Planning Consultant in Ealing
Seven towns, one changing plan
Ealing is a borough of seven towns, from Acton and Ealing Broadway in the east to Southall, Northolt and Greenford in the west. Its planning rules are in transition, with a new Local Plan close to the end of its examination and borough-wide HMO controls now in force. Cedar Planning helps owners and developers work through both.
We are a Chartered practice led by Dan Malloy MRTPI, based in Norfolk and working across England, including London. We deal with London boroughs and the Planning Inspectorate regularly, and visit sites in Ealing whenever a project calls for it.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
Which plan decides an Ealing application in 2026?
Ealing's adopted policies are older than most in London. The Development (Core) Strategy dates from 2012 and the Development Management DPD was adopted on 10 December 2013, when it replaced the last saved policies of the 2004 Unitary Development Plan. Both sit beneath the London Plan 2021, which now carries much of the weight on housing, design and tall buildings.
A replacement is well advanced. The new Local Plan, covering 2024 to 2039, was submitted to the government on 18 November 2024. Two Inspectors held hearings in two blocks, the first between May and July 2025 and the second in December 2025. On 26 June 2026 they wrote to the council about main modifications. Adoption has not yet been announced, so emerging policies carry growing but not full weight.
The new plan is organised around the borough's seven towns: Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale and Southall. Each has its own spatial strategy and site allocations, which means the relevant town chapter matters as much as the borough-wide policies. We check where a site falls before advising on height, density or use.
One part of the borough is handled by a different planning authority. The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) decides applications in its area, which takes in much of Park Royal, and Ealing's CIL and HMO Article 4 directions do not apply there.
HMO permission now needed across Ealing
Since 14 November 2025 a non-immediate Article 4 Direction has removed the right to turn a family house into a small HMO for three to six people across the borough, outside the OPDC area. Perivale ward has been covered since 30 October 2024. A planning application is now required in each case.
Ealing-specific planning issues
With permitted development removed, every C3 to C4 change of use needs a full application. Evidence on local concentration, room sizes, amenity space and refuse storage decides most of these cases.
Bedford Park, Brentham Garden Estate, Hanger Hill Garden Estate and the Haymills Estate all have Article 4 Directions, so windows, doors, roofs and front boundaries often need permission.
The council takes a plan-led approach, steering taller schemes to identified sites and resisting speculative towers elsewhere. Height near Ealing Broadway, Acton and Southall is closely scrutinised.
Ealing's own Community Infrastructure Levy took effect on 1 March 2026, alongside the Mayoral CIL. Permissions granted on or after that date can attract both charges, so relief claims need care.
Planning services for Ealing projects
Each commission is priced as a fixed-fee quotation. These are the services Ealing clients ask us for most.
HMO Planning Permission
Applications for small and large HMOs now that the Article 4 Direction covers the whole borough outside OPDC, with evidence on concentration, space standards and neighbour amenity.
View servicePlanning Applications
Flats, infill homes and mixed-use schemes in Acton, West Ealing, Hanwell and Southall, framed against Policy 7B on design amenity and the London Plan housing standards.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Significance-led assessments for listed buildings and the borough's conservation areas, including the garden estates, prepared to meet Policy 7C on heritage.
View serviceLawful Development Certificates
Certificates for existing HMO uses, flats or outbuildings, which matter more now that new C4 uses need permission. We assemble the dated evidence the council expects.
View serviceClass MA Prior Approval
Commercial to residential conversions in town centres and on high streets, checked against the current Class MA conditions, natural light, noise and the effect on the local centre.
View serviceLocal Plan Representations
Responses to any main modifications consultation on the new Local Plan, for landowners with allocated or omitted sites in any of the seven towns.
View serviceEaling policy codes and the London Plan
The 2013 Development Management DPD has an unusual structure. It contains new Ealing policies, such as 3A on affordable housing, 7A on amenity, 7B on design amenity, 7C on heritage and 7D on open space, alongside local variations to numbered policies of the earlier London Plan, including 7.4 on local character and 7.7 on tall and large buildings.
In practice these are read with the London Plan 2021. Policy D3 sets the design-led approach to site capacity, D6 the housing quality and space standards, and D9 the criteria for tall buildings. The London Plan also names Southall and Old Oak and Park Royal as Opportunity Areas, where significant growth is expected and major schemes are tested accordingly.
Because both the local plan and the new plan are in play, we set out in each statement how a proposal meets the adopted policy and how it sits with the emerging one. That avoids surprises if adoption happens while an application is being decided.
Key policy areas we navigate
Daylight, sunlight, privacy and outlook for neighbours and future occupiers. Rear extensions and backland homes often turn on this policy.
Protection of listed buildings and conservation areas based on an analysis of significance, supported by the council's conservation area appraisals.
Expectations on schemes of ten or more homes, now read alongside the London Plan threshold approach and viability testing.
Development next to the Brent and other watercourses must respect buffer zones and the London Plan drainage hierarchy.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Ealing's rules have shifted quickly. Small HMOs moved from permitted development to full applications in 2025, borough CIL arrived in March 2026 and a new Local Plan is nearing adoption. Advice at the outset shows which of those changes applies to your site.
It also helps on sites near the Elizabeth line stations at Acton, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell and Southall, where density and height expectations differ sharply from the surrounding suburbs.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Planning Consultants Across London
We cover every council area in London. See our main London planning consultants page. If your application has been refused, see our Ealing planning appeal page.
Ealing Planning FAQs
Do I need planning permission for a small HMO in Ealing?
Yes, in almost all of the borough. The non-immediate Article 4 Direction came into force on 14 November 2025, and Perivale ward was covered from October 2024. Only the OPDC area is excluded. Our HMO Article 4 guide explains how applications are assessed.
My property was already an HMO before the Article 4 Direction. What should I do?
A use that lawfully began before the direction took effect does not need a new permission, but you may be asked to prove it. A Lawful Development Certificate backed by tenancy records, licensing history and council tax evidence gives lasting certainty.
When will Ealing's new Local Plan be adopted?
No date has been confirmed. The plan was submitted in November 2024, hearings ended in December 2025 and the Inspectors wrote to the council on main modifications in June 2026. A consultation on those changes would normally come before the final report and adoption.
Is Park Royal dealt with by Ealing Council?
Much of Park Royal falls within the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, which is the planning authority for its area and has its own Local Plan. We confirm the right authority before any application is prepared.
Does Ealing charge its own Community Infrastructure Levy?
Yes. The council adopted a charging schedule in December 2025 and it applies to CIL-liable permissions granted from 1 March 2026, in addition to the Mayoral CIL. Self-build and some other developments can claim relief if forms are submitted in time.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
Weighing up a project in Ealing, Acton or Southall? Book a free 15-minute call, or read our guidance on HMO planning and Lawful Development Certificates.