Dormer, hip-to-gable and mansard loft conversion drawings for Gillingham homes — prepared to Dorset Council's design guidance, delivered in days and revised free until your decision lands, with a free approval-odds score first.
Dorset Council granted 95% of the householder planning decisions it made in its latest published year — 8 points above the 87% England-wide householder average. Gillingham contains Colesbrook Conservation Area, Gillingham Conservation Area, Kington Magna Conservation Area 1 conservation areas (Colesbrook Conservation Area designated 2017), so materials, fenestration and roof form are assessed against the appraisal, which is where a policy-literate drawing pack earns its keep. Its dominant Victorian (1837–1901) housing stock sets the design brief on most streets.
Under Class B, a rear dormer stays permitted development up to 40m³ of added roof volume on a terrace or 50m³ on a semi-detached or detached house, while Class A allows a single-storey rear extension of 3m beyond the original rear wall on a terrace and 4m on a detached house before a full application is needed. Gillingham carries at least one Article 4 direction, and conservation areas including Colesbrook Conservation Area, Gillingham Conservation Area and Kington Magna Conservation Area 1 remove those rights outright, so we confirm your exact address before a line is drawn. A validated householder application in Gillingham is determined against an 8-week statutory target.
Colesbrook (conservation area designated in 2017), Gillingham (conservation area designated in 1985), Kington Magna Conservation Area 1 (conservation area designated in 1995), Kington Magna Conservation Area 2 (conservation area designated in 1995), Milton on Stour (conservation area designated in 1995), Motcombe (conservation area designated in 1995), West Stour Conservation Area 1 (conservation area designated in 1995), West Stour Conservation Area 2 (conservation area designated in 1995), Wyke Conservation Area (Gillingham) (conservation area designated in 2012), Bourton (civil parish within Gillingham), Buckhorn Weston (civil parish within Gillingham), Motcombe (civil parish within Gillingham), Silton (civil parish within Gillingham), Kington Magna (civil parish within Gillingham) and West Stour (civil parish within Gillingham) — these are the Gillingham pockets our drawings cover most. Heritage designations here include Colesbrook Conservation Area, Gillingham Conservation Area, Kington Magna Conservation Area 1, Kington Magna Conservation Area 2, Milton on Stour Conservation Area, Motcombe Conservation Area, West Stour Conservation Area 1, West Stour Conservation Area 2 and Wyke Conservation Area (Gillingham). Dorset Council weighs each proposal against Dorset Council's adopted local plan and its householder design guidance, where the 7,160 homes here are 18% 2000-2008, 16% pre-1900, 15% 1993-1999, which is what sets the realistic roof and rear-projection options. On roofs the borough is trussed-rafter roofs typical of 2000s building and steeply pitched slate roofs, valley gutters and party parapets typical of pre-1900 building, over 2000s houses and apartments (18% of 7,160 homes), Victorian and earlier houses (16%) and 1990s estate houses (15%).
Gillingham's designated heritage is specific, and it is the first thing we check against your address: Colesbrook (conservation area designated in 2017), Gillingham (conservation area designated in 1985), Kington Magna Conservation Area 1 (conservation area designated in 1995), Kington Magna Conservation Area 2 (conservation area designated in 1995), Milton on Stour (conservation area designated in 1995), Motcombe (conservation area designated in 1995), West Stour Conservation Area 1 (conservation area designated in 1995), West Stour Conservation Area 2 (conservation area designated in 1995) and Wyke Conservation Area (Gillingham) (conservation area designated in 2012). Inside those boundaries permitted development is curtailed and Dorset Council assesses materials, window detail and roof form against the area's own appraisal, so a scheme that would be waved through two streets away can need a full application here.
Beyond the designated areas, Gillingham takes in Bourton, Buckhorn Weston, Motcombe, Silton, Kington Magna and West Stour. Dorset Council has 77 recorded Article 4 directions — check the address before assuming PD applies in Gillingham.
On stock, Gillingham is 2000s houses and apartments (18% of 7,160 homes), Victorian and earlier houses (16%) and 1990s estate houses (15%) — which is why trussed-rafter roofs typical of 2000s building and steeply pitched slate roofs, valley gutters and party parapets typical of pre-1900 building govern what a loft or rear projection can realistically be. Dorset Council decided 1,261 householder applications in the latest published year and granted 95%, with 78% issued inside the eight-week target. Those are the numbers our drawings are prepared against.
The full build-period split for Gillingham runs pre-1900 16% (1,110 homes), 1900-1918 2% (130 homes), 1919-1929 3% (190 homes), 1930-1939 1% (90 homes), 1945-1954 4% (290 homes), 1955-1964 3% (200 homes), 1965-1972 6% (460 homes), 1973-1982 12% (840 homes), 1983-1992 13% (960 homes), 1993-1999 15% (1,040 homes) and 2000-2008 18% (1,280 homes). That distribution is why pre-1900 detailing dominates the drawings here, and it is measured from council-tax records rather than assumed from the street name.
Dorset Council also decides for Beacon, Beaminster, Blackmore Vale, Blandford, Chalk Valleys, Charminster St Mary's, Chickerell and Cranborne & Alderholt, so a decision in Gillingham sits inside a wider pattern of decisions we track across the same authority — useful when an officer cites a precedent from the next area over.
The Article 4 directions recorded for this council include 1-3 The Lane, Kingston, Corfe Castle, 10 Cornwall Road, Swanage, 6 Burlington Road, Swanage and Avon Castle & Matchams Park Estate. Each removes a specific permitted-development right inside its own boundary, which is why the check is done on the address rather than on the town.
Published figures for Gillingham and Dorset Council. These are the numbers that decide what is realistic on your street, so we work from them rather than from national averages.
| Measure | Gillingham |
|---|---|
| Dwellings recorded | 7,160 |
| Built pre-1900 | 1,110 (16%) |
| Built 1900-1918 | 130 (2%) |
| Built 1919-1929 | 190 (3%) |
| Built 1930-1939 | 90 (1%) |
| Built 1945-1954 | 290 (4%) |
| Built 1955-1964 | 200 (3%) |
| Built 1965-1972 | 460 (6%) |
| Built 1973-1982 | 840 (12%) |
| Built 1983-1992 | 960 (13%) |
| Built 1993-1999 | 1,040 (15%) |
| Built 2000-2008 | 1,280 (18%) |
| Built before 1919 | 17% |
| Built 1919–1939 | 4% |
| Built 1945–2008 | 71% |
| Conservation areas in Gillingham | 9 (Colesbrook Conservation Area, Gillingham Conservation Area…) |
| Conservation areas district-wide | 311 |
| Article 4 directions recorded | 77 |
| Householder applications decided | 1,261 |
| Householder applications granted | 95% |
| Decided within 8 weeks | 78% |
Dwelling stock from VOA council-tax data at 31 March 2025; conservation-area and Article 4 counts from planning.data.gov.uk (MHCLG); decision figures are Dorset Council's own, from MHCLG live table PS2 for the year to 31 March 2026.
Gillingham's roofs set the brief. The borough is built largely from 2000s houses and apartments (18% of 7,160 homes), Victorian and earlier houses (16%) and 1990s estate houses (15%), and its lofts sit under trussed-rafter roofs typical of 2000s building and steeply pitched slate roofs, valley gutters and party parapets typical of pre-1900 building — the geometry that decides whether a rear dormer, a hip-to-gable or a mansard gives you the headroom you want. Dorset Council assesses loft proposals against Dorset Council's adopted local plan and its householder design guidance, and its case officers read each roof against the pair next door and the wider street before they read the plans.
That makes drawing quality decisive. We measure ridge and eaves heights, roof pitch and the existing stair, calculate the added volume against the permitted-development limits exactly, and show the workings on the drawings so Dorset Council can verify them. Gillingham contains Colesbrook Conservation Area, Gillingham Conservation Area, Kington Magna Conservation Area 1 conservation areas (Colesbrook Conservation Area designated 2017), so materials, fenestration and roof form are assessed against the appraisal, so we resolve it on the page rather than leave it for the case officer to raise.
Gillingham also carries protected streets — Colesbrook Conservation Area, Gillingham Conservation Area, Kington Magna Conservation Area 1, Kington Magna Conservation Area 2, Milton on Stour Conservation Area, Motcombe Conservation Area, West Stour Conservation Area 1, West Stour Conservation Area 2 and Wyke Conservation Area (Gillingham) among them. Dorset Council has 77 recorded Article 4 directions — check the address before assuming PD applies in Gillingham. We check your address against those designations before a line is drawn.
Many Gillingham loft conversions proceed without planning permission — a rear dormer within the permitted-development volume limits (40 cubic metres on a terrace, 50 on a semi or detached house) is usually lawful. You will normally need a full application to Dorset Council if any of these apply:
We draw the roof line, the ridge height and the neighbour's daylight on the page — the relationships Dorset Council's officers check first — and submit a validation-complete pack, whether that is a lawful development certificate or a full householder application.
Below is Dorset Council's real householder decision record, pulled from official planning statistics and updated as new data lands. Dorset Council granted 95% of its householder applications in the year to 31 March 2026, and Colesbrook Conservation Area shapes what is approved here. Professionally prepared loft drawings anticipate those pressure points before submission, which is why complete, policy-literate packs are decided faster and refused less often than DIY applications.
Source: MHCLG planning application statistics (householder decisions, England, 1 April 2025 - 31 March 2026). Compare every borough on our London approval-rate league table.
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.
Across Colesbrook, Gillingham and Kington Magna Conservation Area 1, the recurring loft is the rear dormer — a box across the back roof slope that turns a cramped attic into a full-height double bedroom and en-suite. On trussed-rafter roofs typical of 2000s building, that is usually the most efficient use of the roof; where the stock is steeply pitched slate roofs, valley gutters and party parapets typical of pre-1900 building, a hip-to-gable followed by a rear dormer unlocks far more space, though it needs a full application.
The 7,160 homes here are 18% 2000-2008, 16% pre-1900, 15% 1993-1999, which is what sets the realistic roof and rear-projection options. We draw the dormer inside the volume allowance, keep the flat-roof build-up below the ridge, and set the face back from the eaves as the rules require — so the pack answers Dorset Council's questions before they are asked. Where permitted-development rights are exhausted or removed, we prepare a householder application composed to the borough's roof-alteration guidance instead.
We draw loft conversions on every street in the borough. A few of the neighbourhoods where Gillingham roofs come up most often:
Loft conversion drawings for Colesbrook's conservation area designated in 2017 — measured, volume-checked and drawn to Dorset Council's guidance.
Loft conversion drawings for Gillingham's conservation area designated in 1985 — measured, volume-checked and drawn to Dorset Council's guidance.
Loft conversion drawings for Kington Magna Conservation Area 1's conservation area designated in 1995 — measured, volume-checked and drawn to Dorset Council's guidance.
Loft conversion drawings for Kington Magna Conservation Area 2's conservation area designated in 1995 — measured, volume-checked and drawn to Dorset Council's guidance.
Loft conversion drawings for Milton on Stour's conservation area designated in 1995 — measured, volume-checked and drawn to Dorset Council's guidance.
Loft conversion drawings for Motcombe's conservation area designated in 1995 — measured, volume-checked and drawn to Dorset Council's guidance.
The right loft in Gillingham depends on your roof. This is how the main types compare on planning route and the space they add.
| Loft type | Permitted development? | Space & headroom | What Dorset Council checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear dormer | Usually yes, within volume limits | Full-height double room at the back | Volume, set-back from eaves, ridge height |
| Hip-to-gable | No — full application | Extends the whole side of the roof | Roof bulk and the symmetry of the pair |
| Mansard | No — full application | Maximum floor area across the roof | Street character, especially in conservation areas |
| Rooflights only | Usually yes (Class C) | Light and headroom, no extra footprint | Whether rooflights sit within the existing slope |
Route depends on your street — conservation areas such as Colesbrook Conservation Area and Gillingham Conservation Area and Article 4 directions can remove permitted-development rights.
A fixed process built around how Dorset Council validates and decides householder loft applications — most drawings are submission-ready within seven days of survey.
Tell us your Gillingham postcode and roof type. We confirm your conservation and Article 4 status, how much permitted-development volume you have left, and score your odds against live Dorset Council decisions.
We measure ridge and eaves heights, roof pitch, joist levels and the existing stair — the numbers the volume calculation and head heights depend on.
Chartered designers develop the dormer, hip-to-gable or mansard to your brief, drawn inside the Class B limits or to Dorset Council's roof-alteration guidance.
We submit the certificate or application, manage validation and case-officer queries, and revise the drawings free until Dorset Council issues its decision.
Often not. A rear dormer within 40 cubic metres on a terrace, or 50 on a semi-detached or detached house, set back from the eaves and no higher than the ridge, is usually permitted development. In Gillingham the main exceptions are hip-to-gable conversions, dormers visible from the highway, and homes in conservation areas such as Colesbrook Conservation Area and Gillingham Conservation Area or on streets with an Article 4 direction. Dorset Council is the decision-maker.
Generally no. In conservation areas including Colesbrook Conservation Area and Gillingham Conservation Area, Class B permitted-development rights for lofts are removed, so a rear dormer that would be lawful elsewhere needs a full application to Dorset Council. Dorset Council has 77 recorded Article 4 directions — check the address before assuming PD applies in Gillingham. We check your exact address before drawing.
On trussed-rafter roofs typical of 2000s building, common across Gillingham, a rear dormer is usually the most efficient conversion and often permitted development. Where the roof is steeply pitched slate roofs, valley gutters and party parapets typical of pre-1900 building, a hip-to-gable followed by a rear dormer gains far more usable space but needs planning permission. Our survey confirms which your roof supports before we draw. Dorset Council is the decision-maker.
A householder planning application in Gillingham runs to a statutory eight-week target, and a lawful development certificate to eight weeks as well, though validation can add time if the pack is incomplete. We submit validation-complete drawings and manage case-officer queries to keep the decision on track. Dorset Council is the decision-maker.
If your dormer is permitted development, a lawful development certificate from Dorset Council is council-stamped proof of that — worth having, because every buyer's solicitor will ask for it when you sell. We prepare and submit the certificate application with the same drawing pack. This applies to your Gillingham address specifically.
Every roof is different, so we quote each Gillingham project individually — a fixed, no-obligation price back within one working day. The quote covers the full drawing pack with free revisions until Dorset Council approves, and we tell you upfront whether your loft 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.
Same fixed quotes, same fast drawings — wherever your project is.