Chelmsford's residential stock divides into two broad groups for airspace purposes. The city centre and the streets around Moulsham Street, New London Road, and Springfield Road carry a meaningful number of 1960s and 1970s residential blocks, mansion-style flats, and mixed-use buildings where the structure can take an additional storey. The outer suburbs through Springfield, Great Baddow, and Galleywood are mostly detached and semi-detached homes where upward extensions and bungalow-to-two-storey conversions come forward. Our Essex team covers Chelmsford alongside Wickford, Brentwood, and the rest of the county.
The practice is RICS regulated and has worked on residential extension and rooftop schemes for many years. Larger schemes typically run alongside airspace development advice on feasibility, planning routes, and the supporting surveys required for submission.
As well as providing daylight, sunlight and rights of light advice, our role would be to make contact with the occupants of the existing building to establish any concerns regarding the development. We will work closely with the professional team to identify the initial questions and look at how these can be addressed.
It is our experience that maintaining the same point of contact for the duration of the project offers the existing occupants’ reassurance and continuity.
The work splits by project type. For a single-home upward extension or bungalow conversion, the focus is neighbour liaison, party wall procedure, rights of light risk to adjoining homes, and protection of the building below during construction. Notices under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 are served on every adjoining owner where a party wall is involved, and the response window affects when the work can start.
On larger rooftop schemes in the city centre, the existing occupants liaison role is the central piece. We make first contact with leaseholders below the proposed units, attend meetings to address concerns, record Schedules of Condition for each affected flat, and remain the named point of contact through the build. Practical site issues, parking, deliveries, scaffolding, access, are dealt with as they come up alongside party wall services on the building itself.
Airspace projects in Chelmsford almost always sit alongside daylight and sunlight, rights of light, and party wall workstreams on the same scheme. The same surveyor stays on the project from instruction to handover.
Over the past four years, CHP have worked very successfully with us in their capacity as party wall surveyors. Through his calm, sensible approach and excellent communication skills James Crowley, in particular, gained the trust and confidence of the entire team and stakeholders. Looking forward to working with CHP again.”
- Clare Goggin, Jackson Coles
Chelmsford City Council reviews airspace applications against design, height, daylight and sunlight impact on neighbouring residential windows, parking, and the character of the surrounding area. The city centre conservation areas and listed building constraints rule out some sites altogether, while suburban areas tend to be more permissive.
Some upward extensions on houses can proceed under permitted development with a prior approval application, while rooftop additions to blocks of flats almost always need a full planning application. Right of light is normally a separate common law matter from planning. Rights of light assessments sit outside the planning process but often run in parallel. A free initial assessment covers the most likely route for a given site.
Get in touch.
Head Office
2-6 Boundary Row
London, SE1 8HP
Essex Office
2-6 Boundary Row
London, SE1 8HP
020 3714 4090
Get in touch.
Head Office
2-6 Boundary Row
London, SE1 8HP
Essex Office
2nd Floor, 10 High Street
Wickford, Essex
SS12 9AZ
020 3714 4090
enquiries@chpsurveyors.com
