Permitted Development in a Conservation Area: Can You Extend?
10/11/2026
House Extensions in Tonbridge & Malling: A Checklist Before You Apply
10/11/2026
Planning a Kitchen Extension in Tonbridge: Layout, Light and Budget
A successful kitchen extension changes how your whole ground floor works. Extra floor area is useful only if it gives you space to cook, eat, relax and move through the house comfortably. Before choosing a roof lantern or sliding doors, work out what you want an ordinary day at home to feel like.
1. Start with the everyday problems you want to solve.
Write down situations that currently frustrate you: two people unable to cook together, a dining table blocking garden doors, or clutter with nowhere to go. Turn these into requirements drawings can test: clear circulation routes, dedicated storage, and food preparation zones.
2. Compare internal rearrangement before expanding the footprint.
Ask your architect to explore reworking existing rooms alongside extension options. Reworking internal layouts can improve circulation with less new construction, saving significant budget for high-specification finishes, bespoke joinery and premium glazing.
3. Draw the furniture and trace routes through the room.
An empty floor plan is deceptive. Draw your dining table, chairs, sofa and island with appliance doors open. Trace the walk from the front door to the garden, and ensure people setting the table don't collide with someone cooking at the hob.
4. Plan daylight for the whole house, not just the extension.
The new extension will gleam, but what happens to the room behind it? Introduce rooflights, internal glazed doors or lightwells to bring daylight into the heart of the ground floor. Include shading strategies early to prevent summer overheating.
5. What changes in a conservation area?
In Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Kent conservation areas, extension scale, roof form and materials must respect the original building. Contrasting contemporary extensions can work brilliantly when connection details and proportions are carefully handled.
6. Build a budget for the whole project, not just a build quote.
A builder's quote is only part of your investment. Factor in professional fees (architect, structural engineer, party wall surveyor), council fees, kitchen cabinetry, appliances, flooring, garden reinstatement, VAT and a 10–15% contingency for unforeseen ground conditions.
7. Know what comes after planning: technical design & party walls.
Building regulations approval is separate from planning permission and covers structural safety, insulation and fire compliance. Statutory Party Wall notices (requiring up to 2 months' advance notice) must also be scheduled before builders start on site.
8. Start with your home, not a catalogue image.
The best kitchen extensions feel like a natural part of the house, not an awkward bolt-on. Testing options in 3D allows you to experience daylight, sightlines, ceiling heights and furniture layout before committing to construction.
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Design from the inside out
Extra square footage is only valuable if it improves daily family life. Prioritising flow, zoning, storage and daylight over raw footprint creates extensions that are a joy to live in year-round.
Ready to plan your kitchen extension?
TP Evans Architects helps homeowners in Tonbridge and across Kent design beautiful, functional kitchen living spaces tailored to how their families live. Book a free consultation.
Planning a kitchen extension in Tonbridge or Kent?
TP Evans Architects offers a free initial appraisal. We explore layout options and 3D visualisations so you can be confident in your project before committing to builders.
