subject: West London house extensions threaten to deface city [print this page] Extensions to houses in West London which don't need planning permission are goldmines for builders so homeowners should shop around to steer clear of profiteers who would deface areas to strike it rich.
Past governments have failed to designate enough land for affordable housing and the West London home extension-building business has proved very profitable indeed.
One can usually build full-width, single storey, rear home extensions in West London to a depth of three metres with no planning permission, which is why small contracts can also be good if you get enough of them.
I'm no fan of local authority red tape which puts the brakes on so many would-be construction projects.
However, it should be noted that I also believe planning officers play a pivotal role in moderating the types of development which may receive the green light, but not when it comes to house extensions in West London it seems.
The unbridled building of home extensions in West London would be undeniably awful for the character of local neighbourhoods.
This is why I strongly believe that any ethical builder who is commissioned to help a homeowner realise the potential of their real estate using a basic home extension in West London, or anywhere else, should always stress the social utility of keeping the development stylistically in-keeping with the surrounding area.
Clinton Foakes, a friend who runs a construction company which undertakes a lot of home extension work in West London areas like Kensington and Chelsea, told me recently that he has made the more stylistically appropriate West London house extension his trademark.
He summed up his considerations to me once saying: "The last thing we want to do is to deface our neighbourhoods by building a Lego extension on a Mechano house."
