Planning Feasibility Studies in London

Property decisions in London are often made on assumptions about what can be done — an extension, a loft, a basement, a change of layout — that have never been tested against planning policy. A feasibility study replaces those assumptions with evidence: the property’s planning history, its conservation and listing status, any Article 4 directions, and a realistic view of what the local authority is likely to support. For buyers, it can be the difference between a sound purchase and an expensive mistake.

We test a small number of options against the constraints and your objectives, and set out the likely planning route, the risks, and what evidence or pre-application advice might strengthen a future case. The result is a clear basis for deciding whether and how to proceed, before you spend on a full design.

A worthwhile feasibility study builds a clear picture of the property’s real constraints and opportunities. We check its planning history and any earlier refusals, its designations — conservation area, listing, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders — and the relevant local plan policy, then test that against daylight and neighbour-amenity considerations and the physical capacity of the building itself. The output is not a vague reassurance but an evidenced map of what is likely to be supported, what is borderline, and what is a non-starter.

The most valuable time for a feasibility study is often before exchange. Many London homes are bought for their potential, and that potential varies enormously with constraints that are invisible on a viewing — a listing, a restrictive Article 4 direction, a recent refusal next door, or a lease that limits what a flat can do. A short pre-purchase appraisal tells you whether your plans are realistic before you commit, and frequently informs the price worth paying or the terms worth negotiating.

A feasibility study earns its keep by turning into a route. From the assessment we recommend the right mechanism — permitted development with a lawful development certificate, a householder or full application, or a pre-application enquiry first on a sensitive site — and the order in which to tackle things, including any phasing. You then move into design with a tested strategy rather than an assumption, which is the single biggest way to avoid wasted fees and a refusal.

Feasibility pulls planning history, conservation and listing status, Article 4 directions, trees, flood risk flags and the relevant local plan themes that will shape an officer’s view. We then test a small number of options against neighbour amenity and host character so you see what is likely, borderline or unrealistic.

For buyers, this work often sits before exchange. Paying for certainty on a dream extension is cheaper than discovering a refusal risk after you own the keys.

A good study ends with a recommended route: permitted development and LDC, householder application, pre-application advice first, or walk away. It should also list evidence you will need later — heritage statement, tree survey, basement impact assessment — so fees are sequenced correctly.

We can then move into design and planning drawings on a foundation that has already been stress-tested.

It is not a full design service, not a guarantee of permission, and not a substitute for a measured survey when drawings are required. It is the decision tool that stops the wrong project starting. We keep the output written and specific to the address rather than a generic London checklist.

Where the property is leasehold, freeholder constraints sit beside public planning and are flagged early.