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 Rochford.
We work with briefs across Rochford, Rayleigh and Hockley. 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 526 applications and issued 472 decisions. Of those decisions, 374 were granted and 98 refused: a refusal rate of 20.8%.
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 298 decisions, with 56 refusals (18.8%). 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 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Minor developments | 122 | 84 | 38 | 31.1% |
| Householder developments | 298 | 242 | 56 | 18.8% |
| Change of use | 14 | 12 | 2 | 14.3% |
| Advertisements | 13 | 12 | 1 | 7.7% |
| Listed building consent: alter or extend | 15 | 14 | 1 | 6.7% |
| Listed building consent: demolish | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Relevant demolition in a conservation area | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| All categories | 472 | 374 | 98 | 20.8% |
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: 56. 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 / Rochford
Rochford's appraisal directory contains an important practical warning: some boundary maps within older appraisals have been superseded. Separate revised maps are supplied for Rayleigh, Rochford, Canewdon High Street, Canewdon Church and Great Wakering. Use those current boundary downloads when checking a property. The directory also identifies Battlesbridge as a conservation area shared with Chelmsford, making it particularly important to confirm which authority covers the precise site.
The council's conservation guidance records Article 4 directions for Battlesbridge, Canewdon High Street, Great Wakering, Paglesham Churchend, Paglesham East End, Rayleigh and Rochford. These restrict specified permitted-development works; the relevant elevation and its relationship to a highway or other defined location can matter. Read the direction alongside the design, rather than applying a blanket assumption to every property alteration. Include proposed changes to doors, windows and exterior finishes in that check.
We recommend assembling the boundary map, relevant appraisal extract and photographs of the existing frontage before choosing materials or finalising an extension. Where a garden or access arrangement changes, show how the proposal relates to neighbouring buildings and the street. This creates a clearer basis for discussing what should be retained, repaired or adapted, and avoids treating conservation as an issue limited to the main roof or front wall.
Rochford's planning FAQs describe an eight-week period for most planning decisions, with written extensions where needed. For a householder proposal, programme that target from a valid application; it is not guaranteed approval. The council separates registration, validation and determination, so allow preparation and any missing-information corrections before relying on a decision date.
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.
Rochford: conservation appraisals and revised boundaries · Rochford: conservation areas and Article 4 controls · Rochford: planning FAQs
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.
Rochford distinguishes householder, minor and major application routes in its planning guidance. Its published guidance also states that its pre-application service is currently offered for major schemes. Check the current service before building a programme around pre-application feedback for a smaller project.
Official Rochford District Council guidance and records · Source reviewed 18 October 2026.
For a Rayleigh loft conversion, Hockley extension or Rochford commercial alteration, we first establish the existing use and the scope of physical works. That allows us to identify the relevant application route and coordinate a proportionate drawing and report package.
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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