Planning permission for windows in a London conservation area, £1,250 fixed

Do I need planning permission for windows in a London conservation area?

Planning permission for windows in a London conservation area is needed only where an Article 4 direction, a flat, a planning condition or a change of appearance removes the right under Class A of the 2015 General Permitted Development Order, and then it is a householder application with a £548 council fee. A conservation area alone does not remove that right. Some London councils use Article 4 directions to control windows and doors facing the street. Your council's planning map shows its boundaries, and the permitted development checker covers windows and doors and tells you the truth even when the answer is that you need nothing from us. The guide to whether you need planning permission sets out the wider rules.

When can I replace windows in London without an application?

You can replace windows in London without an application when the new windows do not materially affect the building's external appearance, because section 55(2)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 excludes that work from development, in a flat as much as a house, wherever no Article 4 direction or listing applies. Timber sashes replaced with timber sashes of the same pattern qualify; white uPVC casements in their place do not. A council can require unlawful windows to be put back, so if you want the position confirmed first, a certificate of lawfulness is from £950 from us, plus the council's £274 for a proposed-use certificate.

Does a listed building need more than planning permission?

A listed building in London needs listed building consent under section 7 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 for replacement windows, in addition to any planning permission, because that consent covers works affecting special architectural or historic character and is decided in a separate application. Holding one does not give you the other. The published £1,250 covers the planning application only, so tell us at the start if the building is listed and we agree the scope in writing.

How much does a windows and doors planning application cost in London?

A windows and doors planning application in London costs £1,250 fixed from Fixed Fee Plans, plus the council's householder fee of £548 paid to your local authority at submission; we show the two separately, never mark up the council fee, and give you its receipt. The complete planning drawing service is £895 because it covers extension-sized schemes. The fee calculator puts our fee and the council's side by side, the London planning drawing price list has every other figure, and the London drawing cost guide compares what other firms publish, with sources.

What does a London conservation area windows application include?

A London conservation area windows application includes the measured survey, existing and proposed elevations, a window and door schedule, frame sections showing glazing bar profile and reveal depth, a site location plan at 1:1250, a block plan at 1:500, the forms and, where your council asks for one, a heritage statement. We draw them from a measured building survey, £150 alone and within five working days of booking. Conservation officers read a window as joinery: they weigh the material, the opening method, the sash proportions and whether the double glazing is slim enough to keep the original profile. A side-hung casement in place of a sliding sash changes the face of the street even when the colour matches.

How does a windows application run from enquiry to decision?

A windows application in London runs in six steps from your first email to the council's decision, and the statutory period for a householder application is eight weeks from validation, so the numbered steps below are the whole route in order, with the survey first and the council's decision last.

1. You email the postcode and what you want to replace.
2. We confirm scope and fee in writing.
3. The survey checks conservation area, Article 4 and listed status. If it finds a listing or an unrecorded alteration, we pause and you decide what happens next.
4. We draw the elevations and schedule, and you pay each stage as it is delivered.
5. We submit on the Planning Portal as your agent and pay the £548 council fee.
6. The council decides, and we answer officer queries and revise the drawings until it does.

Do new windows need Building Regulations approval too?

New windows in a London dwelling need Building Regulations compliance separately from planning permission: replacement windows must meet Part L (conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations 2010, Part B governs bedroom escape windows, and widening an opening brings in Part A. An installer registered with a competent person scheme can self-certify; otherwise you notify building control. Building regulations drawings are £795.