Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Adopted Documents We Assess Against

Documents are re-checked against the council's own website weekly. A detected change flags "Policy Update Available" for human review — live assessment standards are never replaced automatically.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames standards at a glance

7 numeric standards taken from Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames's own adopted documents, each shown with the paragraph it comes from. Figures differ between councils — these are this one's.

Rear extension depth

up to 3.5m

A single-storey rear extension in Kingston should generally stay within 3 to 3.5 metres deep, and the rear garden that's left afterwards should still be at least half of what you started with. Residential Design Guide SPD Policy Guidance 33

up to 3m

Height limits for a single-storey rear extension in Kingston depend on the roof: about 3 metres for a flat roof, 3.3 metres with a parapet, or up to 4 metres if it's pitched. Residential Design Guide SPD Policy Guidance 33

Side extension form

at least 0.25m

Keep a single-storey side extension in Kingston at least 250mm off the boundary - just enough that the guttering stays on your side. Residential Design Guide SPD Policy Guidance 35

at least 0.5m

A side extension in Kingston should usually start at least half a metre back from the front of the house. Residential Design Guide SPD Policy Guidance 35

Amenity neighbouring

at least 21m

Kingston want at least 21 metres between your windows and the habitable-room windows facing you. Residential Design SPD, Separation Distances

at least 15m

A two-storey side extension needs 15 metres between its flank wall and the front or back of the house it faces. Residential Design SPD, Separation Distances

up to 50%

Half your back garden has to survive the works in Kingston, counting anything already built out there. On a very small garden they will look at it case by case. Residential Design SPD chapter 4, Household Development

Standards are what the council normally expects, not a guarantee. A scheme outside them can still be approved on its merits, and one inside them can still be refused for another reason.

Authored Policy Library

10 local policy checks, each citation-locked to the adopted document. National policy (NPPF, national space and daylight standards) applies alongside these.

Residential Design Guide SPD

• Residential Design Guide SPD Policy Guidance 33 — Rear extension depth (2 checks) A single-storey rear extension in Kingston should generally stay within 3 to 3.5 metres deep, and the rear garden that's left afterwards should still be at least half of what you started with. Height limits for a single-storey rear extension in Kingston depend on the roof: about 3 metres for a flat roof, 3.3 metres with a parapet, or up to 4 metres if it's pitched.
• Residential Design Guide SPD Policy Guidance 34 — Two storey rear Two-storey rear extensions in Kingston need real separation from the boundary - built right up against a semi-detached party wall, or on a narrow terraced plot, this kind of extension is unlikely to be supported. The roof should stay below the existing ridge line.
• Residential Design Guide SPD Policy Guidance 35 — Side extension form (3 checks) A single-storey side extension in Kingston should generally be no wider than half the original house. Keep a single-storey side extension in Kingston at least 250mm off the boundary - just enough that the guttering stays on your side. A side extension in Kingston should usually start at least half a metre back from the front of the house.
• Residential Design Guide SPD (Dormer Windows guidance) — Roof alterations A rear dormer in Kingston should sit clear of the ridge and clear of the sides/eaves by about half a metre each way, and stay off the front roof slope.
• Residential Design SPD, Separation Distances — Amenity neighbouring (2 checks) Kingston want at least 21 metres between your windows and the habitable-room windows facing you. A two-storey side extension needs 15 metres between its flank wall and the front or back of the house it faces.
• Residential Design SPD chapter 4, Household Development — Amenity neighbouring Half your back garden has to survive the works in Kingston, counting anything already built out there. On a very small garden they will look at it case by case.