Extension work in Old Street looks different from the terraced-street norm. Around EC1, GS Renovation works on warehouse conversions, new-build apartments and the occasional period house near Clerkenwell and Highbury. With 30+ years extending North London homes, we handle foundations, steelwork, roofing and fit-out, and we are honest about what Islington Council will and will not allow on a given building.
Extending houses near Old Street
Where a genuine house survives on the streets between Old Street and Clerkenwell, a rear or side-return extension can transform a cramped ground floor into an open-plan kitchen-diner. We dig and pour foundations sized to the ground conditions, install the steel beams that carry the existing rear wall, and tie the new roof into the old. Every opening is designed by a structural engineer and inspected under building regulations.
Whether the work is permitted development or needs a full planning application depends entirely on the property. A modest single-storey rear extension may fall under permitted development, but conservation area status, a flat above or previous additions can remove those rights and require permission from Islington Council. We assess your title and location first, then submit the right application rather than guessing and risking enforcement.
Extending apartments around Old Street
Most Old Street homes are flats, and extending a flat is a different discipline. Outward expansion is usually impossible, so we focus on what leasehold allows: enclosing a balcony, reconfiguring internal volume, or adding a mezzanine where a converted warehouse offers the ceiling height. Each option depends on the lease, the freeholder's licence to alter and the structural capacity of the existing floor, which our engineer confirms.
Any external change to a new-build or conversion in EC1 typically needs both the freeholder's consent and, where it alters the building's appearance, planning permission from Islington Council. We coordinate with the managing agent on access, working hours and protection of common parts, and we keep neighbouring leaseholders informed. The building regulations side, from structure to insulation and fire separation, is handled and signed off as part of the job.
- Bi-fold, sliding and French door openings to the garden
- Planning applications and permitted development assessments
- Foundations, groundworks and steel frames
- Party Wall Act notices for excavation near a neighbour's wall
- Trial holes to set foundation depth near drains and trees
Why Old Street Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
An Old Street extension is as much a permissions puzzle as a building one. GS Renovation reads the lease, the planning position and the structure together, then delivers foundations, steel, roof and fit-out with one accountable team. Three decades in EC1 and across Islington mean fewer surprises, cleaner approvals and a finish that suits these conversions and new-builds.
- Drainage diverted or built over with the right approval in place
- Itemised pricing, so you can see what every stage costs
- Fully insured, with cover in place on every site
- Insulation and thermal detailing to current regulations
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople
- Permitted development checked before you pay for a planning application