Kensington & Chelsea
We design and prepare drawings for Kensington townhouses, mansion flats and terraces, navigating RBKC planning, conservation and basement policy.
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Practice leadership
Eyal Moran, Director and Lead Architect, is an ARB-registered architect, leading design judgement, planning strategy and technical coordination across client projects.
Verify on the Architects RegisterPlanning at a glance
Kensington
| Local planning authority | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea |
|---|---|
| Conservation area | Kensington Conservation Area — appraisal adopted 3 February 2017 |
| 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) |
| Typical drawing package | £395–£4,950 inc. VAT, fixed fee. Find my package → |
Kensington is one of London’s grandest residential districts, with stucco-fronted townhouses, garden squares, mansion blocks and period terraces. It lies within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, an authority known for rigorous planning and conservation policies and for specific, well-developed basement controls. Design expectations are high, and proposals are assessed with care, so a credible, well-presented case matters.
The projects we see most in Kensington are basement and lower-ground works to add space on constrained plots, comprehensive refurbishment of townhouses, the reconfiguration of mansion flats, and carefully designed rear extensions. RBKC’s basement policy limits the depth and extent of below-ground development and requires supporting reports, so basement feasibility must be assessed against that policy from the outset. Where buildings are listed — and many are — internal as well as external alterations can require consent.
Because Kensington sits within RBKC, proposals are assessed against the borough’s local plan, conservation-area appraisals, basement policy and the listing of the building. We design to those exacting standards, coordinate the structural, waterproofing, heritage and party wall input prime Kensington projects require, and prepare the planning, listed building consent and building regulations drawings needed — while being clear that no planning outcome can be guaranteed.
Local analysis
Kensington work can involve large terraces, garden-square houses, mansion flats, converted buildings, mews properties and apartments close to Kensington High Street, where RBKC conservation and leasehold routes are often decisive.
The address should be checked against the RBKC conservation area list, Kensington appraisal, listed-building records, Article 4 directions, garden-square rules and freeholder or estate controls.
A Kensington package may need to answer RBKC planning, conservation officers, estate or garden-square reviewers, freeholders, managing agents, building control, consultants and the contractor.
Kensington flats and terraces can be constrained by heritage interiors, acoustic floors, risers, fire separation, vaults, basements, lightwells, roof terraces, plant and common-part protection.
Construction planning should cover high-management buildings, delivery limits, scaffolding, neighbour protection, common-part routes, services shutdowns and careful sequencing around retained fabric.
Local services
Kensington advice should identify the RBKC designation, garden-square or estate route, listed status and technical constraints before the service is priced.
For apartments, the useful package should distinguish interior design, Licence to Alter, building control, acoustic evidence and contractor information.
Project routes
For Kensington, garden squares can add a separate reviewer or management route even when council planning is not the only issue.
For mansion flats, wet-area moves, acoustic floors and risers should be tested before interior design commitments are made.
For houses, front elevation details, vaults, lightwells, roof terraces and plant positions can change both planning and technical drawings.
Local evidence
RBKC lists the Kensington Conservation Area Appraisal as adopted on 3 February 2017 and identifies Kensington as one of the borough’s major conservation contexts, with nearby palace, square and garden-square designations.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Kensington Conservation Area.
garden squares.
Kensington Palace Conservation Area.
RBKC Article 4 controls.
RBKC lists the Kensington Conservation Area Appraisal with an adoption date of 3 February 2017.
RBKC lists Kensington Palace Conservation Area Appraisal with an adoption date of 17 July 2025.
RBKC lists Kensington Square Conservation Area Appraisal with an adoption date of 23 November 2017.
RBKC Article 4 guidance identifies windows, front doors, boundary walls and roof coverings as examples of controlled external changes in conservation areas.
Check RBKC Kensington, Kensington Palace, Kensington Square, De Vere, Courtfield and nearby conservation records as applicable.
Check Article 4 directions, listed-building entries, garden-square or estate rules and lease/freeholder requirements.
Check planning history, vaults, basements, roofscape, acoustic floors, fire separation, risers and common parts before tender.
Kensington Conservation Area. RBKC has a specifically named "Kensington Conservation Area" whose appraisal was adopted 3 February 2017 — this is the single most characteristic CA for the Kensington neighbourhood and is named here on that basis. However, the wider Kensington area is covered by several distinct conservation areas (e.g. Recorded 3 February 2017.
Area facts
Kensington Conservation Area townhouse.
garden-square mansion flat.
mews property off Kensington High Street.
Useful evidence includes the Kensington Conservation Area appraisal, listing checks, Article 4 street records, garden-square or estate rules, lease clauses, planning history and photographs of elevations and shared fabric.
Useful local facts
Useful Kensington advice should separate design ambition from consent route, freeholder route, listed-building route, technical route and contractor route.
Check the exact RBKC conservation area and any Article 4 street record before treating the work as routine.
For garden-square and mansion-flat homes, gather lease, freeholder, acoustic, fire, riser and common-part records before fixing the layout.
For houses, test basement, vault, lightwell, roof terrace, plant and front-elevation visibility before moving into detailed drawings.
Local process
Is the property in Kensington, Kensington Palace, Kensington Square, De Vere, Courtfield or another RBKC conservation area?
Does a garden-square, estate, freeholder or managing-agent rule control the proposed works?
Do listed fabric, acoustic floors, vaults, basements, roof terraces, plant or common parts change the scope?
RBKC Kensington conservation-area appraisal, map and Article 4 check.
listed-building record, garden-square or estate rules, lease and freeholder requirements.
planning history, survey drawings, photographs of elevations, common parts, vaults, basements and roof areas.
Decision checklist
A Kensington address can sit in a different RBKC conservation area from a neighbouring precedent, so copying nearby approvals is weak evidence.
Garden-square and mansion-flat controls can make freeholder, acoustic, fire and common-part evidence as important as planning drawings.
Thinking about a project in Kensington?
Send the address and a short description. We will confirm the likely approval route and the drawings your project needs.
Local planning
Kensington lies within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which applies notably rigorous planning and conservation policies, including specific basement controls.
Conservation-area coverage is extensive and listing is common.
Kensington’s stucco townhouses and garden squares are closely protected, with high expectations of design quality.
Many Kensington buildings are listed, requiring listed building consent for a wide range of alterations.
For the wider local-authority picture — policies, timescales and application routes — see planning in Kensington & Chelsea.
Services
Extensions & Renovations
Planning & Consents
Heritage & Conservation
Technical & Building Regulations
Leasehold & Licence to Alter
For services without a dedicated Kensington page, use the London-wide overview to understand the scope, deliverables and next steps.
Architecture & Design
Interior Design
Planning & Consents
Heritage & Conservation
Technical & Building Regulations
Leasehold & Licence to Alter
Project Delivery & Support
Nearby
Tell us about your Kensington property and plans. We will advise on the RBKC planning, conservation, basement and listing position and the drawings required.
