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Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London
Photograph: Lorenc Memaga

01Areas we cover

Drawings for Kensington's period houses and squares

A Kensington house may sit in one of four conservation areas that the Royal Borough appraises separately, and basement work carries its own Article 4 direction on top. We prepare planning, listed building and Building Regulations drawings that read the right appraisal first, after a constraints check that costs you nothing.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

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    02The record

    Kensington on the record

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areaKensingtondesignated 1970-01-01rbkc.gov.uk
    Local factSeparate conservation areas designated in the 1970s were joined in 1976 to form the Kensington Conservation Area, with parts of the High Street added in 1982 and 1994.No periodplanningconsult.rbkc.gov.uk
    Local factRBKC adopted appraisals for Kensington (3 February 2017), Kensington Square (23 November 2017), Kensington Court (31 March 2016) and Kensington Palace (17 July 2025).No periodrbkc.gov.uk
    Local planning considerationAn Article 4 direction covering the whole Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea removes permitted development rights for basement extensions to single dwelling houses; it came into force on 28 April 2016.No periodrbkc.gov.uk
    Local planning considerationRBKC's New Local Plan Review (July 2024), Policy CD11, requires basements not to exceed 50% of each garden or open part of the site and not to comprise more than one storey, with exceptions for large sites.No periodrbkc.gov.uk
    Conservation areas39 named conservation areas published by the councilNo periodplanning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions84 Article 4 directions published by the councilNo periodplanning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries1,350 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)No periodplanning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building consents granted (PS2)92.9 % granted2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Kensington4 conservation areas
    Conservation areas named for Kensington
    • Kensington: designated 1 January 1970
    • Kensington Square: designated 1 January 1969
    • Kensington Court: designated 1 January 1974
    • Kensington Palace: designated 1 January 1971
    Red-brick mansion blocks and shopfronts on a street corner
    Photograph: Tom McCarten

    03The drawing

    Constraints check: Kensington and ChelseaA, Conservation areas: 39 named conservation areas published by the council. B, Article 4 directions: 84 Article 4 directions published by the council. C, Listed building entries: 1,350 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary). D, Heritage at Risk entries: 43 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England)39Conservation areasA84Article 4 directionsB1,350Listed building entriesC43Heritage at Risk entriesD

    Constraints check: Kensington and Chelsea

    What we check first on any address in Kensington and Chelsea. Counts are for the whole council area.

    A Conservation areas
    39 named conservation areas published by the council
    B Article 4 directions
    84 Article 4 directions published by the council
    C Listed building entries
    1,350 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)
    D Heritage at Risk entries
    43 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England)
    A period street in three dimensions3D
    Scroll the page: the model turns with it.

    04The brief

    Four conservation areas, four appraisals

    Kensington, Kensington Square, Kensington Court and Kensington Palace are separate conservation areas, and each has its own appraisal. RBKC adopted appraisals for Kensington (3 February 2017), Kensington Square (23 November 2017), Kensington Court (31 March 2016) and Kensington Palace (17 July 2025).

    Separate conservation areas designated in the 1970s were joined in 1976 to form the Kensington Conservation Area, with parts of the High Street added in 1982 and 1994. The Kensington Conservation Area covers around 130 acres (53 ha) on the south and west slopes of Campden Hill and is divided into 10 character areas. Two stucco terraces inside the same designation can therefore be read against different character areas, so we match your street to its character area before the first sketch.

    Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline

    05The detail

    What the Kensington appraisal objects to

    The appraisal for the main area names two repeated faults. uPVC windows introduced to some properties are said to harm their appearance and the area. Off-street parking in a front garden left a gap in the boundary and harmed a terrace group.

    A window, railing or front-garden drawing for a house here should repair that pattern, not repeat it. We show the existing frontage and the proposed one side by side so the officer can see the terrace group stay whole.

    Basements and the borough-wide direction

    An Article 4 direction covering the whole Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea removes permitted development rights for basement extensions to single dwelling houses; it came into force on 28 April 2016. Digging down beneath a Kensington house is therefore a planning matter before it is a structural one.

    RBKC's New Local Plan Review (July 2024), Policy CD11, requires basements not to exceed 50% of each garden or open part of the site and not to comprise more than one storey, with exceptions for large sites. Our basement conversion drawings page sets out how we draw to that limit, and the mansard roof drawings page covers the other big change to a period house.

    Listed houses and the Royal Borough's record

    The borough holds 1,350 list entries: 18 at Grade I, 116 at Grade II star and 1,207 at Grade II. It decided 435 listed building consent applications to alter or extend in its latest year and granted 92.9% of them.

    That share is a look back and a poor guide to any one house. For the consent route on a listed property, read listed building consent drawings in Kensington and Chelsea.

    Planning sheet for a single-storey rear extension: proposed ground floor plan and rear elevation, with the Property Architecture title block
    Sample drawing. Proposed plan and rear elevation from a planning application set, sheet 03 at 1:50.

    06The papers

    What the drawings rest on

    Upper floors of a large yellow-brick Victorian house in London with chimney potsFlat conversions & change of use
    Photograph: Lorenc Memaga
    Building regulations section through a rear extension, with the roof, floor, wall and foundation build-ups labelled
    Sample drawing. Section A-A with the build-ups building control checks, sheet 07 at 1:50.

    07Correspondence

    Questions

    Which Kensington conservation area is my house in?

    Kensington, Kensington Square, Kensington Court and Kensington Palace are four separate areas, each with its own appraisal. Send us the address and we confirm which one applies, plus any listing or Article 4 direction, before quoting.

    Do I need planning permission for a basement in Kensington?

    An Article 4 direction covering the whole Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea removes permitted development rights for basement extensions to single dwelling houses; it came into force on 28 April 2016. The work therefore needs planning permission, and the garden limit in the Local Plan shapes the design.

    Can I replace my windows with uPVC in Kensington?

    The main appraisal lists it as a fault: uPVC windows introduced to some properties are said to harm their appearance and the area. Timber windows that match the original pattern are the safer drawing, and we show the existing and proposed elevations together.

    Can I turn my Kensington front garden into a parking space?

    The appraisal already counts it as damage: Off-street parking in a front garden left a gap in the boundary and harmed a terrace group. We would look at other ways to meet your need before drawing a gap in the boundary.

    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    92.9%

    granted

    Listed building consents granted (PS2), Kensington and Chelsea, 2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026). Source: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

    Photograph: Altaf Shah

    08Further reading

    Nearby neighbourhoods

    09Sources

    Sources and dates

    Licences

    Kensington street lined with brick townhouses and lit streetlamps beneath an orange dusk sky

    Send us the address of your house.

    We look up the conservation area, listing and Article 4 position, then reply with a fixed fee. A message before 3pm is answered the same working day.

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    Architectural drawings in Kensington for period houses