DOT Extensions & loft conversions in Derby
We built a kitchen extension and home office in Sinfin with no full planning application needed. Here’s the local knowledge that matters if you’re planning work on a Derby home: the river, the ground, the heritage areas, and who to apply to.
Local information last checked October 2026A kitchen extension and home office in Sinfin
Kitchen extension & home office
A single-storey rear extension that made the existing kitchen bigger and created a dedicated home office alongside it. It was built entirely under Permitted Development, so no full planning application was needed.
Read the case study →Derby’s housing, by the numbers
Figures from Derby City Council’s 2019 housing stock condition report. The “usually suits” notes are based on our experience as builders, not council rules.
Victorian & Edwardian terraces
Terraces make up over half the homes in Normanton, and over 40% in Arboretum and Abbey wards.
Usually suitsRear and side-return kitchen extensions, and rear dormer lofts within the smaller size limit for terraced houses.
Interwar & post-war semis
More than half of Derby’s homes were built between 1919 and 1980, across estates like Sinfin, Alvaston and Chaddesden.
Usually suitsSingle-storey rear extensions like our Sinfin job, hip-to-gable lofts, and garage conversions.
Newer estates
Oakwood, Chellaston and Littleover have a higher share of newer homes.
Usually suitsKitchen and garden-room extensions and loft conversions. Check your deeds first: some newer estates have covenants or had Permitted Development rights removed.
Four things we check on a Derby job
The River Derwent
The Derwent reached 3.35m in November 2019, flooding parts of Chester Green, Exeter House and Allestree. It then hit a record 3.58m in Storm Babet in October 2023.
The Our City Our River defences between Darley Abbey and River Gardens protected around 1,500 properties during Storm Babet. Some areas, like Exeter House and Meadow Road, still rely on 1960s defences.
If you’re near the river, check your address first.
Conservation areas & Article 4
Derby has 16 conservation areas, including Friar Gate, Darley Abbey, Allestree, Mickleover, Spondon, Little Chester, Strutts Park and the Arboretum.
Several have Article 4 directions, which take away some of the alterations you could normally make without planning permission. Darley Abbey is also part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
The ground under south Derby
Much of south Derby sits on Mercia Mudstone, which can contain gypsum, a mineral that can dissolve near the surface.
The British Geological Survey also records soft, compressible peat in places near Sinfin, and river gravels further south. This is why foundation depth and design are checked properly on every job, rather than assumed.
Coal mining: mostly not a city issue
There are no coal resources within Derby City itself. The coalfields sit to the north (around Belper and Ilkeston) and the south (around Swadlincote).
If you’re out that way, it’s worth a postcode check. Householder extensions don’t need a Coal Mining Risk Assessment for planning anyway.
Derby City, or one of the districts around it?
| If you live in… | Planning is handled by | Building control |
|---|---|---|
| Derby City Sinfin, Mickleover, Allestree, Littleover, Chaddesden, Alvaston | Derby City Council | Derbyshire Building Control Partnership |
| Amber Valley Belper, Duffield | Amber Valley Borough Council | Derbyshire Building Control Partnership |
| South Derbyshire Hilton, Etwall, Melbourne, Swadlincote | South Derbyshire District Council | Central Building Control Partnership |
| Erewash Ilkeston, Long Eaton | Erewash Borough Council | Erewash’s building control service |
Derby City Council offers householder pre-application advice for a fee (it was £100 when last set in 2023), which is useful if you’re in a conservation area. See the current fee.
Questions we get asked locally
Did your Sinfin extension need planning permission?
No. It was built under Permitted Development, so no full planning application was needed. Many single-storey rear extensions in Derby fall within those limits, and we check yours when we quote.
I live in Darley Abbey or Allestree. What’s different?
Both are conservation areas with Article 4 directions, and Darley Abbey is also in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. More of the work needs planning permission and the design needs more care, but extensions are still possible.
Is my home at risk from the river?
Parts of Derby near the Derwent have flooded in recent years. Check your address on the government’s flood risk service. If you’re in a risk area, we take it into account in the design.
Do you cover Belper, Ilkeston and Long Eaton?
Yes. They’re under different councils from Derby City, but we work across the area.
Useful next reads
We’ve linked to the official sources so you can check the detail for your own address. Council rules and fees change, so always confirm with your council before applying.
- Derby City Council: conservation areas
- Derby City Council: planning constraints
- Derby City Council: Defending Derby from its river (2023)
- Derby City Council: housing stock condition report 2019
- Derbyshire Building Control Partnership
- British Geological Survey: Littleover area report
- Gov.uk: coal mining risk assessments
Planning building work in Derby?
Tell us your address and what you’re after. We’ll tell you what needs permission and what it’s likely to cost.
Our services in Derby
Every service below is available in Derby and the villages around it, with a free site visit and fixed-price quote.