Planning Statements for London Extensions: What to Include and Why They Matter

• **When mandatory:**
• A Design and Access Statement is legally required for:
• •Applications for dwellings (including new-build dwellings of any size)
• •Applications in World Heritage Sites, conservation areas, and other designated areas where the LPA requires one
• •Listed building consent applications
• •Some larger residential alterations where the LPA's validation requirements specify it

**When a supporting statement adds value (even if not mandatory):** For any householder application in London — particularly in conservation areas, where neighbour objections are anticipated, where there is planning history, or where the proposal is at the boundary of what policy normally allows — submitting a clear planning supporting statement substantially improves the quality of the officer's assessment.

• A planning statement that:
• •Shows the officer that the applicant understands the relevant planning policies
• •Addresses potential concerns before they are raised
• •Provides context (why the extension is needed, what alternatives were considered)
• •Specifically addresses conservation area character and impact where applicable
• •Explains how the design has been developed to respond to the site constraints and policies

...is far more persuasive than a set of drawings submitted with no accompanying explanation.

A planning statement for a typical London householder extension should include the following sections:

• **1. Introduction and site description:**
• •The address and a brief description of the existing property and its immediate context
• •The property's planning history (any previous applications or designations — confirm from the planning register)
• •The site's designation (conservation area, Article 4 direction, listed building, flood zone, etc.)

• **2. Description of proposed development:**
• •A clear summary of what is proposed — extension type, dimensions, number of floors, materials
• •Reference to which drawings accompany the application (drawing numbers and titles)

• **3. Planning policy context:**
• •The relevant national policy (the National Planning Policy Framework — NPPF — and its policies on sustainable development, housing, and design quality)
• •The relevant London Plan policies (particularly those on housing quality, design, and character)
• •The relevant Local Plan policies for the specific borough (typically covering residential extensions, conservation areas, and design quality)

• For householder applications, the most commonly relevant policies are those covering:
• •The character and appearance of the area
• •Impact on neighbouring amenity (daylight, sunlight, overlooking, overbearing impact)
• •Design quality and materials
• •Conservation area character (if applicable)

• **4. Assessment against policy:**
• This is the core of the statement. For each relevant policy, the statement should explain:
• •How the proposal complies with the policy
• •Or, if it doesn't fully comply, why the circumstances justify an exception

• Key areas to address:
• •**Character:** How does the proposed design respect or complement the character of the area? In a conservation area, this should specifically reference the conservation area character appraisal and explain which materials and design elements respond to the identified character
• •**Neighbouring amenity:** Does the proposal cause material loss of daylight or sunlight to neighbouring habitable rooms? (Reference BRE guidance if a daylight/sunlight assessment has been carried out.) Does it create new overlooking?
• •**The 45-degree test:** Many London boroughs use a '45-degree rule' to assess overbearing impact. If the extension falls within the 45-degree angle from a neighbouring habitable room window, address this
• •**Previously approved works:** If there are comparable schemes approved nearby or previously at the property, reference these as established precedent

**5. Conclusion:** A brief conclusion summarising why the proposal is acceptable and should be approved, with a clear statement that planning permission is sought.

**Length and tone:** A planning statement for a standard householder application should be clear, concise, and policy-referenced — typically 3–6 pages. It should not be adversarial, but it should be confident and direct in making the case for the proposal.

In a conservation area, the planning statement takes on additional importance because the design decisions — materials, roof form, window proportions, relationship to the street scene — are assessed against the conservation area character appraisal and the presumption in favour of preserving or enhancing the character of the area.

• A conservation area planning statement should:
• •Reference the specific conservation area character appraisal (each London borough produces these; they are available on the council's website) and identify the key character elements the area appraisal describes
• •Explain how the proposed design responds to these key elements — materials, scale, massing, roof form, window design
• •Address any departures from the character appraisal's recommendations with a specific justification
• •Include a 'heritage impact assessment' where the Listed Building or conservation area designation makes the impact on significance a relevant consideration

For applications in conservation areas where the proposal includes any element that departs from the character appraisal's guidance, appointing a specialist planning consultant or heritage consultant to prepare the planning statement is often worthwhile — the additional investment (typically £800–£2,500 for a heritage planning statement) is small relative to the risk of refusal and the cost of an appeal.