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 Epping Forest.
We work with briefs across Epping, Loughton, Chigwell and Ongar. 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 1,338 applications and issued 1,307 decisions. Of those decisions, 878 were granted and 429 refused: a refusal rate of 32.8%.
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 777 decisions, with 186 refusals (23.9%). 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 | 38 | 14 | 24 | 63.2% |
| Minor developments | 339 | 185 | 154 | 45.4% |
| Householder developments | 777 | 591 | 186 | 23.9% |
| Change of use | 43 | 21 | 22 | 51.2% |
| Advertisements | 29 | 22 | 7 | 24.1% |
| Listed building consent: alter or extend | 76 | 42 | 34 | 44.7% |
| Listed building consent: demolish | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Relevant demolition in a conservation area | 4 | 3 | 1 | 25.0% |
| All categories | 1,307 | 878 | 429 | 32.8% |
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: 186. 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 / Epping Forest
Epping Forest district's conservation areas are not limited to compact historic centres. The council describes Nazeing and South Roydon as a broad historic landscape of settlements, fields, lanes and hedgerows; Baldwins Hill has a varied residential character overlooking the Forest. Its conservation-area guidance links to maps and appraisals. Establish which setting applies before deciding the footprint or roof form of an extension, and photograph views into the site as well as the existing building.
Within conservation areas, the council identifies side extensions, two-storey rear extensions, exterior cladding and dormer windows as works requiring planning permission. Trees introduce a separate consideration, with notice generally needed before relevant works. We recommend showing important trees and the relationship to neighbouring plots on the initial survey. For any proposed permitted-development route, ask the council to confirm whether an Article 4 direction or an earlier permission imposes additional site-specific restrictions before proceeding.
The Forest also has a separate ecological designation: JNCC identifies Epping Forest as a Special Area of Conservation. This is a different question from architectural conservation-area status. Where a project may affect that protected site, establish the relevant ecological assessment with the planning team; do not infer the answer simply from the property's postal address. For early feasibility, keep heritage and ecological findings clearly recorded alongside the design options.
The council's Statement of Community Involvement gives the normal decision target as eight weeks after a planning application is accepted as valid, or thirteen weeks for major development, with written extensions possible. This is a target for determination rather than guaranteed approval; allow preparation and specialist input separately.
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.
Epping Forest: conservation areas · JNCC: Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation · Epping Forest: Statement of Community Involvement, November 2019
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.
Epping Forest’s planning hub includes its interactive planning map, built heritage guidance, application validation requirements and guidance relating to the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation. Identify which of these affects the actual site before assuming a standard householder package will be sufficient.
Official Epping Forest District Council guidance and records · Source reviewed 18 October 2026.
For an Epping, Loughton or Chigwell proposal, an early constraints review should guide the brief and consultant appointments. We use that review to decide which design options are worth developing and which questions need specialist input.
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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