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Service area · London Borough of Haringey

Architectural Designers in Haringey

Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners and landlords across the London Borough of Haringey. Much of our work here is on the Victorian and Edwardian terraces of the Harringay Ladder, Tottenham, Stroud Green and Bounds Green: side-return and L-shaped rear extensions, rear dormers and Lawful Development Certificates. In Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Highgate the Edwardian and Georgian houses sit largely in conservation areas, so we design to the local appraisal and submit a full householder application.

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Planning authority
Haringey
Decision time
8 weeks statutory
Common work
Loft conversion
Quote
Within 24 hours
01Local context

Typical homes we work on in Haringey

  • Victorian and Edwardian terraces on the Harringay Ladder and in Tottenham, Stroud Green, West Green and Bounds Green
  • Edwardian houses and villas in Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Fortis Green and Alexandra Park
  • Georgian and Victorian houses in Highgate village and around Tottenham Green and Bruce Grove
  • Cottage-estate housing at Noel Park in Wood Green and Tower Gardens in Tottenham
  • 1930s semi-detached houses around Bounds Green, Alexandra Park and the edges of Muswell Hill
  • Post-war estates in Tottenham, Northumberland Park and Wood Green, with new-build flats at Tottenham Hale
02Constraints

Planning constraints in Haringey

What changes the planning route in this area. Always confirm on the council's constraints map before relying on permitted development.

Conservation areas

Haringey has around 29 conservation areas, including Highgate, Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Alexandra Palace and Park, Rookfield, Noel Park, Tower Gardens, Bruce Castle and Tottenham Green. Roof extensions are not permitted development inside them, and Noel Park and Tower Gardens have particularly detailed appraisals covering windows, porches and boundary walls.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Article 4 direction on HMOs

Haringey has an Article 4 direction removing permitted development for changing a house (Class C3) into a small house in multiple occupation (Class C4). We understand it applies across the borough, so any new HMO needs a planning application as well as a licence. Check the council's constraints map and licensing pages before buying with an HMO in mind.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Article 4 directions in conservation areas

Several conservation areas, including Noel Park, Tower Gardens, Rookfield and parts of Highgate and Muswell Hill, have Article 4 directions removing permitted development for front alterations, windows, boundary treatments and some roof works. Check the constraints map before relying on permitted development.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Housing SPD and extensions guidance

Haringey's Housing SPD sets out design guidance for rear extensions, roof extensions and dormers, applied alongside the Development Management DPD policies on design and amenity. We check the current guidance when we quote, as the council is preparing a new Local Plan.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Lee Valley flood risk

Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park, the Tottenham Marshes edge and land along the Moselle and Pymmes Brooks sit in Flood Zones 2 and 3. Ground-floor extensions and basements there may need a flood risk statement.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Listed buildings

Highgate village, Bruce Castle, Tottenham High Road and Tottenham Green contain concentrations of listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for almost any alteration, internal or external.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

What London Borough of Haringey planning officers look for

Haringey officers are protective of the unbroken rear elevations and rooflines of the Ladder and Tottenham terraces, and of the Edwardian roofscapes of Muswell Hill and Crouch End. Common refusal reasons are rear extensions that fail the 45-degree test, full-width box dormers, dormers that wrap a hipped roof, front dormers and roof extensions in conservation areas. Outside conservation areas a rear dormer within 40 m³ and a 3 m or 6 m rear extension are routinely lawful. The council offers paid pre-application advice and decisions frequently run beyond 8 weeks; allow 10–14 weeks.

Council links

Extensions and loft conversions in Haringey

Haringey splits neatly in two. East of the railway, Tottenham, West Green, the Harringay Ladder, Stroud Green and Bounds Green are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, and the standard moves apply: a side-return infill or L-shaped rear extension to open up a kitchen-diner, and a rear dormer within the 40 m³ allowance to add a bedroom and bathroom in the roof. Where the house is outside a conservation area, much of this is permitted development (PD) and we secure a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) as proof.

West of the railway, Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Fortis Green and Highgate are Edwardian and Georgian houses on wider plots, most of them inside conservation areas. Here a planning application designed to the conservation area appraisal is the norm, and roof work is judged carefully against the terrace or street. Noel Park and Tower Gardens are cottage estates with tight Article 4 controls on even minor front alterations. Flats in converted houses, on estates and in the new Tottenham Hale blocks have no householder PD rights.

Planning constraints in Haringey

  • Around 29 conservation areas, including Highgate, Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Rookfield, Noel Park and Tower Gardens, where roof extensions lose PD rights.
  • An Article 4 direction on small HMOs, which we understand applies borough-wide.
  • Article 4 directions in several conservation areas removing PD for front alterations, windows and roof works.
  • Housing SPD guidance on rear extensions, dormers and roof extensions.
  • Lee Valley flood risk in Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park and along the Moselle and Pymmes Brooks.
  • Listed buildings in Highgate, Bruce Castle, Tottenham High Road and Tottenham Green.

If you are unsure which of these affect your house, start with the council’s constraints map or ask us to check as part of your quote.

What Haringey planning officers look for

Officers assess householder applications against the Development Management DPD and the Housing SPD. They look for rear extensions that respect the pattern of the terrace, stay clear of the 45-degree line from the neighbour’s nearest habitable window and sit below the first-floor sill; dormers that are subordinate, set back from the eaves and clad in matching slate or tile; and no loss of daylight or outlook to neighbours. Box dormers on hipped Edwardian roofs and roof extensions on unbroken rooflines in conservation areas are the standard refusals. Haringey offers paid pre-application advice, which we recommend in Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Highgate. Council fees from April 2025 are £528 for a householder application and £264 for a proposed-use LDC; verify before applying.

Our services in Haringey

Example projects nearby

Guides

Read Conservation areas: extensions and lofts and Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in London?.

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03Examples

Example projects in and around Haringey

Proposed loft floor plan for an L-shaped rear dormer loft conversion on a Victorian terrace in HackneyExample project
Loft conversionStoke Newington, Hackney

Loft Conversion in Stoke Newington, Hackney

L-shaped rear dormer loft conversion to a two-storey Victorian terrace, adding a double bedroom and en-suite within the 40 m³ permitted development allowance.

Typical route: Permitted development, proved with a Lawful Development Certificate

Proposed ground floor plan of a 3.5 m deep rear extension to a Victorian terrace in Highbury, IslingtonExample project
Rear extensionHighbury, Islington

Rear Extension in Highbury, Islington

Full-width single-storey rear extension, 3.5 m deep with three rooflights, to a Victorian terrace in a Highbury conservation area, creating an open kitchen and dining room.

Typical route: Householder planning application in a conservation area

Proposed ground floor plan of a side extension and garage conversion to a 1930s semi in Finchley, BarnetExample project
Side extensionFinchley, Barnet

Side Extension and Garage Conversion in Finchley, Barnet

Conversion of an attached garage and a single-storey side extension behind it to a 1930s semi-detached house, widening the kitchen and adding a utility room and WC.

Typical route: Householder planning application, as the width exceeds the PD limit

04Questions

Planning questions we hear in Haringey

Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in Haringey?

Not always. On a house outside a conservation area, a single-storey rear extension up to 3 m is usually permitted development, or up to 6 m via prior approval (42 days). Flats have no PD rights, and in Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Highgate, Noel Park and other conservation areas a planning application is normally the safer route.

Are there Article 4 directions in Haringey?

Yes. There is a direction removing permitted development for converting a house into a small HMO, which we understand applies borough-wide, and several conservation areas have directions removing PD for front alterations, windows and roof works. We check the council's constraints map before advising a PD route.

Can I convert my loft under permitted development in Haringey?

On a Ladder or Tottenham terrace outside a conservation area, usually yes: a rear dormer within 40 m³, set back from the eaves and below the ridge, with matching materials, is normally lawful. In Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Highgate and other conservation areas roof extensions need planning permission, and flats have no PD rights. We recommend a Lawful Development Certificate as proof.

Can I convert my Haringey house into an HMO?

Because of the Article 4 direction, changing a house into a small HMO in Haringey needs a planning application, judged on room sizes, amenity, parking and the concentration of HMOs nearby. You will also need an HMO licence from the council, which is a separate process. We prepare the layouts and the planning case together.

How long does Haringey council take to decide a householder application?

The statutory period is 8 weeks from validation, and 8 weeks for a Lawful Development Certificate. Haringey often agrees an extension of time, so we advise allowing 10–14 weeks and using pre-application advice for conservation area work.

05Coverage

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