A typical brief
A family in a two-storey Victorian terrace in Stoke Newington, Hackney, needs a third bedroom. The loft has about 2.6 m of headroom at the ridge, enough for a bedroom and en-suite if the roof volume can be extended to the rear.
Constraints and planning context
The house sits outside Hackney’s conservation areas and is not covered by an Article 4 direction removing roof rights, so Class B permitted development (PD) applies. The limits are firm: 40 m³ of additional roof volume for a terrace, nothing beyond the plane of the front roof slope, materials similar to the existing house, and a 200 mm set-back from the eaves. Both party walls need raising for the dormer cheeks, so the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies on two sides.
How we would design it
We would draw an L-shaped rear dormer: a full-width box over the main roof joined to a smaller dormer over the rear outrigger. This gives a level floor across the loft and a straight stair above the existing staircase. On a typical terrace of this size the volume calculation comes to around 38 m³, a safe margin below the cap. The dormer is clad in slate-grey fibre-cement to sit quietly against the roof, with its flat roof held below the ridge.
Likely planning route
We would submit a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) application with a written PD assessment and volume calculation. Hackney has 8 weeks to decide, and a dormer that sits within every Class B limit is normally certified without queries. The LDC fee is £264 (verify before applying).
Documentation we would prepare
- Measured survey and existing plans, sections and elevations
- Proposed plans, sections and elevations with PD volume calculation
- Written permitted development assessment
- LDC application and submission
- Building Regulations package coordinated with the structural engineer
- Party wall notices drafted for both neighbours
Read more about our loft conversions, Lawful Development Certificates and Building Regulations drawings, see how we work in Hackney, or get an instant estimate.
