Which postcode districts around Tower Hamlets do we cover for drawing package work?
Every Tower Hamlets postcode district we draw in, the stock that dominates
it and the authority that validates a drawing package there. Tower Hamlets fees below are the
statutory England rates for 2026, not drawing package estimates.
| Postcode | Area | Dominant stock | What it means for a drawing package |
|---|
| E1 | Whitechapel / Spitalfields | Warehouse conversions, modern infill | A drawing package at an E1 address in Whitechapel / Spitalfields is determined by Tower Hamlets Council under its own Local Plan policies for Whitechapel / Spitalfields. |
| E1W | Wapping | Georgian terraces, warehouse conversions | E1W covers Wapping only; Tower Hamlets Council handles the drawing package, and Wapping case officers apply the E1W conservation-area map. |
| E2 | Bethnal Green | Warehouse conversions, modern infill | A drawing package in Bethnal Green may land with Tower Hamlets Council or Hackney Council — E2 crosses the boundary, and the E2 policies map decides it street by street. |
| E3 | Bow | Victorian terraces, Georgian fragments | E3 covers Bow only; Tower Hamlets Council handles the drawing package, and Bow case officers apply the E3 conservation-area map. |
| E14 | Canary Wharf / Poplar / Limehouse | Modern apartments | E14 covers Canary Wharf / Poplar / Limehouse only; Tower Hamlets Council handles the drawing package, and Canary Wharf / Poplar / Limehouse case officers apply the E14 conservation-area map. |
How does a drawing package differ street by street across Tower Hamlets?
Roof pitch, wall build-up and plot depth change every few Tower Hamlets
streets, and each one changes what a drawing package can achieve at that address.
- Bow (E3) — a drawing package in Bow starts from victorian terraces, georgian fragments, and Bow reads as Victorian terraces, Georgian fragments. in E3. Tower Hamlets Council assesses Bow architectural drawings against its own Bow character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Bow references Bow Bells.
- Mile End (E1, E3) — Victorian terraces, post-war estates defines Mile End, where victorian terraces, post-war estates set what a drawing package can do. across E1. Any Mile End drawing package is validated by Tower Hamlets Council, with Mile End Park the usual Mile End reference point on the site plan.
- Wapping (E1W) — a drawing package in Wapping starts from georgian terraces, warehouse conversions, and Wapping reads as Georgian fragments, warehouse conversions. in E1W. Tower Hamlets Council assesses Wapping architectural drawings against its own Wapping character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Wapping references St Katharine Docks.
- Canary Wharf (E14) — a drawing package in Canary Wharf starts from modern apartments, and Canary Wharf reads as modern high-density towers. in E14. Tower Hamlets Council assesses Canary Wharf architectural drawings against its own Canary Wharf character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Canary Wharf references One Canada Square.
- Limehouse (E14) — Georgian and Victorian terraces, dockside defines Limehouse, where georgian and victorian terraces, warehouse conversions set what a drawing package can do. across E14. Any Limehouse drawing package is validated by Tower Hamlets Council, with Limehouse Basin the usual Limehouse reference point on the site plan.
- Poplar (E14) — a drawing package in Poplar starts from post-war estates, new-build, and Poplar reads as post-war estates, regen. in E14. Tower Hamlets Council assesses Poplar architectural drawings against its own Poplar character guidance, and the location plan we draw for Poplar references Robin Hood Gardens (former).
- Shadwell (E1) — Georgian fragments, post-war estates defines Shadwell, where georgian fragments, post-war estates set what a drawing package can do. across E1. Any Shadwell drawing package is validated by Tower Hamlets Council, with Shadwell station the usual Shadwell reference point on the site plan.
What local planning policy applies to a drawing package in Tower Hamlets?
Tower Hamlets conservation designations: there are 58 across Tower Hamlets Council, Wapping Pierhead, Spitalfields, Whitechapel Market among them. Designation costs a Tower Hamlets owner the permitted-development route: a drawing package then needs a £258 householder application over 8 weeks, in place of the £120 prior approval route that takes 6 weeks. Fournier Street is the Tower Hamlets designation that most often changes a drawing package design.
Tower Hamlets and Article 4: Article 4 for HMOs borough-wide; additional Article 4 covering office-to-residential in Canary Wharf and City Fringe. A drawing package planned at a E1 address is checked against that direction first; Tower Hamlets Council publishes the Tower Hamlets extent, and the E1 line rarely follows the Tower Hamlets boundary you would expect.
What Tower Hamlets is built from: Georgian in Spitalfields and Wapping; Victorian industrial conversions; extensive post-war social housing; modern high-density towers in Canary Wharf and Aldgate. High heritage value in pockets (Spitalfields, Wapping), mixed with substantial regeneration areas; active planning committee. That mix decides the drawing package route in Tower Hamlets more than the postcode does. Our fixed fee for architectural drawings in Tower Hamlets starts at £840, against £1,750 for the Complete package that carries a Tower Hamlets scheme through Tower Hamlets Council planning and building regulations together.
Who decides a drawing package on the edge of Tower Hamlets?
- Newham — the Newham boundary runs against Tower Hamlets, so a drawing package a street from Tower Hamlets is decided by Newham Council instead. Newham runs 10 conservation areas across E6 and its neighbours, which is why architectural drawings priced for Tower Hamlets are re-checked against Newham policy whenever the Tower Hamlets address sits on that edge.
- City of London — the City of London boundary runs against Tower Hamlets, so a drawing package a street from Tower Hamlets is decided by City of London Corporation instead. City of London runs 27 conservation areas across EC1 and its neighbours, which is why architectural drawings priced for Tower Hamlets are re-checked against City of London policy whenever the Tower Hamlets address sits on that edge.
- Southwark — the Southwark boundary runs against Tower Hamlets, so a drawing package a street from Tower Hamlets is decided by Southwark Council instead. Southwark runs 43 conservation areas across SE1 and its neighbours, which is why architectural drawings priced for Tower Hamlets are re-checked against Southwark policy whenever the Tower Hamlets address sits on that edge.
- Greenwich — the Greenwich boundary runs against Tower Hamlets, so a drawing package a street from Tower Hamlets is decided by Greenwich Council instead. Greenwich runs 20 conservation areas across SE3 and its neighbours, which is why architectural drawings priced for Tower Hamlets are re-checked against Greenwich policy whenever the Tower Hamlets address sits on that edge.
Sources for this Tower Hamlets drawing package page: borough policies maps and
conservation-area registers (2025–26), Royal Mail postcode district boundaries,
the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (England) Regulations, the Town
and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 as amended,
and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
