House Extensions & Renovations in Long Eaton

Building on the Trent and Erewash flood plain

Long Eaton grew up on the low-lying flood plains of the Trent and the Erewash, and for many homes that shapes how an extension is designed. The Environment Agency runs two flood warning areas here: one for the Trent and Erewash at Sawley and Long Eaton, including properties around the B6540, and one for the Erewash at Long Eaton around Bennett Street.

• Floor levels For an extension in flood zone 2 or 3, the Environment Agency’s standing advice recommends a new floor at least 600mm above the estimated flood level, which can drop to 300mm where that level is known with confidence.
• Resilience Where a floor can’t sensibly be raised that far, the design should keep water out where possible and make the room quick to recover if it does get in.
• Paperwork A planning application for an extension in those zones goes in with a short flood risk assessment. We prepare it as part of the drawings.

We check the flood zone for your address before anything is drawn, so the floor level, the step down into the garden and the choice of finishes are settled at the start rather than raised by the council halfway through.

Lace terraces and conservation areas

Long Eaton has four conservation areas, all looked after by Erewash Borough Council: Derby Road, the Lace Factories, the Town Centre and the Sheet Stores. The Lace Factories area takes in the mills along the Erewash Canal and the houses built for the trade on King Street, Prince Street, Princess Street and Lime Grove, most of them put up in a burst between 1900 and 1905.

Inside a conservation area, side extensions and some roof alterations aren't permitted development, and demolishing a building over 115 cubic metres needs consent. A narrow terrace with a long garden usually gains most from a rear kitchen extension or a loft conversion with a dormer to the back.

Wilsthorpe, New Sawley and the newer estates

Not every Long Eaton house is Victorian or Edwardian. New Sawley was built up from the 1870s to the 1930s and came under the town in 1921; in Wilsthorpe the Parkside estate began in 1934, and later housing has since filled the land up to the M1. Semis and detached houses here often have the width for a side extension or the depth for a two-storey one.

Unlike Ilkeston, further up the Erewash valley, Long Eaton sits outside the Coal Authority’s coalfield, and radon potential is low across the town, so the ground problems that complicate building in the old mining towns rarely come up here.

Prices and the rest of the house

• £25,000–£60,000 Single-storey extension
• £8,000–£15,000 Garage conversion
• £55,000–£85,000 Dormer loft conversion
• From £2,500 Downstairs WC

Most extensions in Long Eaton turn into a wider project once the back wall comes out. We take on the kitchen, the bathroom and the renovation of the rooms around the new space, with one project manager and one invoice. Finance is available, subject to status.

Long Eaton questions

Is my Long Eaton house in a flood zone?

Quite possibly, because much of the town sits on the flood plains of the Trent and the Erewash. The Environment Agency's flood map shows the zone for your address, and we check it before designing anything, because it decides the floor level of a new extension.

How high does an extension floor need to be in a flood zone?

The Environment Agency's standing advice for extensions in flood zones 2 and 3 recommends at least 600mm above the estimated flood level, or 300mm where that level is known with confidence. Where that isn't practical, the extension is built to resist and recover from flooding instead.

Which conservation areas are there in Long Eaton?

Four: Derby Road, the Lace Factories, the Town Centre and the Sheet Stores, all managed by Erewash Borough Council. Inside them, side extensions need planning permission and demolition of larger buildings needs consent.

Is there coal mining under Long Eaton?

No. Unlike Ilkeston, Long Eaton lies outside the Coal Authority's coalfield, so mining legacy isn't a factor in foundation design here.

Do you work in New Sawley and Wilsthorpe?

Yes. We cover the whole town, including New Sawley, Wilsthorpe and the Parkside estate.