Sheldon Peever Studio

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Sheldon Peever Studio

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Architect's Practice based in St Albans. Working across London, Herts, Bucks, Cambs and Essex.

28/10/2026

Planning an extension or renovation? It could be the right time to future-proof the rest of your property.

The new National Planning Policy Framework gives greater planning weight to improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings and installing renewable or low-carbon technologies. Heat pumps and solar panels are specifically recognised in the policy.

That means a renovation could be an opportunity to look beyond the new extension and consider things such as insulation, the existing building fabric, heating and renewable energy at the same time.

Living in a Conservation Area or listed building doesn't automatically prevent energy improvements either – but they need to be carefully designed alongside the heritage considerations that protect the building or area.

We increasingly look at projects as a whole: how can we create the extra space a family needs while also making the existing property more comfortable and energy efficient?

If you're considering extending or renovating your property, message us to discuss what could be achieved.

24/10/2026

✨ Our new website is LIVE! ✨

A fresh new look for Sheldon Peever Studio!

We've been working behind the scenes to create a website that better reflects who we are, what we do and, most importantly, how we help our clients bring their ideas to life.
From transforming homes to creating inspiring commercial spaces, we're passionate about thoughtful design, practical solutions and making the journey from concept to completion as smooth as possible.

Explore our projects
Discover how we work
Find out how we can help with your next project
Take a look — link in bio!

21/10/2026

Have you got unused space at the bottom or side of your garden?

It may now be worth taking another look at it.

The new National Planning Policy Framework gives greater planning weight to creating additional homes and floorspace within existing residential plots, including additional homes within residential curtilages.

There are still safeguards. As a general starting point, development should normally occupy no more than twice the footprint of the existing buildings on the site and leave at least 50% of the currently undeveloped area. It also needs to work with the character of the area and protect neighbouring homes in terms of privacy, daylight, sunlight and amenity.

But those figures are not an automatic hard cap. The policy allows more flexibility where additional development can be accommodated without harming the overall character of the area and where the location and infrastructure can support it.

So a large garden doesn’t automatically equal planning permission – but neither should its potential necessarily be dismissed.

If you have a larger plot and want to understand what might realistically be achievable, message us and we can take an initial look.

14/10/2026

Need more space at home? It might be worth looking up.

The Government's new National Planning Policy Framework gives explicit support to opportunities for creating additional homes and floorspace by making better use of existing buildings and plots.

That can include things such as adding a well-designed upward extension, introducing a mansard roof, filling an obvious gap in a roofline or, in the right location, allowing greater height on a corner site.

If you've been assuming that extending outwards is your only option, it may be worth exploring what could be achieved within or above the existing building.

Get in touch if you'd like us to assess the possibilities for your property.

07/10/2026

Can you extend a house in the Green Belt? Yes – but there’s a little more to consider.

If your home is within the St Albans District Council Green Belt, the Council looks at how much the property has already increased in size compared with the original building as it was built.

The new Local Plan gives guidance on the amount of additional floorspace and volume that may normally be acceptable, but it isn't simply a fixed percentage. The quality, position and visual impact of the extension – and its effect on the openness of the Green Belt – are all part of the assessment.

Previous extensions matter, and garages and other domestic outbuildings can matter too. That means one of the first things we do with a Green Belt property is establish its planning history and work out the correct starting point.

So “it's Green Belt” doesn't automatically mean “you can't extend” – it means the design and justification need to respond properly to the site and the planning policy.

If you're considering extending a Green Belt home, get in touch and we can help establish what may realistically be achievable.

30/09/2026

Thinking about extending your home in St Albans?

The Council adopted its new Local Plan earlier this month, and it includes guidance that homeowners should be aware of when planning an extension.

Two useful starting points are:

• Single-storey extensions should not normally extend more than 3m along a shared boundary.
• Upper-floor side extensions should generally stay at least 1m away from the boundary where necessary to prevent houses appearing joined together.

That doesn’t mean every 3m extension will automatically be approved – or that going beyond 3m is impossible. The design, neighbouring properties, the existing house and the character of the area all matter.

So if you’re at the “could we extend here?” stage, we work with homeowners across Hertfordshire to establish what is realistically achievable and then develop the design from there.

25/09/2026

Planning has been submitted for a whole house refurbishment including, a loft conversion and ground floor extension to a period property in Hetrford.

19/09/2026

The colours, the smells, the sounds!!

18/09/2026

Throwback to another project from the archives.

A replacement dwelling in the greenbelt. An existing chalet bungalow ripe for development.

Images were created using a mix of SPS drawings, AI and a lot of love — a reminder that even unbuilt projects play an important role in testing ideas and shaping future design thinking.

14/09/2026

Some of the architectural highlights of the summer!

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Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:30
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:30
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:30
Thursday	09:00 - 17:30
Friday	09:00 - 17:30

Telephone

+441727370824

Website

http://www.sheldonpeever.com/

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