Kensington & Chelsea / Hammersmith & Fulham
We support Earl's Court homeowners and leaseholders with residential design, planning drawings, building regulations information and project coordination for stucco terraces, mansion flats, maisonettes and converted houses around Earl's Court and West Brompton.
Last updated
The short answer
Either Kensington and Chelsea or Hammersmith and Fulham, depending on the address, so confirm it before design work starts. RBKC mapping identifies the Earl’s Court Square conservation area, and designation removes side extensions from Class A and roof extensions from Class B. Flats hold no householder permitted development rights at all, which matters on a street of mansion flats and maisonettes.
Planning at a glance
Earl's Court
| Local planning authority | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea |
|---|---|
| Article 4 direction | In effect since 28 April 2016 (RBKC borough-wide basement direction) |
| Likely approval route | Householder planning application or permitted development, depending on conservation status, listing and property type — confirmed for the exact address before drawings begin |
| Statutory determination time | 8 weeks for most householder applications (13 weeks for major applications) |
| Local planning note | Earl’s Court is RBKC; confirm which conservation area applies on the street. Basement PD is removed borough-wide from 28 April 2016; design against current Local Plan basement policy and the Basements SPD where subterranean works are proposed. |
| Where most projects start | Planning Route Review — £395 inc. VAT, credited in full against your package if you proceed. Find my package → |
Earl's Court needs a local design approach because its residential stock is not one simple type. The area includes stucco terraces, mansion flats, maisonettes and converted houses around Earl's Court and West Brompton, so the first question is not just what looks good on plan, but what the building, the tenure and the street can realistically accept. Earl's Court projects often involve converted houses and mansion flats where owners want more usable space but must work within leases, shared structure and tight rear relationships. We start by reading that context, then shape the brief around light, storage, circulation, privacy, structure and the approvals that are likely to matter.
The approval route should be confirmed with Kensington & Chelsea or Hammersmith & Fulham, depending on the address for the specific address. In Earl's Court, the answer can depend on conservation status, whether the property is a house or flat, previous alterations, roof visibility, boundary conditions, trees, estate controls and the building's planning history. We confirm the borough, conservation status, freeholder requirements, acoustic and fire separation, party wall position and whether rear or roof changes are realistic. We do not assume that a neighbouring approval means the same design will be accepted, and we do not treat permitted development as automatic.
Local analysis
Earl's Court contains mansion flats, converted terraces, garden-square buildings, hotel or mixed-use histories and West Brompton edge conditions, so use history and building management can matter as much as elevation.
The address should be checked against Earl's Court Square, Earl's Court Village, Nevern Square, Philbeach, Courtfield or Hammersmith & Fulham edge records before the route is fixed.
An Earl's Court package may need to answer RBKC or Hammersmith & Fulham planning, conservation officers, freeholders, building managers, building control, acoustic/fire consultants and contractors.
Converted buildings and mansion flats can be constrained by acoustic transfer, fire escape, shared risers, wet-area moves, structural openings, basement levels and common-part access.
Tender information should address occupation, access, noise, dust, fire stopping, services shutdowns, building-management approvals and protection of shared stairs or lobbies.
Local services
Earl's Court advice should identify conservation area, use history, tenure and technical flat constraints before drawings are commissioned.
The package should separate council consent, freeholder evidence, building-control information and contractor method because each reviewer asks different questions.
Local evidence
RBKC lists Earl's Court Square Conservation Area Appraisal as adopted on 6 June 2016 and Earl's Court Village Conservation Area Appraisal as adopted on 16 February 2017; Nevern Square and Philbeach records are also relevant to nearby addresses.
Earl's Court Square Conservation Area.
Earl's Court Village Conservation Area.
West Brompton.
Nevern Square Conservation Area.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
RBKC lists Earl's Court Square Conservation Area Appraisal with an adoption date of 6 June 2016.
RBKC lists Earl's Court Village Conservation Area Appraisal with an adoption date of 16 February 2017.
RBKC lists Nevern Square Conservation Area Appraisal with an adoption date of 4 October 2018.
RBKC Article 4 guidance identifies external items such as windows, doors, boundary walls and roof coverings as potentially controlled in conservation areas.
Check RBKC Earl's Court Square and Earl's Court Village conservation appraisals and maps.
Check Nevern Square, Philbeach, Courtfield or Hammersmith & Fulham edge records if the address sits outside the obvious boundary.
Check use history, planning history, lease/freeholder records, fire, acoustic, riser, stair and services information before scope is fixed.
Earl’s Court is RBKC; confirm which conservation area applies on the street. Basement PD is removed borough-wide from 28 April 2016; design against current Local Plan basement policy and the Basements SPD where subterranean works are proposed. Article 4 since 28 April 2016 (RBKC borough-wide basement direction).
Local process
Is the property in Earl's Court Square, Earl's Court Village, Nevern Square, Philbeach or another conservation area?
Is the building a house, converted flat, mansion block, hotel-history building or mixed-use property?
Do use history, escape, acoustics, risers, wet-area moves, leasehold consent or common parts drive the route?
RBKC Earl's Court Square, Earl's Court Village, Nevern Square, Philbeach or relevant conservation-area record.
borough confirmation, use history, lease/freeholder requirements and building-management rules.
fire escape, acoustic, riser, wet-area, stair, planning-history and common-part information.
Thinking about a project in Earl's Court?
Send the address and a short description. We will confirm the likely approval route and the drawings your project needs.
Local planning
Earl's Court projects should be checked against Kensington & Chelsea or Hammersmith & Fulham, depending on the address planning policy, conservation designations, planning history and any property-specific restrictions before assuming what is possible. RBKC mapping identifies Earl's Court Square Conservation Area and Earl's Court Village Conservation Area, with borough boundaries close enough that the exact address must be checked. The correct route can change between neighbouring streets, especially where the property is a flat, a listed building, a converted house or part of a managed estate.
Many parts of Earl's Court and its neighbouring streets include conservation areas, listed buildings or heritage-sensitive frontages, so visible changes to roofs, windows, brickwork, front boundaries and rear additions need careful review.
For the wider local-authority picture — policies, timescales and application routes — see planning in Kensington & Chelsea and planning in Hammersmith & Fulham. Confirm the authority for the exact address before relying on either guide.
Services
Architecture & Design
Extensions & Renovations
Planning & Consents
Heritage & Conservation
Technical & Building Regulations
Leasehold & Licence to Alter
Nearby
Send us the Earl's Court address, property type and a short description of the work. We will advise on the likely approvals, drawings and coordination needed before you commit to the next stage.
