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 Castle Point.
We work with briefs across Benfleet, Thundersley, Hadleigh and Canvey Island. 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 394 applications and issued 385 decisions. Of those decisions, 302 were granted and 83 refused: a refusal rate of 21.6%.
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 280 decisions, with 46 refusals (16.4%). 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 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50.0% |
| Minor developments | 63 | 40 | 23 | 36.5% |
| Householder developments | 280 | 234 | 46 | 16.4% |
| Change of use | 24 | 14 | 10 | 41.7% |
| Advertisements | 9 | 8 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Listed building consent: alter or extend | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Listed building consent: demolish | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Relevant demolition in a conservation area | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| All categories | 385 | 302 | 83 | 21.6% |
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: 46. 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 / Castle Point
Castle Point's local restrictions extend beyond its historic residential streets. The council's permitted-development restrictions page lists directions for Florence Gardens, South Benfleet, Coombe Wood and the northern section of Coombe Wood. The woodland directions address particular activities, including enclosure and the introduction of trailers, caravans or mobile homes. Their purpose and coverage differ from the conservation-area controls, so use the actual direction and map for the site concerned.
For a house in South Benfleet, consult the conservation documents adopted in October 2025, including the appraisal, management plan and design code. Florence Gardens has its own appraisal and Article 4 direction protecting the character of its Salvation Army housing. These are distinct local contexts. As a useful design starting point, record the existing entrance, windows, chimney, roof covering and front boundary before deciding which elements to replace or extend.
Individual houses may also have permitted-development rights restricted by conditions on a previous planning permission. Castle Point offers planning-history advice to investigate those restrictions. We recommend checking that history alongside the area designation: absence from an Article 4 area does not settle the question. Present any proposed changes clearly in existing and proposed drawings, with a schedule that distinguishes repair, replacement and new construction.
Under the council's decision process, an application is checked for validity before assessment. The usual householder decision target is eight weeks from a valid submission, where possible; larger developments have a thirteen-week target. These are targets for a decision, not approval guarantees. The online register is the council's recommended route for checking progress.
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.
Castle Point: permitted development restrictions · Castle Point: conservation areas · Castle Point: how a planning application is decided
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.
Castle Point publishes a local validation checklist explaining the drawings and supporting information needed for a valid planning application. The council’s page identifies its updated final checklist following a 2026 consultation. Use the version available at submission, rather than an old checklist copied from a previous job.
Official Castle Point Borough Council guidance and records · Source reviewed 18 October 2026.
For a Canvey Island, Benfleet or Hadleigh property, include the full site address and any previous decision notice with your enquiry. We can establish the relevant authority and flag site-specific checks before preparing a proposed layout.
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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