Enfield's policy DMD 13 states how far a dormer must sit in from the eaves, ridge and edges. We draw the insets on the section before the officer asks for them.
Photo: Bill Boaden, BY-SA 2.0
Policy DMD 13 in the Development Management Document of November 2014 is short and exact. A roof extension to a house is permitted only if it meets all the listed criteria. It must be of an appropriate size and location within the roof plane, and, for dormers, inset from the eaves, ridge and edges of the roof, with insets normally between 500 and 750 millimetres. It must also be in keeping with the property and not dominant when viewed from the surrounding area.
The policy has two further clauses. A roof extension to the side of a property must not disrupt the character or balance of the property or of the pair or group of which it forms part. Roof dormers on front-facing roofs will generally only be permitted if they do not materially affect the character of the area and are not dominant or intrusive when viewed from the surrounding area.
So a typical Enfield rear dormer on an interwar semi passes the policy when it sits inside the roof plane with the 500 to 750 millimetre margins on all sides, and a hip-to-gable that changes the side of a pair has to answer the balance clause. Class B of the permitted development order has its own limits, 40 cubic metres on a terrace and 50 on other houses, and where the scheme fits them no application is needed.
Three clauses of the policy decide how an Enfield loft is drawn.
| DMD 13 clause | What it says | On our drawings |
|---|---|---|
| Dormer insets | Inset from eaves, ridge and edges, normally 500 to 750 mm | Insets dimensioned on the rear elevation and section |
| Side roof extension | Must not disrupt the balance of the property or pair or group | Pair shown on the elevation |
| Front dormer | Generally only if no material effect on the area's character | Street elevation drawn, rear option offered |
Enfield Council, Development Management Document, policy DMD 13, adopted November 2014.
The fee includes our measured visit. The bracketed figure applies if you already have measured drawings.
Enfield has 22 conservation areas. Its conservation page says the council may issue an Article 4 direction to protect particularly important features, which means a planning application for certain works that would not normally need one. Class B does not apply in a conservation area, so a dormer there always needs an application, and the direction wording for your street is the next thing we read.
For example, a semi in Southgate that sits outside every conservation area and keeps the dormer within 50 cubic metres, below the ridge and off the street slope can be proved lawful with a certificate. The same house with a dormer that wraps over the hip needs a full application, and DMD 13 is then the test.
Enfield's CIL charging schedule, effective 1 April 2016, sets three residential zones, with a nil rate at Meridian Water. A loft inside the existing roof does not add floor area outside the building in the usual way, so we confirm the position at survey. Enfield decided 920 householder applications in the year to June 2026 with prior approvals set aside, 851 inside 8 weeks.
Every figure is linked to the page or document we read.
Enfield's policy DMD 13 (November 2014) says roof dormers should be inset from the eaves, ridge and edges of the roof, with insets normally between 500 and 750 millimetres.
Source: Enfield Council, Development Management Document, policy DMD 13DMD 13 says a roof extension to the side of a property must not disrupt the character or balance of the property or of the pair or group it forms part of.
Source: Enfield Council, Development Management Document, policy DMD 13Enfield has 22 conservation areas, and may issue an Article 4 direction to protect important features within them.
Source: Enfield Council, Conservation areasEnfield's CIL charging schedule took effect on 1 April 2016 and sets 3 residential rate zones, with a nil rate in the Meridian Water masterplan area.
Source: Enfield Council, Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule, April 2016Enfield decided 920 householder applications between July 2025 and June 2026, prior approvals excluded, and 851 of them were decided within 8 weeks.
Source: MHCLG, Planning application statistics PS2, July 2025 to June 2026Class B permits a roof extension of up to 40 cubic metres on a terraced house and 50 cubic metres in any other case.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class BTell 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.
Policy DMD 13 says dormers should be inset from the eaves, ridge and edges of the roof, and that the insets should normally be between 500 and 750 millimetres. The dormer must also be in keeping with the house and not dominant from the surrounding area.
Only if it does not disrupt the character or balance of the property or the pair or group of properties it forms part of. On a semi this usually rules out a side extension that makes one half of the pair look different from the other.
Generally only if they do not materially affect the character of the area and are not dominant or intrusive when seen from the surrounding area. On a street of uniform roofs a rear dormer is the safer design.
Yes. Class B does not apply in a conservation area, and Enfield may also have an Article 4 direction on the street. Its conservation page links the directions, so the wording for your address can be checked.
£765 inc survey (£565 if you supply measured drawings) for a rear dormer. That covers the measured survey, the drawings and the submission, with free revisions until the council decides. Enfield's own application fee is separate.
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