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Service area · London Borough of Newham

Architectural Designers in Newham

Magna Studio prepares planning and Building Regulations drawings for homeowners and landlords across the London Borough of Newham. Most of our work here is on the Victorian and Edwardian terraces of Forest Gate, Manor Park, East Ham, Upton Park, Plaistow and Stratford: side-return and L-shaped rear extensions, rear dormers, Lawful Development Certificates and, because of the borough-wide Article 4 direction, planning applications for houses in multiple occupation. On the Woodgrange Estate and in the other conservation areas we design to the appraisal and submit a full householder application.

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Planning authority
Newham
Decision time
8 weeks statutory
Common work
Rear extension
Quote
Within 24 hours
01Local context

Typical homes we work on in Newham

  • Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Forest Gate, Manor Park, East Ham, Upton Park, Plaistow and Stratford
  • Larger Victorian houses on the Woodgrange Estate in Forest Gate and around West Ham Park
  • Inter-war terraces and semis in Little Ilford, East Ham and towards the Beckton edge
  • Post-war estates in Canning Town, Custom House, Plaistow and Stratford, with 1980s housing in Beckton
  • New-build flats and towers in Stratford, the Royal Docks, Canning Town and Silvertown
02Constraints

Planning constraints in Newham

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

Borough-wide Article 4 direction on HMOs

Newham has had a borough-wide Article 4 direction since 2013 removing permitted development for changing a house (Class C3) into a small house in multiple occupation (Class C4). Any new HMO needs a planning application as well as a licence under the council's borough-wide licensing scheme. Check the council's planning and licensing pages for the current rules.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Conservation areas and the Woodgrange Estate

Newham has relatively few conservation areas, including the Woodgrange Estate in Forest Gate, Stratford St John's, Three Mills, Sugar House Lane and Durham Road. The Woodgrange Estate also has an Article 4 direction removing permitted development for front alterations, windows, boundary walls and some roof works. Roof extensions are not permitted development in any conservation area.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Thames and Lee flood risk

Much of southern Newham, including Canning Town, Custom House, Beckton, Silvertown and North Woolwich, and land along the River Lee, Channelsea River and Bow Creek in Stratford and West Ham, sits in Flood Zone 3 behind the Thames defences. Ground-floor extensions and any basement there normally need a flood risk assessment.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Tall-building zones and Opportunity Areas

Stratford, the Royal Docks and Beckton Riverside, and Canning Town and Custom House are Opportunity Areas where the Local Plan directs tall buildings and large-scale change. Outside those zones the council expects development to respect the two- and three-storey terrace scale. Until December 2024 the London Legacy Development Corporation decided applications around the Olympic Park; we understand those powers have now returned to Newham. Check which authority applies before submitting.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

Listed buildings

Three Mills, Abbey Mills Pumping Station, East Ham Town Hall, St Mary Magdalene in East Ham and All Saints West Ham are among Newham's listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for almost any alteration, internal or external.

Source · Checked 15 Sept 2026

What London Borough of Newham planning officers look for

Newham officers are firm on the pattern of terrace rear elevations and on HMO standards. Common refusal reasons are rear extensions that fail the 45-degree test or exceed the neighbour's depth, full-width box dormers, front dormers, roof extensions in conservation areas and HMOs with undersized rooms or too many in one street. 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 Newham

Newham north of the A13 is terrace country. Forest Gate, Manor Park, East Ham, Upton Park, Plaistow and the older streets of Stratford are two-storey 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.

The Woodgrange Estate in Forest Gate is the exception, with larger Victorian houses inside a conservation area and an Article 4 direction that removes PD for front alterations and roof works. Newham also has more houses in multiple occupation than most boroughs, and since 2013 every new small HMO has needed a planning application. South of the A13, Canning Town, Custom House, Beckton and the Royal Docks are estates and new-build flats, which have no householder PD rights.

Planning constraints in Newham

  • Borough-wide Article 4 direction on small HMOs, in place since 2013.
  • Conservation areas including the Woodgrange Estate, Stratford St John’s, Three Mills and Durham Road, where roof extensions lose PD rights.
  • Woodgrange Estate Article 4 direction removing PD for front alterations, windows and roof works.
  • Thames and Lee flood risk across Canning Town, Custom House, Beckton, Silvertown and along the Lee.
  • Tall-building zones in the Stratford, Royal Docks and Canning Town Opportunity Areas, with the former LLDC area now back with the council.
  • Listed buildings at Three Mills, Abbey Mills and East Ham Town Hall.

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 Newham planning officers look for

Officers assess householder applications against the Newham Local Plan 2018 and the London Plan. 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. For HMOs they apply room-size standards, expect adequate shared kitchens and bathrooms, cycle and refuse storage, and resist over-concentration. Full-width box dormers and roof extensions in conservation areas are the standard refusals. Newham offers paid pre-application advice. Council fees from April 2025 are £528 for a householder application and £264 for a proposed-use LDC; verify before applying.

Our services in Newham

Example projects nearby

Guides

Read Permitted development rights in London and Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in London?.

Ready to start in Newham? Get an instant estimate: your indicative fee on screen and by email in two minutes, then a written fixed-fee quote within 24 hours.

03Examples

Example projects in and around Newham

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

04Questions

Planning questions we hear in Newham

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

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 on the Woodgrange Estate and in other conservation areas a planning application is normally the safer route.

Can I turn my Newham house into an HMO?

Only with planning permission. Newham's borough-wide Article 4 direction means converting a house into a small HMO of three to six unrelated occupants needs a planning application, judged on room sizes, shared kitchen and bathroom provision, cycle and bin storage and the concentration of HMOs nearby. You will also need a licence under the council's licensing scheme, which is a separate process.

Can I convert my loft under permitted development in Newham?

On a Forest Gate, Manor Park or East Ham 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. On the Woodgrange Estate and in other conservation areas roof extensions need planning permission, and flats have no PD rights. We recommend a Lawful Development Certificate as proof.

Is my Newham home in a flood zone?

If you live in Canning Town, Custom House, Beckton, Silvertown, North Woolwich or near the River Lee in Stratford and West Ham, quite possibly. Most of that land is Flood Zone 3 behind the Thames defences, so a ground-floor extension normally needs a flood risk assessment and basements are discouraged. Forest Gate, Manor Park and most of East Ham are in Flood Zone 1.

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

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

05Coverage

Everywhere we work

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