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
Find architectural services and the relevant local planning authority for your property in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.
Horizon Architecture supports homeowners, developers and businesses with house extensions, loft conversions, new homes, interiors and coordinated drawing packages. Choose the council responsible for your site to find its official guidance and a practical starting point for your brief.
Each council guide now includes a local planning summary covering the consent route, conservation or other address-specific checks, and how to interpret decision times. Follow the linked council sources for the exact property and proposal.
Read the application requirements before commissioning the submission package. Missing information can delay validation, and a published decision target is not a promise of approval. Our Essex portfolio example is labelled as wider-county work because its published location does not identify a specific council.
The directory covers the 12 city, borough and district councils within the Essex County Council area, plus the separate unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock. It is organised by planning authority rather than every town or parish council. Local government reorganisation is underway; confirm the responsible authority when making an application.
Basildon, Billericay and Wickford
View council guide and architectural services →Braintree, Witham and Halstead
View council guide and architectural services →Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone
View council guide and architectural services →Benfleet, Thundersley, Hadleigh and Canvey Island
View council guide and architectural services →Chelmsford, Writtle and South Woodham Ferrers
View council guide and architectural services →Colchester, Tiptree and West Mersea
View council guide and architectural services →Epping, Loughton, Chigwell and Ongar
View council guide and architectural services →Harlow and Old Harlow
View council guide and architectural services →Maldon, Heybridge and Burnham-on-Crouch
View council guide and architectural services →Rochford, Rayleigh and Hockley
View council guide and architectural services →Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and Harwich
View council guide and architectural services →Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow, Stansted Mountfitchet and surrounding villages
View council guide and architectural services →Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, Westcliff-on-Sea and Shoeburyness
View council guide and architectural services →Grays, Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope and surrounding communities
View council guide and architectural services →Check the exact site address against the council’s planning map or register. A postal address described as Essex is not enough to identify the authority. Ordinary householder and commercial applications normally go to the relevant local planning authority; Essex County Council also has distinct county planning responsibilities.
Essex County Council: local planning authorities · Southend and Thurrock’s separate status
For an existing house, the first question may be whether to extend, reorganise the ground floor or explore the roof space. For a development site or commercial unit, we begin with the intended use, access, available information and the project brief. The consent route and consultant appointments follow that assessment.
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.
Explore our Essex residential new-build project for an example of architectural and interior design coordination. Project location and appointment scope are described on the project page.
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.
Discuss your projectOFFICIAL PLANNING DATA / APRIL 2025–MARCH 2026
Compare the same reporting period as our London borough guides. This covers the 12 Essex districts plus Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock. Follow a council link for its development-category breakdown and methodology.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see all figures.
| Council | Received | Decided | Granted | Refused | Refusal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basildon | 907 | 806 | 698 | 108 | 13.4% |
| Braintree | 968 | 927 | 795 | 132 | 14.2% |
| Brentwood | 739 | 717 | 593 | 124 | 17.3% |
| Castle Point | 394 | 385 | 302 | 83 | 21.6% |
| Chelmsford | 1,243 | 1,304 | 1,136 | 168 | 12.9% |
| Colchester | 1,137 | 1,074 | 886 | 188 | 17.5% |
| Epping Forest | 1,338 | 1,307 | 878 | 429 | 32.8% |
| Harlow | 289 | 278 | 233 | 45 | 16.2% |
| Maldon | 539 | 444 | 385 | 59 | 13.3% |
| Rochford | 526 | 472 | 374 | 98 | 20.8% |
| Tendring | 889 | 837 | 710 | 127 | 15.2% |
| Uttlesford | 1,269 | 1,247 | 959 | 288 | 23.1% |
| Southend-on-Sea | 892 | 904 | 727 | 177 | 19.6% |
| Thurrock | 692 | 671 | 547 | 124 | 18.5% |
Refusal rate = refused ÷ decided × 100. Received and decided applications are separate flows. Totals combine several planning routes and related consents; they are not limited to full planning applications. Differences in the mix of applications mean these percentages should not be treated as a ranking of councils or a forecast for your project.
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.
