drawings and application. It is for London homeowners who want certainty before they build.
- [Building Regulations Drawings](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/building-regulations-drawings): Building Regulations drawings show how your extension or loft conversion will be built safely: structure, fire escape, insulation, ventilation, drainage and access. Planning decides whether you may build; this package satisfies building control and gives your builder something to price accurately. It is for London homeowners who have planning permission or an LDC and are ready to move towards construction.
- [Full Design & Documentation Package](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/full-design-documentation-package): The full design and documentation package takes your London extension or loft from first idea to a set of drawings a builder can price and build from: concept design, planning or LDC application, Building Regulations drawings and tender-ready details, coordinated by one practice for one fixed fee. It is for homeowners who want a considered design and a single point of responsibility rather than separate suppliers for each stage.
- [Loft Conversions](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/loft-conversions): A loft conversion adds a bedroom and bathroom to a London terrace or semi without losing garden. We design rear dormers, hip-to-gable, L-shaped dormer and mansard conversions, check them against the 40 m³ and 50 m³ permitted development limits, and prepare the LDC or planning application and Building Regulations drawings for a fixed fee. It is for homeowners across London who want the extra floor done lawfully and safely.
- [House Extensions](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/house-extensions): We design and document single-storey and two-storey rear, side and wraparound extensions for London houses, from the permitted development check through LDC or planning application to Building Regulations drawings, for a fixed fee. It is for homeowners in any London borough who want a bigger kitchen, an extra bedroom or a reorganised ground floor with a clear route to permission.
- [Outbuildings & Garden Rooms](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/outbuildings-garden-rooms): We design and document garden offices, studios, gyms and annexes for London homeowners, and we tell you at the outset whether your outbuilding fits Class E permitted development or needs a planning application. You get a fixed fee, a Lawful Development Certificate or planning submission, and Building Regulations drawings where the size or use requires them.
- [Planning Appeals & Retrospective Applications](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/planning-appeals-retrospective): If a London council has refused your application, served an enforcement notice, or you have built something without permission, we review the position honestly and take the route most likely to succeed: a householder appeal, a revised resubmission, or a retrospective planning application under Section 73A. Fixed fees, plain advice on your chances, and drawings that answer the officer's reasons directly.
- [Commercial to Residential (Class MA)](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/commercial-to-residential-class-ma): Class MA lets you convert offices, shops and other Class E commercial buildings in London into homes through prior approval rather than a full planning application, provided the building and the design meet a defined list of tests. We confirm eligibility, design flats that meet the space and daylight standards, coordinate the transport, noise, contamination and flood reports, and manage the 56-day determination with the council.
- [Feasibility Studies & Pre-Application Advice](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/feasibility-studies-pre-application): A feasibility study tells you what a London site or house can realistically accommodate, what planning policy will allow, and roughly what it will cost, before you buy, borrow or brief a builder. Where the answer is uncertain, we package the options into a pre-application enquiry to the council and interpret the officer's written response for you.
- [Design Review & Second Opinion](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/design-review): If you already have drawings for a London extension, loft or refurbishment, whether from another designer, a builder or an online service, we review them for planning risk, Building Regulations gaps and buildability and give you written feedback within five working days. It is a fixed fee for an honest second opinion before you submit, sign a contract or start on site.
- [For Builders & Contractors](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/for-builders-contractors): We supply London builders, contractors and design-and-build firms with planning and Building Regulations documentation that keeps projects on programme: white-label or co-branded drawings, fast fixed turnarounds, technical coordination with your engineer and building control, and repeat-client pricing. When unauthorised works turn up on site, we handle the retrospective regularisation too.

## Areas served

- [Architectural designers in Barking and Dagenham](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/barking-and-dagenham): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across Barking and Dagenham. Most of our work here is on Becontree cottages and 1930s terraces: single-storey rear extensions, rear dormer lofts, side infills and garden rooms, plus Lawful Development Certificates where a project can be built without a planning application.
- [Architectural designers in Barnet](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/barnet): Magna Studio produces planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across Barnet, London's largest borough by population. The 1930s semi is our bread and butter here: side extensions, two-storey rear extensions and hip-to-gable lofts in Finchley, Hendon, Edgware and Mill Hill, alongside conservation-area work in Hampstead Garden Suburb, Totteridge and Monken Hadley.
- [Architectural designers in Bexley](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/bexley): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Bexley. Most projects here are on 1930s semis in Bexleyheath, Welling, Sidcup and Blackfen: rear extensions, hip-to-gable lofts, side extensions and garden rooms, many of them possible under permitted development with a Lawful Development Certificate.
- [Architectural designers in Brent](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/brent): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across Brent. In the south of the borough that means side-return and rear extensions and rear dormers on the Edwardian terraces of Willesden Green, Kensal Rise and Kilburn; in the north it means side extensions and hip-to-gable lofts on the 1930s semis of Kingsbury, Kenton, Sudbury and Wembley.
- [Architectural designers in Brentwood](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/brentwood): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Brentwood district. Most of our work here is on inter-war and post-war semis and detached houses in Shenfield, Hutton and Pilgrims Hatch and on the larger detached houses of Hutton Mount: rear and side extensions, two-storey side extensions over garages, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers and garden rooms. Most of the district is Green Belt, and Brentwood town centre, Shenfield, Ingatestone and Warley have conservation areas, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Bromley](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/bromley): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Bromley, the capital's largest borough by area. Typical projects are rear and side extensions on 1930s semis in Orpington, West Wickham and Hayes, loft conversions on Edwardian houses in Beckenham and Bickley, garden rooms and annexes on the generous plots of Chislehurst and Petts Wood, and conservation area work in the borough's many protected streets.
- [Architectural designers in Broxbourne](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/broxbourne): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Borough of Broxbourne, including Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Wormley, Turnford, Goffs Oak, Flamstead End and Rye Park. Most of our work here is on the 1930s and post-war semis that dominate Cheshunt and Hoddesdon: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, garage conversions and garden rooms. The Victorian terraces near the Waltham Cross and Hoddesdon centres take side-return extensions and rear dormers, and the large detached houses of Goffs Oak often sit in the Green Belt, so we check the council's constraints map before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Camden](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/camden): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Camden. Most of our work here is on Victorian terraces in Kentish Town, Camden Town, West Hampstead and Gospel Oak: side-return and wraparound extensions, rear dormers and mansard roofs, plus conservation-area applications in Hampstead, Belsize Park, Primrose Hill and Bloomsbury where the design bar is high.
- [Architectural designers in Croydon](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/croydon): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners and small landlords across Croydon, London's most populous southern borough. Typical projects are rear and side extensions on 1930s semis in Purley, Shirley and Coulsdon, loft conversions on Victorian terraces in Addiscombe, South Norwood and Thornton Heath, and commercial-to-residential conversions around the town centre and district high streets.
- [Architectural designers in Dartford](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/dartford): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Dartford district. Most of our work here is on Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Dartford town centre, inter-war semis in Wilmington and Joydens Wood, and post-war houses on the Temple Hill estate: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, garage conversions and garden rooms. North of the A206 the Thames flood zone shapes ground-floor work, the south of the district is Green Belt, and the Ebbsfleet area has its own planning authority, so we check who decides and what constrains the site before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Ealing](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/ealing): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Ealing. Typical projects are two-storey side and rear extensions on Edwardian houses in Ealing and Northfields, side-return infills and rear dormers on Victorian terraces in Acton and Hanwell, and hip-to-gable lofts and wraparounds on the 1930s semis of Greenford, Perivale, Northolt and Southall.
- [Architectural designers in Enfield](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/enfield): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Enfield. The 1930s semi dominates our work here: side and rear extensions, hip-to-gable lofts and wraparounds in Southgate, Oakwood, Winchmore Hill, Bush Hill Park and Enfield Town, alongside side-return infills and rear dormers on the Victorian and Edwardian terraces of Palmers Green, Edmonton and Ponders End.
- [Architectural designers in Epping Forest](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/epping-forest): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Epping Forest district, including Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Epping, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey, Ongar, North Weald, Debden and Roydon. Most of our work here is on the 1930s semis and detached houses of Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, garage conversions and garden rooms. The large detached houses of Chigwell and Theydon Bois often sit in the Green Belt, and the town centres of Epping, Loughton and Waltham Abbey are conservation areas, so we check Epping Forest District Council's constraints map before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Epsom and Ewell](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/epsom-and-ewell): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, from Epsom town centre and Ewell Village out to Stoneleigh, West Ewell, Worcester Park, Langley Vale, Woodcote, Epsom Downs and Horton. Most of our work here is on the 1930s semis that dominate Stoneleigh, West Ewell and Ewell, the inter-war detached houses in Woodcote and around Epsom Downs, and the Victorian houses in Epsom and Ewell Village: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, and garden rooms. A large share of the borough is Green Belt and several centres are conservation areas, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Greenwich](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/greenwich): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Typical projects are side-return and rear extensions on Victorian terraces in Charlton, Plumstead and Westcombe Park, rear dormers and hip-to-gable lofts on Edwardian and interwar houses in Eltham and Kidbrooke, and carefully detailed work in the Blackheath, West Greenwich and Progress Estate conservation areas.
- [Architectural designers in Guildford](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/guildford): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the borough of Guildford in Surrey, from the town centre, Charlotteville and Onslow Village out to Stoughton, Burpham, Merrow, Park Barn, Shalford, Ash, East Horsley, Effingham, Ripley and Send. Most of our work here is on 1930s semis in Stoughton, Burpham and Merrow, Victorian and Edwardian houses around the town centre, and the larger detached houses in East Horsley and Effingham: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, and garden rooms. Most of the borough outside the town is Green Belt and the Surrey Hills lie to the south, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Hackney](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/hackney): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners and landlords across the London Borough of Hackney. Most of our work here is on Victorian terraces in Stoke Newington, Clapton, Dalston, Homerton and Hackney Downs: side-return and wraparound extensions, rear dormers and mansard roofs, flat conversions and Lawful Development Certificates, plus conservation-area applications in De Beauvoir, Clapton Square and Stoke Newington Church Street.
- [Architectural designers in Hammersmith and Fulham](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/hammersmith-and-fulham): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Most of our work here is on Victorian terraces in Fulham, Parsons Green, Brackenbury Village, Brook Green and Shepherd's Bush: side-return and wraparound extensions, rear dormers and mansards, and planning applications for the borough's many conservation areas, where Article 4 directions and a strict basement policy shape what is possible.
- [Architectural designers in Haringey](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/haringey): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners and landlords across the London Borough of Haringey. Much of our work here is on the Victorian and Edwardian terraces of the Harringay Ladder, Tottenham, Stroud Green and Bounds Green: side-return and L-shaped rear extensions, rear dormers and Lawful Development Certificates. In Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Highgate the Edwardian and Georgian houses sit largely in conservation areas, so we design to the local appraisal and submit a full householder application.
- [Architectural designers in Harrow](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/harrow): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Harrow. This is Metroland: the 1930s semi in Rayners Lane, Kenton, North Harrow, Pinner, Stanmore and Harrow Weald dominates our work, with two-storey side extensions, 4–6 m rear extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, and garden rooms. Around Harrow on the Hill and Pinner High Street the older houses sit in conservation areas, and the Green Belt wraps the north of the borough, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Havering](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/havering): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Havering. Most of our work here is on the 1930s semis and inter-war houses of Hornchurch, Elm Park, Upminster, Harold Wood, Collier Row and Gidea Park: rear extensions, two-storey side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers and garden rooms. Around half the borough is Green Belt and the Gidea Park estate has its own Article 4 direction, so we check constraints before advising a permitted development or planning route.
- [Architectural designers in Hemel Hempstead](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/hemel-hempstead): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the town of Hemel Hempstead and the wider Dacorum district, including Boxmoor, the Old Town, Leverstock Green, Adeyfield, Bennetts End, Grovehill, Woodhall Farm, Apsley, Kings Langley, Berkhamsted and Tring. Most of our work here is on the new-town neighbourhoods of the 1950s to 1970s: rear and side extensions, rear-dormer lofts, garage conversions and garden rooms. In Boxmoor and the Old Town the Victorian and Edwardian houses often sit in conservation areas, and Green Belt surrounds the town, so we check Dacorum Borough Council's constraints map before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Hillingdon](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/hillingdon): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Hillingdon. Most of our work here is on the 1930s semis and detached houses of Ruislip, Eastcote, Northwood Hills, Ickenham, Hillingdon and Hayes: rear extensions, two-storey side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts and garden rooms, plus side-return and dormer work on the terraces of Uxbridge, Hayes Town and West Drayton. The Green Belt, Heathrow safeguarding and the council's detailed extensions guidance all shape what we can propose.
- [Architectural designers in Hounslow](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/hounslow): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Hounslow, from Edwardian terraces in Chiswick and Bedford Park to 1930s semis in Heston, Hanworth and Feltham. Typical Hounslow projects are single-storey rear and wraparound extensions, dormer loft conversions, side extensions on suburban semis and garden rooms. We handle the drawings, the submission and the council's questions, for a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Islington](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/islington): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Islington, one of the densest and most heavily designated boroughs in London. Our typical Islington projects are rear and side-return extensions to Georgian and Victorian terraces in Barnsbury, Canonbury and Highbury, mansard and dormer lofts in Holloway and Archway, and basements under larger houses. We also handle Class MA conversions along Upper Street and Holloway Road. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Kensington and Chelsea](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/kensington-and-chelsea): Magna Studio prepares planning, listed building and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the most heavily designated borough in London. Our typical projects here are rear and side-return extensions to stucco and brick terraces in Chelsea and Notting Hill, roof extensions and mansards where the terrace pattern allows, mews house alterations, and single-storey basements under the borough's strict basement policy. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Kingston upon Thames](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/kingston-upon-thames): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Our typical Kingston projects are side and rear extensions to 1930s semis in New Malden, Tolworth and Chessington, dormer and hip-to-gable lofts in Surbiton and Norbiton, and larger two-storey extensions to detached houses in Coombe and Kingston Hill. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Lambeth](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/lambeth): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Lambeth. Our typical Lambeth projects are side-return and rear extensions to Victorian terraces in Brixton, Clapham and Herne Hill, mansard and dormer lofts in Stockwell and Streatham, and rear extensions to 1930s houses in Streatham Vale and West Norwood. We also handle flat conversions and Class MA changes of use along Lambeth's high streets. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Lewisham](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/lewisham): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Lewisham. Our typical Lewisham projects are side-return and rear extensions to Victorian terraces in Brockley, Ladywell and Hither Green, dormer lofts on Edwardian houses in Forest Hill and Sydenham, side extensions on 1930s semis in Grove Park and Downham, and sensitive alterations to Georgian houses in Blackheath. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Merton](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/merton): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Merton. Our typical Merton projects are rear and side-return extensions to Victorian terraces in Colliers Wood and South Wimbledon, dormer lofts on Edwardian houses in Wimbledon Park and Raynes Park, side extensions on 1930s semis in Morden and Mitcham, and larger two-storey extensions on Wimbledon Hill. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Newham](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/newham): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners and landlords across the London Borough of Newham. Most of our work here is on the Victorian and Edwardian terraces of Forest Gate, Manor Park, East Ham, Upton Park, Plaistow and Stratford: side-return and L-shaped rear extensions, rear dormers, Lawful Development Certificates and, because of the borough-wide Article 4 direction, planning applications for houses in multiple occupation. On the Woodgrange Estate and in the other conservation areas we design to the appraisal and submit a full householder application.
- [Architectural designers in Redbridge](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/redbridge): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Redbridge. Most of our work here is on 1930s semis in Gants Hill, Barkingside, Newbury Park and Clayhall and on Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Ilford, Seven Kings and Goodmayes: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, garage conversions and garden rooms. Around Wanstead and Woodford the larger Victorian and Edwardian houses often sit in conservation areas, and the north of the borough is Green Belt, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Reigate and Banstead](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/reigate-and-banstead): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, from Reigate and Redhill to Banstead, Tadworth, Nork, Kingswood, Chipstead, Merstham, Earlswood and Horley. Most of our work here is on 1930s semis in Nork, Banstead, Earlswood and Merstham, Victorian and Edwardian houses in the Reigate and Redhill centres, and the larger detached houses on Reigate Hill and in Kingswood and Chipstead: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, and garden rooms. Most of the borough is Green Belt and the North Downs are within the Surrey Hills, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Richmond upon Thames](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/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.
- [Architectural designers in Sevenoaks](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/sevenoaks): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Sevenoaks district. Most of our work here is on the large detached and Edwardian houses of Sevenoaks town, 1930s and post-war semis in Swanley and Hextable, and village houses in Otford, Kemsing, Westerham and Edenbridge: rear and side extensions, two-storey extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers and garden rooms. Most of the district is Green Belt, much of it sits in the Kent Downs National Landscape, and there are dozens of conservation areas and many listed buildings, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Slough](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/slough): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners and landlords across Slough. Most of our work here is on the 1930s semis of Cippenham, Langley and Upton and on Victorian terraces in Chalvey and around the town centre: rear and side extensions, two-storey side extensions over garages, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, garage conversions and garden rooms, plus layouts for flats and office-to-residential conversions near the station. Green Belt wraps the north and west of the borough, the Jubilee River and Colne Brook bring flood zones, and parts of Colnbrook and Langley sit under Heathrow's flight paths, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Southwark](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/southwark): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Southwark. Our typical Southwark projects are side-return and rear extensions to Victorian terraces in Peckham, Camberwell and Nunhead, dormer lofts on Edwardian houses in East Dulwich and Herne Hill, and extensions to houses on the Dulwich Estate where the estate's own approval is needed alongside planning. We also handle Class MA conversions along Southwark's high streets. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in St Albans](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/st-albans): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the city of St Albans and the wider district, including Harpenden, Marshalswick, Fleetville, Bernards Heath, London Colney, Redbourn, Wheathampstead, Park Street and Bricket Wood. Most of our work here is on Edwardian and inter-war semis in Fleetville and Marshalswick and on the larger detached houses of Harpenden: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts, garage conversions and garden rooms. In the city centre the Georgian and Victorian houses sit inside a very large conservation area, and most of the district is Green Belt, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Sutton](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/sutton): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Sutton, a borough dominated by 1930s semis where side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts and garden rooms are the standard family-home upgrade. We also work on Victorian and Edwardian houses in Carshalton and Sutton town and larger detached homes in Carshalton Beeches and Cheam. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Tower Hamlets](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/tower-hamlets): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners, leaseholders and landlords across the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Most of our work here is on Victorian terraces in Bow, Mile End, Stepney Green and Bethnal Green: rear and side-return extensions, mansard roofs and rear dormers, and flat conversions. Around Tredegar Square, Victoria Park, Driffield Road and Spitalfields the houses sit in conservation areas, often with Article 4 directions and listed buildings, and roughly four in five homes in the borough are flats with no householder permitted development rights, so we check the route before drawing.
- [Architectural designers in Waltham Forest](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/waltham-forest): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Most of our work here is on Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone: side-return and rear extensions, rear dormers and L-shaped lofts, and garden rooms, plus 1930s semis in Chingford and Highams Park with two-storey side extensions and hip-to-gable lofts. Walthamstow's Warner half-houses are flats rather than houses, so they have no permitted development rights, and Walthamstow Village, Bushwood and the Epping Forest edge bring conservation area and open space constraints that we check before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Wandsworth](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/wandsworth): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the London Borough of Wandsworth. Our typical Wandsworth projects are side-return and rear extensions to Victorian terraces between the Commons and in Tooting, mansard and dormer lofts in Putney and Balham, and rear extensions to the Edwardian semis of the Southfields Grid. We also handle basements and two-storey extensions on larger houses around Putney Heath and Wandsworth Common. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Watford](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/watford): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the town of Watford, from Nascot and Cassiobury in the west to Leavesden, Garston and Meriden in the north and Oxhey in the south. Most of our work here is on Edwardian and inter-war semis and terraces: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, garage conversions and garden rooms. The large inter-war detached houses of the Cassiobury Estate and the Victorian villas of Nascot often sit in conservation areas, so we check Watford Borough Council's constraints map before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Westminster](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/westminster): Magna Studio prepares planning, listed building and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the City of Westminster. Our typical Westminster projects are rear extensions to stucco terraces in Pimlico and Bayswater, mews house alterations in Marylebone and Belgravia, mansards and roof extensions where the terrace allows, internal alterations to mansion flats, and single-storey basements under the council's strict policy. Every quote is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.
- [Architectural designers in Windsor and Maidenhead](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/windsor-and-maidenhead): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Most of our work here is on Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas in Windsor and central Maidenhead, 1930s semis in Cox Green, Furze Platt and Dedworth, and the larger detached houses of Ascot, Sunningdale and Bray: rear and side extensions, two-storey extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers and garden rooms. Most of the borough is Green Belt, Windsor, Eton, Cookham and Bray have conservation areas and listed buildings, and the Thames brings flood zones through Maidenhead, Cookham and Datchet, so we check constraints before choosing a route.
- [Architectural designers in Woking](https://magnastudio.co.uk/areas/woking): Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners across the borough of Woking in Surrey, from the town centre and Maybury out to Horsell, Knaphill, St John's, Hook Heath, West Byfleet, Byfleet, Pyrford, Goldsworth Park, Sheerwater and Brookwood. Most of our work here is on Edwardian and inter-war semis in Horsell and West Byfleet, 1930s semis in Knaphill and Byfleet, and the larger detached houses on Hook Heath and in Pyrford: rear and side extensions, hip-to-gable lofts with rear dormers, and garden rooms. Green Belt wraps the built-up area and several villages are conservation areas, so we check constraints before choosing a route.

## Guides

- [Architectural designer vs architect: what's the difference and which do you need?](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/architectural-designer-vs-architect): In the UK "architect" is a protected title reserved for people on the Architects Registration Board register; other building designers use titles such as architectural designer or architectural technologist. The work is not reserved: planning applications, Lawful Development Certificates and Building Regulations drawings can be prepared by any competent designer, and councils assess the drawings, not the title. For an extension, loft or outbuilding you do not need a registered architect; you need someone who knows your council's rules and draws what a builder can build. We are architectural designers, not registered architects.
- [Planning permission or a Lawful Development Certificate: which one do you need?](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/planning-permission-vs-lawful-development-certificate): They answer different questions. Planning permission is the council's approval for work that is not automatically allowed; a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) is the council's confirmation that your work is already allowed under permitted development. If your extension, loft or outbuilding sits within the national permitted development limits and your property is a house outside a conservation area or Article 4 direction, an LDC is the right route: £264, up to 8 weeks, and a document lenders and buyers accept. If any of those conditions fail, you need a householder planning application at £528, also decided within 8 weeks. Flats always need planning permission.
- [What drawings do you need for a planning application? The complete set explained](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/what-drawings-do-i-need-for-planning): Every council in England requires the same core set for a householder application: a location plan at 1:1250 with the site edged red, a block plan at 1:500, existing and proposed floor plans and elevations of every affected side, and a section where roof form or levels change, all to a stated scale with a north point. Add the application form, the £528 fee, a Community Infrastructure Levy form where the council asks for it, and a design and access or heritage statement in conservation areas or on listed buildings. Each council's local validation checklist can add items such as a daylight or tree survey, and a missing item stops the clock before assessment begins.
- [How much does an architect cost for a loft conversion in London?](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/architect-cost-loft-conversion-london): For a London loft conversion the design fee is set by the roof form: a rear dormer sits at the bottom of the range, a hip-to-gable in the middle and a mansard at the top, with ballpark figures for each in the table below. A Building Regulations package typically adds 110–140% of that planning fee. Council fees (£264 for a Lawful Development Certificate, £528 for a householder application), the structural engineer and any party wall surveyor are separate, and the quote tool gives you an indicative figure for your own loft.
- [Class MA office-to-residential conversions in London: a practical guide](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/class-ma-office-to-residential-london): Class MA is a permitted development right that lets a Class E building (offices, shops, services) change to C3 homes through prior approval rather than full planning. The building must have been in Class E for two years and vacant for three months, floorspace is capped at 1,500 m² (verify: the rules changed in 2024), the council fee is £250 per new home and the decision period is 56 days. Prior approval tests cover transport, contamination, flooding, noise, natural light and space standards, and Article 4 directions remove the right across much of central London, so check the site before you buy.
- [Conservation areas in London: what they mean for your extension or loft](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/conservation-areas-london-extension-loft): A conservation area does not stop you extending, but it narrows your options. Roof extensions such as dormers lose permitted development rights automatically, side extensions and cladding are excluded, and many London boroughs add Article 4 directions that remove rear-extension rights too, so most work needs a householder application (8 weeks, £528). The council then judges whether the design preserves or enhances the area's character, which usually means subordinate massing, matching brick and traditional window proportions.
- [Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in London (2026)?](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/do-i-need-planning-permission-rear-extension-london): Often not. A single-storey rear extension on a London house is usually permitted development if it projects no more than 3 m (terraced or semi-detached) or 4 m (detached), stays under 4 m high and uses similar materials. Go to 6 m or 8 m under the larger home extension route and you need prior approval (42 days, £120 council fee). You need a full householder application (8 weeks, £528) if the property is a flat or maisonette, sits in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction, is listed, or the design exceeds the limits.
- [Householder planning applications in London: fees, timelines and process](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/householder-planning-applications-london): A householder planning application is the route for extending or altering a single house when permitted development does not cover the work. In England the council fee is £528 and the statutory decision period is 8 weeks from validation. You will need existing and proposed plans, elevations, a site location plan, a block plan and usually a short design statement; in London boroughs such as Camden, Richmond and Wandsworth, conservation-area or daylight considerations often shape the design before you submit.
- [Permitted development rights in London: what's allowed and where it's removed](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/permitted-development-rights-london): Permitted development (PD) lets you extend a house, convert the loft or build an outbuilding without a planning application, provided you stay within national limits: 3 m or 4 m rear extensions, 40 m³ or 50 m³ of extra roof volume, outbuildings up to 2.5 m high near a boundary. In London the rights are removed or narrowed more often than elsewhere in England: flats and maisonettes have no householder PD, conservation areas block roof extensions, and many boroughs use Article 4 directions to remove specific classes. Check the council's constraints map before relying on PD.
- [How to prepare for a pre-application advice meeting with your London council](https://magnastudio.co.uk/guides/pre-application-advice-london-council): Pre-application advice is a paid, non-binding service where a planning officer reviews your proposal before you submit. Prepare a site location plan, existing and proposed sketch drawings, photographs and a one-page brief that names the policies you think apply and the questions you want answered. In London boroughs such as Camden, Islington and Richmond, a pre-app is most useful for conservation-area schemes, two-storey extensions, basements and Class MA conversions, where the officer's steer can save a refusal and a 4–6 month appeal.

## Optional

- [Get an instant estimate](https://magnastudio.co.uk/quote)
- [Planning documentation](https://magnastudio.co.uk/services/planning-documentation)
- [FAQ](https://magnastudio.co.uk/faq)
- [Example projects](https://magnastudio.co.uk/projects)
- [Planning facts by council (HTML)](https://magnastudio.co.uk/planning-facts)
- [Planning facts by council (JSON)](https://magnastudio.co.uk/planning-facts.json)
- [About](https://magnastudio.co.uk/about)
- [Careers](https://magnastudio.co.uk/careers)