With over 25 years of experience, Horizon Architecture brings together architectural design, interiors and technical coordination. We work with you to understand the property, compare options and develop the information each stage needs. Clear fees, fast responses and an agreed programme keep you informed as your project moves forward.
Horizon Architecture · London and Essex
Architectural design and planning support for homeowners, property developers and businesses in Brentwood.
We work with briefs across Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone. Horizon Architecture provides design, planning drawings and technical coordination for residential and commercial projects. We serve the area by arrangement; this page does not describe a separate local office.
OFFICIAL PLANNING DATA / APRIL 2025–MARCH 2026
From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, the authority received 739 applications and issued 717 decisions. Of those decisions, 593 were granted and 124 refused: a refusal rate of 17.3%.
Received applications and decisions are separate flows: a decision during the year may concern an application received earlier. The refusal rate is refusals divided by decisions, not by applications received. These council-wide figures do not predict the outcome of an individual proposal.
Householder developments accounted for 432 decisions, with 64 refusals (14.8%). This category includes qualifying extensions and alterations within a house’s curtilage; flats and the creation of additional homes fall outside it.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see all figures.
| Development category | Decided | Granted | Refused | Refusal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major developments | 18 | 14 | 4 | 22.2% |
| Minor developments | 185 | 145 | 40 | 21.6% |
| Householder developments | 432 | 368 | 64 | 14.8% |
| Change of use | 19 | 15 | 4 | 21.1% |
| Advertisements | 34 | 28 | 6 | 17.6% |
| Listed building consent: alter or extend | 29 | 23 | 6 | 20.7% |
| Listed building consent: demolish | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Relevant demolition in a conservation area | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| All categories | 717 | 593 | 124 | 17.3% |
The eight categories are separate and add up to the authority total. “—” means no decisions in that category, so no refusal percentage can be calculated.
No. The official return combines full, outline and reserved-matters applications, section 73 variations or removal of conditions, and related consents such as listed-building and advertisement consent. Major and minor describe development categories, not the permission route. These tables do not supply a reliable full-applications-only total or received applications by category.
Prior approvals and lawful development certificates are reported separately. Discharge of conditions, non-material amendments and county matters are outside these totals.
The table shows refusals by development category. Householder developments had the largest number of refusals in this authority: 64. That is a count, not a measure of how difficult an individual proposal will be.
The aggregate return does not record reasons for refusal. For a particular property, review the council’s decision notice, officer report and relevant policies. Read our planning refusal review guide for the next steps.
Source: MHCLG January–March 2026 archived tables (ZIP), PS1 and PS2 returns; four quarters summed. Official definitions and exclusions. Published 19 June 2026; figures checked 30 October 2026.
LOCAL PLANNING / Brentwood
Brentwood's conservation areas include quite different settings: Ingatestone High Street and Station Lane, village centres such as Blackmore, and historic park landscapes including Thorndon Park and Weald Park. The council's conservation-area directory provides individual boundary maps and available appraisals. Check the mapped site boundary instead of assuming that a town or village name tells you whether a particular house is designated. The appropriate design response will depend on the character identified for that area.
For an extension or alteration, use the appraisal to frame the design discussion: which elevations are visible, how the roof relates to adjoining buildings, and whether a garden boundary or open setting contributes to the place. We recommend taking contextual photographs before producing alternative layouts. A scheme that works internally still needs a convincing external relationship with its surroundings, and that relationship should be apparent in the submitted elevations and materials information.
Brentwood's planning constraints guidance identifies Article 4 direction areas and explains that listed-building works can require a separate consent. Ask Planning Services to confirm the current direction and property coverage before relying on permitted development. That general page includes references to older legislation and plans, so the actual direction and current policy documents should govern the project-specific check.
The council's Statement of Community Involvement describes the usual eight-week decision period after validation for non-major planning applications, including householder proposals, and allows an agreed extension. Treat this as a determination target, not a promise of permission. Leave time before submission to resolve the conservation and application-document requirements.
Our Essex two-unit residential design and construction drawings show the relationship between architectural layout, interiors and technical information. The published project identifies Essex rather than a specific council area, so it is presented as a wider-county example.
Brentwood: conservation areas and appraisals · Brentwood: general advice and planning constraints · Brentwood: Statement of Community Involvement, December 2018
Check the exact property address and planning authority before preparing your submission. Postcodes and postal town names do not always identify the local planning boundary.
Brentwood’s planning service brings together its Local Plan, application register, heritage and tree guidance, and Building Control information. Use these resources together: a promising layout should also be tested against the site’s planning designation and any relevant heritage or tree constraints.
Official Brentwood Borough Council guidance and records · Source reviewed 18 October 2026.
For a Brentwood or Shenfield home, we start by comparing the street-facing appearance with the existing building and rear garden arrangement. For village or sensitive sites, the early review can also establish whether a heritage or arboricultural specialist should join the design team.
Explore our house extension design, loft conversions, new build architecture, interior design and Building Regulations drawing packages. For an existing refusal, see our planning refusal review service.
Your appointment defines the services included. Statutory application charges, surveys and specialist consultant fees are identified separately. Council approval is an independent decision and cannot be guaranteed.
Yes. We start with the available plans, your brief and the site constraints, then agree whether a measured survey, planning submission and technical package are required.
The planning and technical stages serve different purposes. Your quotation should identify the construction details, engineering and other consultant inputs needed for the intended work.
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Send your site address, photographs, existing plans if available, a short brief and your intended timetable. We will review the information and explain the next step and scope of a quotation.
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