Brent's residential stock is unusually mixed. The mansion blocks across Kilburn, Cricklewood, Willesden Green, and parts of Kensal Green carry significant concentrations of mid-rise residential buildings suited to rooftop schemes. The post-war and 1960s estates across Wembley, Stonebridge, and Harlesden add another concentration of buildings where airspace work comes forward. Outer parts of the borough through Sudbury, Kingsbury, and Wembley Park carry 1930s semis and Victorian terraces, where the work shifts to upward extensions and bungalow conversions on individual homes. Our work covers Brent from our London office.
We specialise in chartered surveying on dense urban sites where rooftop and upward extension schemes are most common, and the practice is RICS regulated with over 30 years of combined experience. Party wall services are nearly always involved given the borough's dense building pattern.
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.
Rooftop additions to mansion blocks across Kilburn, Cricklewood, and Willesden account for a meaningful share of our Brent work. The existing occupants liaison role is central. We make initial contact with each leaseholder below the proposed units, attend meetings to discuss concerns, prepare Schedules of Condition for the flats directly below the new units, and act as the named point of contact through construction.
On rooftop additions to the borough's post-war and 1960s estates across Wembley and Harlesden, the same liaison process applies on a different building type. Day-to-day issues, scaffolding placement, deliveries, parking restrictions, access, get handled as they arise. On homeowner-led upward extensions across the outer suburbs, the focus shifts to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, and daylight and sunlight reports typically form part of the planning submission.
Airspace work in Brent typically sits 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
Risk on a Brent airspace scheme sits in two places: damage to the building or flats below during construction, and disputes with existing occupants or adjoining owners. A thorough Schedule of Condition removes the first by documenting the building's state before work begins. Structured occupant liaison and a named point of contact removes most of the second.
Planning sits with the London Borough of Brent, which reviews airspace proposals on design, height, neighbour amenity, parking, and area character. Conservation areas across Kilburn, Queen's Park, and parts of Willesden bring additional heritage considerations into play. A free initial assessment covers feasibility and the most likely planning route on a given site, alongside the supporting workstreams that will run in parallel.
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
