Single-storey, double-storey, rear and side-return extension drawings across all 6 North London boroughs — Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. Householder approval here averages 87%, ranging from 86% in Enfield to 88% in Camden, and the council deciding yours sets what you can build.
The permitted-development rules for extensions are national, but the answer you get in North London is local. 6 councils — Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest — read the same rules against their own local plans, their own rear-garden and daylight policies, and their own street character. The 2-point spread between Camden and Enfield in the table below is that difference made visible.
The stock decides the shape. North London is built largely from 1930s semi-detached houses, Georgian and Victorian terraces, interwar semi-detached houses, Victorian and Edwardian terraces, Georgian and early-Victorian terraces and dense Victorian terraces, and the extension that works follows from it: a side-return infill where terraces have a narrow alley beside the back addition, a straight single-storey rear where there is a full-width garden, a wraparound where both exist. Depth is where applications fail — the single-storey rear limits (3 metres on a terrace or semi, 4 on a detached house, or 6 and 8 under the larger-home prior-approval route) are counted from the original rear wall, not the one standing today.
Then the designations. North London holds conservation areas including Hampstead Garden Suburb, Mill Hill and Monken Hadley, where extension permitted-development rights are curtailed and materials are assessed, and 6 of its 6 boroughs add Article 4 directions street by street. Neither follows a borough boundary, which is why we check the address itself before drawing, and why the regional average is context rather than a prediction.
Camden grants the highest share of householder applications in North London at 88%, Enfield the lowest at 86%, against a regional average of 87%. Rates are the share of householder decisions granted, from official planning statistics. Read each alongside the borough's stock and Article 4 position — a high rate reflects what gets submitted as much as who decides it.
| Borough | Householder approval rate | Article 4 directions? | Dominant housing stock | Extension it supports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | 88% | Yes — street-level check needed | Georgian and Victorian terraces | Side-return or wraparound infill |
| Haringey | 88% | Yes — street-level check needed | Victorian and Edwardian terraces | Side-return or wraparound infill |
| Islington | 88% | Yes — street-level check needed | Georgian and early-Victorian terraces | Side-return or wraparound infill |
| Waltham Forest | 88% | Yes — street-level check needed | dense Victorian terraces | Side-return or wraparound infill |
| Barnet | 86% | Yes — street-level check needed | 1930s semi-detached houses | Single-storey rear, side infill available |
| Enfield | 86% | Yes — street-level check needed | interwar semi-detached houses | Single-storey rear, side infill available |
Source: MHCLG householder decision statistics per local planning authority, covering Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. Conservation-area and Article 4 status is street-specific — we confirm yours on your address before drawing.
We draw the depth from the original rear wall, the daylight line to next door and the boundary relationships every North London case officer checks first — then tune the pack to the borough deciding it, whether that is prior approval, a certificate or a full householder application.
Tell us about your project and get a fixed, no-obligation quote back within one working day. If you don't need planning permission at all, we'll tell you that too — for free.
Each North London council decides against its own local plan and its own housing stock. What that means where you are:
Barnet grants a strong share of householder applications, but its Garden Suburb and Metroland conservation areas apply detailed roof- and frontage-design controls that shape loft and extension schemes. Extensions here go onto 1930s semi-detached houses, Hampstead Garden Suburb cottages and houses and postwar and detached homes. Drawn to Barnet Local Plan and the Residential Design Guidance SPD.
Camden approves the large majority of householder applications, though its basement policy and dense conservation coverage are the decisive constraints on many schemes. Extensions here go onto Georgian and Victorian terraces, purpose-built mansion flats and converted period flats. Drawn to Camden Local Plan and the Camden Planning Guidance (CPG) on home improvements.
Enfield grants a solid majority of householder applications, though Green Belt in the north and the symmetry of paired semis constrain what gets approved on many streets. Extensions here go onto interwar semi-detached houses, Edwardian terraces and larger detached houses on the Green Belt fringe. Drawn to Enfield Local Plan and the Enfield Design Guide SPD.
Haringey approves a clear majority of householder applications, with terrace party-wall relationships and the HMO Article 4 the most frequent sticking points. Extensions here go onto Victorian and Edwardian terraces, large Edwardian houses in Muswell Hill and converted period flats. Drawn to Haringey Local Plan and the borough's Alterations and Extensions SPD.
Islington grants most householder applications, with blanket conservation-area coverage the single biggest factor shaping what can actually be built. Extensions here go onto Georgian and early-Victorian terraces, converted flats and maisonettes and Victorian villas. Drawn to Islington Local Plan and the Urban Design Guide SPD.
Waltham Forest approves most householder applications, with the borough-wide HMO Article 4 and tight terrace spacing the leading constraints on new work. Extensions here go onto dense Victorian terraces, Edwardian terraces and warehouse and industrial conversions. Drawn to Waltham Forest Local Plan (LP1 Shaping the Borough) and the council's householder alterations and extensions guidance.
It depends on your borough and your street, not the region. Across North London a modest single-storey rear extension within the permitted-development depth limits is often lawful. You will normally need a full application if any of these apply:
One process, tuned per council — most drawings are submission-ready within seven days of survey, in any of the 6 boroughs.
Give us your North London postcode. We identify which of the 6 councils decides it, confirm conservation and Article 4 status on your street, and score your odds against that borough's live record — not the 87% regional average.
We measure the original rear wall, boundary distances, levels and the neighbouring windows — the numbers the depth calculation and daylight assessment depend on.
Chartered designers develop the rear, side-return or wraparound your plot supports, drawn inside the permitted-development limits or to the deciding council's extension guidance.
We submit, manage validation and case-officer queries with that borough, and revise the drawings free until the decision is issued.
On the published record Camden grants the largest share of householder applications in North London at 88%, against a 87% regional average and 86% in Enfield. Read it as context, not a verdict — the figures reflect what applicants submit as much as how councils decide, and a complete, policy-literate drawing pack shifts your odds much further than your postcode does.
Often not. A single-storey rear extension within 3 metres on a terrace or semi, or 4 metres on a detached house, under 4 metres high and covering less than half the original garden, is usually permitted development anywhere in North London. Depths of 6 or 8 metres need prior approval. The exceptions hold across all 6 boroughs: flats, conservation areas such as Hampstead Garden Suburb, Mill Hill and Monken Hadley, and streets under Article 4.
The permitted-development rules are national and identical. The overlay is not: 6 of North London's 6 boroughs apply Article 4 directions on named streets, each council publishes its own extension and rear-garden guidance, and conservation-area coverage varies widely between them. That is how an identical drawing can be lawful in one borough and refused in its neighbour.
Three metres from the original rear wall on a terraced or semi-detached house, four on a detached one — and critically, "original" means the house as first built, so an existing rear addition already spends part of that allowance. Six and eight metres respectively are possible through the larger-home extension prior-approval route, which every North London council operates but which triggers a neighbour-consultation period.
Every council in North London works to the same statutory targets: eight weeks for a householder application, and 42 days for larger-home prior approval. Validation delay is the real variable and the one you control — an incomplete pack can burn weeks before the clock starts. We submit validation-complete drawings and manage the case-officer queries.
Every plot differs, so we quote each project individually — a fixed, no-obligation price back within one working day, wherever in North London you are. The quote covers the full drawing pack with free revisions until the council approves, and we tell you upfront whether your extension qualifies as permitted development. Call 020 7864 7245 to start.
Answer five quick questions and get a free planning score for your exact address — instantly. Then, if you want the full picture, unlock the detailed analysis: your council's live approval rates, local precedents, constraints on your street and a step-by-step route to permission.
Every borough we cover in North London — with that council's own approval rate, policies and drawing requirements.