Planning Consultant in Hounslow
From Chiswick to the Heathrow fringe
Hounslow runs from the Victorian streets of Chiswick and the riverside at Brentford and Isleworth out to Feltham, Bedfont and the edge of Heathrow. Between them sit the Great West Road, a borough-wide HMO control and a Local Plan that has spent 2026 in front of two Inspectors.
Cedar Planning is led by Dan Malloy MRTPI and works across England from its Norfolk base. We act for clients in London boroughs and at appeal, and we visit Hounslow sites whenever the proposal needs it.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
Where Hounslow's Local Plan stands in autumn 2026
The Hounslow Local Plan 2015 to 2030 was adopted on 15 September 2015 and is still the council's main development plan. When the Inspector examined it, the council was asked to prepare separate reviews for the Great West Corridor and the West of Borough, which is why its strategic policies SV1 and SV2 point to further plans.
Those area reviews stalled in 2022 after the examining Inspectors raised procedural and legal concerns. The council responded by folding everything into a single document, the Hounslow Local Plan 2020 to 2041, which was submitted to the Secretary of State on 23 June 2025.
Stage 1 hearings ran from January to March 2026 and Stage 2 hearings from May to July 2026. In September 2026 the council published updated housing trajectory and employment evidence and a revised schedule of suggested modifications. Adoption has not yet happened, so the emerging policies carry weight that grows as the examination closes.
For applicants that means two sets of policy to address. We set out compliance with the 2015 plan and explain how a proposal sits with the modified 2041 plan, so a decision taken either side of adoption is on firm ground.
Hounslow's HMO direction has exclusions
Since 4 September 2023 a borough-wide Article 4 Direction has required permission to turn a house into a small HMO. It excludes open land, industrial areas, Chiswick Business Park, Bedfont Lakes Business Park and Mogden Sewage Works, so the precise location matters.
What shapes planning in Hounslow
Much of the west lies under Heathrow's approach and departure routes. Policy EQ5 on noise and EC3 on Heathrow Airport mean new homes need a noise assessment and careful internal layouts.
The Golden Mile and the A4 corridor through Brentford and Osterley form a London Plan Opportunity Area, where tall buildings and large employment schemes are expected but tested hard on heritage views.
Land around Bedfont, Hatton and Cranford is Green Belt, and other open spaces are Metropolitan Open Land. Policy GB1 protects both from inappropriate development.
An Article 4 Direction effective from 22 April 2025 removes Class MA and ZA rights in town centres, neighbourhood centres, industrial land and key office locations.
Hounslow planning services
We provide a fixed-fee quotation for each piece of work. These are the services Hounslow clients use most.
HMO Planning Permission
Applications for HMOs across the borough, addressing Policy SC10 on HMOs and hostels, the space standards in Policy SC5 and the concentration of shared housing nearby.
View serviceHouseholder Applications
Extensions and loft conversions in Chiswick, Isleworth and Hounslow West, framed against Policy SC7 on residential extensions and any conservation area controls.
View servicePlanning Applications
Flats, infill homes and conversions under Policy SC6, which manages the sub-division of family houses, with noise evidence where Heathrow flight paths are relevant.
View serviceClass MA Prior Approval
Commercial to residential conversions on sites outside the April 2025 Article 4 Direction, checked against the national conditions and the council's mapped areas.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Significance-led reports for Chiswick, Strand on the Green, Isleworth and Brentford conservation areas and for settings of Syon Park, Osterley Park and Gunnersbury Park.
View serviceLocal Plan Representations
Responses to the main modifications consultation expected when the 2041 plan examination moves forward, for owners of allocated and omitted sites.
View servicePolicy codes applied in Hounslow
The 2015 plan groups its policies by theme. CC1 covers context and character, CC2 urban design and architecture, CC3 tall buildings and CC4 heritage. Housing sits in the SC series, from SC4 on scale and density to SC11 on student accommodation. Environmental quality includes EQ4 on air quality, and Green Belt, open space and the Blue Ribbon Network fall under the GB policies.
The London Plan 2021 names two Opportunity Areas that reach into Hounslow. The Heathrow area, shared with Hillingdon, has an indicative capacity of 13,000 homes. Within the Great West Corridor, the council launched its Golden Mile London programme on 11 March 2026, a 15-year plan for about 14,000 homes and 25,000 jobs along four kilometres of the Great West Road. London Plan Policy D9 on tall buildings and SI 12 on flood risk are regularly cited too.
Two Article 4(2) Directions protect details in the Bedford Park and Gunnersbury conservation areas, where windows, doors, roofs and front boundaries often need consent. Hounslow has also charged its own Community Infrastructure Levy since 2015, alongside the Mayoral CIL.
Key policy areas we navigate
Height is directed to specific locations, with the effect on Kew Gardens World Heritage Site and riverside views a recurring issue in Brentford.
Splitting family houses into flats is controlled to protect the supply of larger homes, with minimum standards for the units created.
Sites near the Thames, the Crane and the Duke of Northumberland's River often need a flood risk assessment and a sequential test.
Development near the airport must avoid harm to its safe operation and address noise, air quality and car parking linked to airport activity.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Hounslow is in the closing stages of a Local Plan examination, with a modified set of policies likely to be adopted in the near future. A proposal that suits the 2015 plan can still struggle against the 2041 plan's emerging approach to density, height or employment land, so both need testing.
Aircraft noise, flood zones and the patchwork of Article 4 boundaries also make early advice useful. A short appraisal often shows whether a certificate, prior approval or full application is the right route.
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.
Hounslow Planning FAQs
Has Hounslow adopted its new Local Plan yet?
Not as of September 2026. The Hounslow Local Plan 2020 to 2041 was submitted in June 2025 and hearings ran in two stages between January and July 2026. The council has since published updated evidence and suggested modifications, which normally lead to a consultation before the Inspectors report.
Is my Hounslow property covered by the HMO Article 4 Direction?
Probably, as the direction covers the whole borough apart from open land, industrial areas, two business parks and Mogden Sewage Works. If a C4 use began lawfully before 4 September 2023, a Lawful Development Certificate can confirm it.
Can I build new homes under the Heathrow flight path?
Yes, but Policy EQ5 and the London Plan require a noise assessment. Mitigation such as acoustic glazing, mechanical ventilation and bedroom placement is usually needed, and sites with the highest exposure can be refused.
What extra controls apply in Bedford Park and Gunnersbury?
Both conservation areas have Article 4(2) Directions that remove some householder permitted development rights. Replacing windows, altering roofs or changing front boundaries can need permission there. A heritage statement is usually required.
Are tall buildings supported in Brentford and on the Golden Mile?
The Great West Corridor is an Opportunity Area and Policy CC3 allows height in identified locations, but proposals are tested against views from Kew Gardens, Syon Park and the river. Evidence on townscape and heritage is essential for anything well above its neighbours.
Can I still use Class MA to convert a shop in Hounslow?
Only outside the areas covered by the direction in force since 22 April 2025. That includes town centres and many neighbourhood parades, so a full application is often needed. We check the council's maps before advising.
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.
Considering a project in Chiswick, Brentford, Hounslow or Feltham? Arrange a free 15-minute call, or read about HMO planning and the sequential test.