At Purley Oaks Road in South Croydon, this design makes the existing house work harder. The garage becomes useful storage and utility space, while changes to the ground-floor layout bring the kitchen and dining area together at the garden side of the home. The bay-fronted living area keeps its place at the front of the home.
Croydon Council issued a Lawful Development Certificate on 16 September 2026 under reference 26/02517/LP. It confirms the proposed conversion of the garage into storage and a utility room, with associated alterations including changes to the windows and doors, at 125 Purley Oaks Road.
Giving everyday tasks their own space
The garage is reorganised into two distinct areas: storage towards the front and a utility/shower room behind it. The proposed plan shows the floor level being raised and a new side access. This puts practical facilities alongside the main house, with a dedicated place for laundry and a shower at ground-floor level.
At the front, fixed doors with glazing above replace the existing garage door. The design retains the recognisable form of a garage opening while allowing the space behind it to serve a different purpose. Our garage conversion design service considers these external changes together with floor levels, circulation and the intended use of the rooms.
A connected kitchen and dining space
The existing plan separates the dining room from the kitchen. The proposed arrangement opens the relationship between them, placing a seating and dining area beside the kitchen and an island within the cooking space. This allows food preparation, meals and conversation to share the rear of the house, with the living area extending the arrangement towards the front of the house.
The rear glazing contributes to that arrangement. Aluminium Crittall-style doors, glazed side panels and a full-height window give the kitchen and dining space a stronger visual connection to the patio and garden. Their repeated glazing pattern also brings consistency to the altered rear elevation.
For another local approach to shared living space, our Grange Road project in South Croydon explores a kitchen and living area within a rear extension. At Purley Oaks Road, the emphasis is on reorganising the existing accommodation and putting the garage to practical use.
What the certificate confirms
This project followed the permitted development and Lawful Development Certificate route. The certificate relates to the specific works and drawings submitted, rather than providing an unrestricted approval for future alterations.
Its requirements include exterior materials with a similar appearance to the existing house. Any upper-floor window in a side elevation must be obscure-glazed and non-opening, unless its opening parts are more than 1.7 metres above the room’s floor. Those requirements matter when the window specification is developed.
Coordinating the structure and floor levels
The drawings identify walls and chimney elements for removal, changes to the garage floor and structural details to resolve. These need to be coordinated before construction so the open layout and adjoining utility space work together. A possible vaulted ceiling is also marked for structural confirmation; it remains a technical design item rather than an assured finished feature.
Our building regulations drawings and technical design develop the construction information beyond the planning stage. If you are looking at a garage conversion or a more useful ground-floor layout, book a call to discuss how your existing space could be reorganised.
Project Gallery
