GS Renovation designs and builds extensions throughout Forest Gate, from single-storey rear additions to full wrap-arounds on the Victorian and Edwardian terraces around West Ham Park and towards Stratford. Drawing on 30+ years in E7, we take care of foundations, steelwork, roofing and the full fit-out as one continuous project.
Side-return extensions in Forest Gate
The classic Forest Gate extension fills the side return, the narrow alley of dead space beside the rear closet wing that these terraces were built with. Widening the kitchen into that strip transforms a cramped galley into a proper open-plan kitchen-diner running the full width of the house. It usually needs a steel beam where the old external wall is removed, sized by an engineer and signed off under building regulations.
We dig and pour the foundations, often deeper than expected because of tree roots and clay in the E7 gardens, then build up in matching London stock brick so the addition reads as part of the original house. Rooflights or a lantern bring daylight into the middle of the plan, which these deep terraces badly lack. Rainwater, drainage and any existing manholes are all planned in from the start.
Planning and permitted development in E7
Many single-storey rear and side-return extensions in Forest Gate fall under permitted development, meaning they can proceed without a full planning application, though size limits and boundary distances apply. Larger projects, double-storey additions, or anything affecting the front elevation usually need planning permission from Newham Council. We assess your specific property honestly and tell you which route applies before you commit, rather than assuming.
Whichever route you take, the structure itself is controlled under building regulations, not planning, so the beams, foundations and insulation are inspected separately. Where your extension is built up to or along the boundary with next door, the Party Wall Act comes into play and notices are served. We handle these strands together so the drawings, the council submission and the party wall matters all move in step.
- Planning applications and permitted development assessments
- Bi-fold, sliding and French door openings to the garden
- Full fit-out, finishing and making good
- Drainage diversion and build-over agreements with the water authority
- Building control inspections at foundation, damp course and steel stages
The GS Renovation Difference in Forest Gate
Forest Gate families choose GS Renovation because we build extensions that suit E7's terraced plots, respecting the side return, the closet wing and the neighbours on both sides. One team manages groundworks, steel, roof and fit-out, and we are straight with you about permitted development versus a planning application, so there are no nasty surprises with Newham Council.
- Registered in England, Companies House no. 14611254
- Weathertight shell reached before the fit-out begins
- Garden levels and access made good where the build meets outside
- Structural engineer instructed and coordinated on your behalf
- Scaffolding and site set-up planned for tight London plots
- A dedicated project manager from first survey to handover