Loft Conversions in Northwood

City/Town Name: Northwood

Borough Name: London Borough of Hillingdon

Area: 2.9 Sq Miles

Population: 22,000

City Information

Northwood sits in the north west corner of the London Borough of Hillingdon, about fourteen and a half miles from Charing Cross. It grew up around the Metropolitan line, which reached the area in 1887, and the station is still what shapes daily life here. Commuters walk to fast trains into the centre of London, while the High Street around Green Lane keeps a village feel that a lot of outer London suburbs have lost. The town borders Ruislip Woods, one of the largest surviving areas of ancient woodland in London, and this has kept development around Northwood fairly low rise and green. Golf courses, including Northwood Golf Club, and the open land left over from old common land enclosures give the area more green space than most parts of the borough. Housing ranges from grand Edwardian houses near the centre to the 1930s semis that spread out from there as the Underground made commuting possible. Some roads, such as Linksway and Murray Road, are known locally for large detached homes on generous plots. The area also has a strong institutional presence, with Mount Vernon Hospital and the retirement home Denville Hall both long established locally. For a loft conversion company, Northwood is a good example of a town where older roof structures, generous plot sizes, and a mix of conservation controls all come into play on the same street.

Planning Notes

Hillingdon Council’s Planning and Building Control team handles all applications and enquiries for the borough, including Northwood. Most straightforward loft conversions in Hillingdon fall under permitted development, which means you do not need full planning permission as long as the work stays within set volume limits. For semi detached and detached houses, that limit is normally 50 cubic metres of extra roof space. For terraced houses it is 40 cubic metres. These limits cover many velux conversions and a fair number of rear dormers too. There are conditions attached. The new roof space cannot go higher than the highest part of the existing roof, materials need to be similar in appearance to the existing house, and any side facing windows need obscure glazing. Roof extensions cannot overhang the original outer wall, and dormer windows are usually only allowed on the rear or side roof slope, not the front. Properties in a conservation area face tighter rules again, since national permitted development rights are already reduced on Article 1(5) land, which is the technical term for conservation areas and similar designated land. Part of Northwood town centre falls inside the Northwood Town Centre and Green Lane Conservation Area, so homes there need to check this carefully before assuming permitted development applies. It is always worth getting a lawful development certificate from the council before starting work, even when a project looks like it fits within permitted development.

Article Notes

Hillingdon does have an Article 4 Direction, but it covers single storey rear extensions over 4 metres deep, not loft conversions. This Direction applies across the whole borough, including Northwood, and means planning permission is needed for that type of extension where it would otherwise have been permitted development. If your project combines a loft conversion with a larger single storey rear extension, this Direction is the one to check. Separately, part of Northwood town centre sits within the Northwood Town Centre and Green Lane Conservation Area, confirmed in September 2019. Being in a conservation area does not switch off permitted development completely, but it does tighten the rules that already apply to roof works, particularly around materials and front facing changes. Homes on the edges of this conservation area, and those on locally listed roads such as the old High Street, Chester Road and Hallowell Road, should check their exact boundary with the council before assuming standard permitted development limits apply.

Types of Houses

Northwood has a genuinely mixed housing stock for its size. Around the old High Street, Chester Road and Hallowell Road there are ornate Victorian houses built in good quality brickwork, some of which are locally listed for their architecture. Moving further out, the bulk of the town was built from the late 1920s onwards, giving Northwood a strong run of Edwardian and 1930s detached and semi detached homes, many with generous plots. Some of the borough's most sought after roads, including Linksway, Northgate and Murray Road, are lined with larger detached houses from this era. From the 1970s and 1980s, private estates of larger luxury detached homes were added, and these are now well established parts of the area. There are 22 listed buildings scattered across Northwood, reflecting its long history before large scale suburban development arrived with the railway.

Highlights

Northwood station on the Metropolitan line, with fast trains into central London
Northwood High Street and Green Lane, with independent shops, cafes and restaurants
Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve, bordering the town
Northwood Golf Club
Mount Vernon Hospital
Denville Hall, a well known retirement home for actors
RNIB Sunshine House specialist school
Local primary and secondary schools serving the Northwood catchment