House Extensions Planning Permission in Chatham
Whether you need planning permission for house extensions in Chatham depends on three things: your property's permitted development (PD) rights, whether your address sits inside a conservation area or Article 4 zone, and the size and position of what you're building.
Chatham sits under Medway Council (postcodes ME1, ME4, ME5). Large parts of the historic core, particularly around Chatham Historic Dockyard, sit inside a conservation area where PD rights are restricted. We handle planning submissions on every project we run here.
Most house extension projects in Chatham either need full planning permission or qualify under PD with a lawful development certificate. We'll tell you which after a 30-minute site visit.
Permitted development in Chatham
PD allows a lot of work without a planning application, but Chatham's conservation overlay strips out several PD rights — rear extensions over 3m, side dormers and roof alterations visible from the street usually need full planning.
- • Single-storey rear extension: PD up to 3m (semi/terrace) or 4m (detached)
- • Loft dormer to rear: PD up to 40m³ (terrace 50m³ semi/detached), NOT in conservation areas
- • Front-facing alterations: almost always need planning in Chatham's conservation area
- • Listed buildings: any external/internal alteration needs listed building consent
Medway Council process
Applications are submitted via the local planning authority's portal. Typical determination is 8 weeks for householder applications. We pre-app with the planning officer on any project where the outcome looks borderline — saves a refused application and a 6-month restart.
Building regulations (separate from planning)
Whether or not you need planning, you'll need building regs sign-off. Structural calculations, fire safety, insulation U-values, drainage — all signed off by a Building Control Surveyor on completion. We handle every stage on Chatham projects.
Find out if you need planning for house extensions in Chatham
Free 30-minute site visit. We'll tell you straight whether it's PD, full planning, or listed-building consent — and what to expect from Medway Council.
Chatham planning FAQs
How long does planning take in Chatham?
8 weeks for a householder application from Medway Council's date of validation. Add 2–3 weeks for pre-application advice if we use it. Listed building consent runs to a similar timeline but with stricter detail requirements.
What if my house is in the Chatham conservation area?
Article 4 directions and conservation overlays remove some permitted development rights — rear dormers, side extensions and external materials all come under planning control. We design every detail around what we know the conservation officer will approve.
What about Article 4 directions near Historic Dockyard?
Properties near Historic Dockyard and inside the Chatham conservation area lose specific PD rights. Materials, openings, render colour and external joinery all need formal approval. We've handled multiple submissions in this zone.
Can you submit the application for me?
Yes — drawings, planning statement, design & access statement, heritage statement (if listed) and submission to Medway Council are all handled by our design team. You only sign the ownership certificate.
Related guides
Nearby areas we also cover
In short
Most house extension projects in Chatham need planning input — conservation overlays around Chatham Historic Dockyard are the main reason. We handle drawings, submission and officer liaison in-house.