A whole house renovation in Radlett touches planning, heritage and building control at the same time, and this village carries more local controls than its size suggests. We coordinate the structural engineer, the trades and the inspections, and you deal with one point of contact throughout.
How Radlett's housing stock came to be what it is
It came out of a handful of estates sold off from the 1890s onwards. Residential development in Radlett began then, when the Kendals, Newberries and Aldenham Lodge estates started selling land. The Aldenham Lodge estate was sold in 1910 and the Newberries estate in 1935. The Radlett Plan records that between 1900 and 1914 residents were still employed locally, on farms and estates, in numerous sand and gravel pits, and on the railway.
By 1939 the present road layout in Radlett was largely formed and the Newlands and Kendalls estates were substantially developed, with a village population of about 3,500 living in around 800 homes. Hertsmere Borough Council's Design Guidance Supplementary Planning Document describes Radlett as a historic centre surrounded by 20th century suburban housing of varying form and character. That housing includes bungalows with generous rear gardens, and an area of post war local authority housing to the west.
The number of houses in Radlett, and of what kind
A buildings survey carried out for the Radlett neighbourhood plan in 2015 recorded 2,639 residential buildings in Radlett. Within that total it recorded 108 bungalows, 4.1 per cent of the stock, and 63 chalet bungalows, 2.4 per cent. At the 2011 Census the population of Radlett was 8,165, living in over 3,145 households.
Numbers of that order tell you something before anyone visits. The village is small enough that the borough has written policy about individual streets and individual house numbers. It is also old enough that a full renovation will meet lime mortar, solid masonry and services that have been added to in layers by successive owners. We survey for all three before a schedule of works is priced, because each one changes the order the trades come in.
Conservation areas, listed buildings and the local list
Both of Radlett's conservation areas have grown since they were designated. Radlett (North) was originally designated as the Watling Street, Park Road and Aldenham Road, Radlett Conservation Area. Its boundary was extended to the north west on 21 November 1996, to take in The Grove and numbers 14, 16, 18, 20 and Radlett Hall, Watling Street. Radlett (South) was originally the Radlett (Cobden Hill/Loom Lane) Conservation Area, and was extended in 1996 to include numbers 5 and 7 Aldenham Avenue, numbers 1 to 15 odd Christchurch Crescent, and The Vicarage, Churchfield.
Designation is not the only heritage layer. The Radlett neighbourhood plan area contains 23 listed buildings, of which one, Battlers Green House, is listed Grade II*. Hertsmere Borough Council also adopted its List of Locally Important Buildings on 1 July 2008, and buildings on that local list sit alongside the statutory listed buildings in the conservation areas. We check your address against both, and against the conservation area boundaries as extended, before any external work is designed.
One building control regime across the whole house
A full renovation is inspected as one project rather than a series of unrelated jobs. Hertfordshire Building Control states that building control teams check all aspects of construction, including foundations, damp proofing, structural issues, insulation, ventilation, heating, sanitation, the accessibility of a building, fire protection and means of escape in case of fire.
That list doubles as the running order. Foundations and structure are opened up and inspected first, damp proofing and insulation follow while walls and floors are still accessible, and services, ventilation and fire protection are signed off before finishes go on. We book the inspections against the programme rather than after the fact, so no completed surface has to be taken back off to prove what is behind it.
- Staircase repair, replacement and balustrade work
- Room by room programme so you can stay in the house
- First and second fix sequenced around a realistic decorating date
- Bespoke joinery, wardrobes and fitted storage
- Sash window overhaul, draught proofing and secondary glazing
Why Choose GS Renovation in Radlett
A whole house project needs someone holding the programme, and on a Radlett renovation that is us. Our base at Potters Bar is about five and a half miles away, close enough for the site visits a long job needs rather than the occasional flying inspection. You get one point of contact across the engineer, the trades and building control, instead of chasing a chain of separate firms. GS Renovation is fully insured, registered in England, company number 14611254, and rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder. Building control applications and inspections are coordinated for you, and quotations are free and carry no obligation.
- Materials priced at options, so you choose the finish
- Room by room handover so you can move back in stages
- Fully insured, with cover in place on every site
- A snagging list agreed and worked through before handover
- Free follow-up visit after completion if anything needs attention
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder