Architectural
design
in Highgate, N6
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Architectural design in Highgate begins with the borough: we prepare drawings for Camden or Haringey, and the neighbourhood plan both adopted.
Control
Camden's appraisal notes that Haringey has its own Highgate Conservation Area east and north of the High Street, which is the edge of Camden's.
Our designers work with the people who will build the scheme, so the drawings that go to the council can be priced and built as drawn.
Source: Camden: Highgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Strategy (adopted October 2007)
Designing for the right council
The neighbourhood plan, adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and by Camden that September, sits alongside each borough's own policies.
Haringey's Development Management DPD, adopted in July 2017, sets the criteria its applications are assessed against.
On the Camden side, the 2007 appraisal is used to assess planning applications in the conservation area.
Sources: Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017), Haringey: Development Management DPD (adopted July 2017), Camden Council: Highgate Conservation Area appraisal and management strategy
What the plans ask of a design
Policy DH2 asks alterations and extensions to preserve or enhance Highgate's conservation areas and respect the setting of listed buildings.
Camden expects proposals to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of its Highgate Conservation Area.
Policies DH3 to DH5 then set out how rear and side extensions and roofs should relate to the house.
Sources: Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017), Camden: Highgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Strategy (adopted October 2007)
Heritage statements and listed buildings
Camden asks for a heritage statement with an application in a conservation area, describing the significance of the heritage assets affected.
Changes to a listed building need listed building consent, separate from planning permission.
The Grove alone includes eleven listed buildings, among them the group Pevsner and Cherry thought the finest in Highgate.
Sources: Camden Council: Conservation areas, Camden Council: Listed buildings, Camden: Highgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Strategy (adopted October 2007)
Pre-application advice
Camden presents its advice before applying as a way to make the application simpler and improve the odds of approval, with two tiers for householders.
Its higher tier is for bigger proposals, several extensions together or a basement.
With the request, Camden wants a short description of the scheme, drawings or sketches with labels, and photos of the site.
Sources: Camden Council: Conservation areas, Camden Council: Pre-planning application advice for homeowners
Designing a basement
Haringey requires a Basement Impact Assessment as part of a basement application.
The neighbourhood plan's Policy DH7 adds its own tests where drainage or flooding problems may arise.
We bring the engineer into the design from the first sketch, because the structure and drainage decide the basement's shape.
Sources: Haringey: Development Management DPD (adopted July 2017), Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017)
From planning drawings to building control
Building regulations approval is different from planning permission, and most projects need both.
It can come from the council's building control team or a registered private approver.
After planning, our drawings are developed into a building control package, with structural details, fire protection and ventilation shown.
Source: GOV.UK: Building regulations approval
Roofs in a visible roofscape
Because of Highgate's hills, much of its roofscape can be seen from higher ground, the neighbourhood plan notes.
A front dormer is likely to be refused where a terrace's roofline is largely unimpaired.
We test a roof design in views from the street and from higher ground before it is drawn up for the council.
Source: Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017)
From measured survey to application
Design starts with a measured survey: floor plans, elevations, sections and levels across the garden, which on Highgate's slopes can differ by a storey from front to back.
We then draw two or three options for the brief, priced in outline, so the client can choose a direction before detailed design. The chosen option is developed into planning drawings, a design and access statement and, in a conservation area, a heritage statement.
After submission we answer the planning officer's questions, agree any conditions and prepare the details those conditions ask for, before building control drawings start.
Materials and details in a design
The neighbourhood plan treats original materials, finishes and decorative details as essential to Highgate's character, and expects replacement windows and doors to match the originals.
On the Haringey side, external wall insulation is supported in principle where it respects the building's character and significance.
Our drawings name each material, brick, mortar, render, roof covering and window section, so the council can see exactly what will be built.
Sources: Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017), Haringey: Development Management DPD (adopted July 2017)
Gardens, gaps and trees in a design
The plan values the gaps between houses, often with views of mature gardens, and asks side extensions not to block them.
It also says protecting mature trees helps limit the effect of larger buildings and basements on the water table.
We plot every tree near the work on the survey, with its root protection area, before the footprint of any extension is fixed.
Source: Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017)
Highgate projects we have designed and built
Questions about architectural design in Highgate
Which council will consider my application?
Camden or Haringey, depending on the address; the High Street marks the boundary.
Do I need a heritage statement?
In a Camden conservation area, yes: it describes the significance of the heritage assets affected.
Is pre-application advice worth it?
Camden says advice before applying improves the chance of approval.
Do I need building regulations approval as well as planning?
Usually. They are separate approvals and you might need both.
Does the neighbourhood plan apply to my design?
Within its area, yes, adopted by both Haringey and Camden in 2017.
What does architectural design in Highgate cost?
Pricing: quoted after a feasibility visit.
Sources: Camden: Highgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Strategy (adopted October 2007), Camden Council: Conservation areas, GOV.UK: Building regulations approval, Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017)
Sources
- Camden: Highgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Strategy (adopted October 2007)
- Highgate Neighbourhood Plan (adopted by Haringey in July 2017 and Camden in September 2017)
- Haringey: Development Management DPD (adopted July 2017)
- Camden Council: Highgate Conservation Area appraisal and management strategy
- Camden Council: Conservation areas
- Camden Council: Listed buildings
- Camden Council: Pre-planning application advice for homeowners
- GOV.UK: Building regulations approval
Control
Popular Guides for Highgate
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