Extending a period home in Paddington calls for a builder who understands Westminster's planning rules and the age of the fabric. GS Renovation has spent more than 30 years working on Georgian and Regency townhouses across W2, delivering rear, side-return and wrap-around extensions with the foundations, steelwork and fit-out handled by a single team.
Planning and permitted development in Paddington
Whether a Paddington extension is permitted development or needs a full planning application depends heavily on the property. Many W2 houses sit within a conservation area, and a large number are listed, which removes or restricts permitted development rights and can require listed building consent. We help you establish where your home stands with Westminster City Council before design work commits you to a particular route.
For a rear or side-return extension on an unlisted terrace, permitted development may cover the work, but tight urban plots, boundary distances and the impact on neighbouring townhouses all need checking. Where a full application is required, we prepare for the drawings and the council's assessment. Getting the planning position right at the outset avoids enforcement problems later and keeps a period home's value intact.
Building a rear extension in Paddington
Once the route is agreed, the build follows a familiar sequence on Paddington's solid-walled homes. We form new foundations by hand where access is tight, tie the new structure into old masonry, and install steel beams sized by an engineer to carry the opening between the house and the extension. Every beam bears onto proper padstones and is signed off by building control before the works are closed up.
Rear closet wings and side returns are common on W2 terraces, and infilling them creates the bright kitchen-diner many owners want without losing the garden. You serve the party wall notices where the works affect a shared boundary, coordinate roofing, glazing and services, then complete the full internal fit-out. The finished extension respects the proportions and detailing of the original period house.
- Party Wall Act notices for excavation near a neighbour's wall
- Architectural drawings and structural engineer coordination
- Insulation, airtightness and thermal detailing to regulations
- Steel goalpost frames where the rear wall opens up
- Side-return and rear extensions
Why Paddington Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
Homeowners across Paddington choose GS Renovation because extending a listed or conservation-area property is not a job for a general builder. We understand Westminster's rules, the Party Wall Act and the way period fabric behaves, and we carry the project from foundations to final decoration. Over 30 years in W2 means fewer surprises and a build that lasts.
- Materials priced at options, so you choose the finish
- A written scope and programme agreed before work starts
- Structural engineer instructed and coordinated on your behalf
- Insulation and thermal detailing to current regulations
- Party Wall notices served for excavation near a neighbour's wall
- Building control inspected at foundation, damp course and steel stages