Architects in Harborne: 4 Victoria Road

Looking for architects in Harborne for a planning-led house extension? At 4 Victoria Road, Lapworth Architects secured consent for a two-storey rear extension with basement level and a raised terrace, designed to respect an Arts and Crafts semi-detached home and supported by daylight and privacy assessment under Birmingham’s 45-degree code.

Lapworth Architects secured planning consent for the extension and refurbishment of 4 Victoria Road in Harborne. The property is a semi-detached Arts and Crafts-style house within a varied residential street, set slightly higher than its neighbour and defined by long gardens and mature boundaries. The brief was to enlarge the house while preserving its architectural language and maintaining a good relationship with adjoining properties.

Project at a glance

• Location: Victoria Road, Harborne

• Scope: extension and refurbishment

• Planning route: revised full application following earlier prior approval

• Key interventions: two-storey rear extension with basement level, raised terrace, landscaping

• Neighbour considerations: daylight and privacy testing, terrace screening

• Policy context: Birmingham Design Guide SPD (2022) and NPPF

Design approach and built form

The commission followed an earlier prior approval consent for a six-metre-deep single-storey rear extension. That consent provided the planning context for a revised application introducing a two-storey rear extension with a basement level, a raised terrace and associated landscaping.

The design develops the original form of the dwelling without changing its presence on the street. Massing steps down toward the garden, and the new elements are composed to read as part of the existing structure rather than a bolt-on addition.

Materials and detailing

Materials and proportions were matched carefully to the host building. Red brickwork, clay roof tiles and timber joinery continue the established rhythm of the house. Detailing at eaves, window heads and boundaries follows the simple craft quality typical of Harborne’s Arts and Crafts properties.

The extension provides additional family living space opening onto the garden, with the raised terrace connecting directly to the lower lawn via new steps and screened edges.

Daylight, privacy and neighbour amenity

The planning submission addressed daylight and privacy through measured analysis under Birmingham City Council’s 45-degree code. The lower level of neighbouring plots helped mitigate perceived impact, and separation and outlook were considered across the long rear gardens.

To safeguard amenity, 1.8 metre obscure-glazed screens were specified to both sides of the raised terrace. The proposals were assessed against the Birmingham Design Guide SPD (2022) and the National Planning Policy Framework, and were approved in July 2025. The council report concluded that the extension would preserve the character of the host dwelling and the wider area.

Submission workflow

All drawings and documentation were prepared through UK Planning Gateway to maintain accuracy and consistency across submissions. The same workflow supports clear version control and council-ready application packages.

Architects in Harborne and the wider West Midlands

For clients searching for architects in Harborne, this scheme reflects Lapworth Architects’ approach to domestic design: careful massing, matched materials and planning coordination that protects neighbour amenity. We work across the wider West Midlands, including Edgbaston, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.

FAQs

What was delivered at 4 Victoria Road in Harborne?
Planning consent for an extension and refurbishment, including a two-storey rear extension with a basement level, a raised terrace and associated landscaping.

What was the planning context for the revised scheme?
The project followed an earlier prior approval for a six-metre-deep single-storey rear extension, which informed a subsequent full application for a more developed proposal.

How did the design respect the original Arts and Crafts house?
The street-facing scale was retained, the massing steps down toward the garden, and materials and proportions were matched so the new work reads as part of the existing composition.

What materials and details were used?
Red brickwork, clay roof tiles and timber joinery, with eaves and window detailing aligned with the host building’s Arts and Crafts character.

How were daylight impacts assessed?
Daylight and outlook were considered using Birmingham City Council’s 45-degree code, with the site levels and relationship to neighbouring plots informing the assessment.

How was privacy protected for neighbours?
Obscure-glazed screens at 1.8 metres were specified to both sides of the raised terrace to prevent overlooking.

How was the submission managed?
All drawings and documents were coordinated through UK Planning Gateway, supporting clear version control and consistent submissions.