Regions we cover
LINX Design & Build takes on architecture, planning, extensions, loft conversions, renovations and new builds across West Sussex, from Chichester and the coast to Horsham, Crawley and Mid Sussex. One in-house team designs each project, secures approval from the right council or the South Downs National Park Authority and builds it, starting with a free survey and a fixed-price quote.
Tell us about your project — we'll come back with next steps and a time for a free survey.
Design & build
West Sussex has seven district and borough councils, and the South Downs National Park Authority decides applications across the downland centre of the county, including Midhurst and Petworth. Chichester Harbour and the High Weald are both National Landscapes, so homes around Bosham, Itchenor and West Wittering, and in the countryside near East Grinstead, are on protected land too.
The north of the county has its own issue for new homes: since 2021, Natural England's advice has meant development in the Sussex North water supply zone, covering Horsham, Crawley and parts of Chichester and Mid Sussex districts, must show water neutrality. Along the coast the priorities are different, with flood risk to consider and many bungalows and 1930s semis that suit loft conversions and rear extensions.
Chichester has a Georgian and medieval city centre, and the surrounding coastal plain and Downs have flint-and-brick cottages. Further north, Horsham, Cuckfield and the Wealden villages have tile-hung and timber-framed houses, some with Horsham stone roofs, while Crawley, a post-war new town, has neighbourhoods of family homes well suited to extensions. Worthing, Lancing, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton have large areas of 1930s semis and bungalows that suit loft conversions, rear extensions and wrap-arounds.
Our services
Our architects design for Chichester's historic streets, Sussex flint villages, Wealden houses and coastal suburbs, working to the relevant council or National Park policy.
Find out more 02We prepare applications to all seven councils and the South Downs National Park Authority, including listed building, conservation-area and National Landscape cases.
Find out more 03Rear and wrap-around extensions suit 1930s semis along the coast, while homes in Crawley and Horsham often take single or two-storey rear extensions.
Find out more 04Bungalows in Worthing, Lancing and Bognor Regis often have roof space for a loft conversion, and hip-to-gable or dormer conversions suit semis where permitted development applies.
Find out more 05We renovate period cottages, Georgian houses and post-war homes, using breathable materials on older flint and timber-framed walls and applying for listed building consent where needed.
Find out more 06We design and build new and replacement homes, checking water neutrality in the north of the county and National Park and National Landscape policy before the design is fixed.
Find out morePlanning
How it works
We visit, measure up and talk through what you want to build and what the site allows.
Our in-house team draws the scheme and handles planning or a Lawful Development Certificate, plus Building Regulations.
You get an itemised, fixed price in writing before any work starts.
One team builds it, keeps you updated weekly and hands over with a 10-year structural guarantee.
800+ projects completed since 2017 · 4.9★ from 500+ reviews · See our starting prices
Questions
It mainly affects new homes. Since 2021, Natural England's advice has meant that new development in the Sussex North water supply zone, which includes Horsham and Crawley, must show it will not increase water use from sources that supply the Arun valley wetlands. This is known as water neutrality. Householder extensions, loft conversions and renovations are generally not affected, but new houses can be. We check the current requirements and offsetting options at the feasibility stage.
It depends where the house is. Homes in Chichester's conservation areas, the Chichester Harbour National Landscape or the South Downs National Park need planning permission for a loft conversion, because these are Article 2(3) land. Elsewhere, a loft conversion can usually be permitted development, adding up to 40 m³ on a terraced house or 50 m³ on a semi-detached or detached house. We confirm the position for your address at the feasibility stage.
Single-storey rear and wrap-around extensions are a popular choice for coastal 1930s semis, often combined with a hip-to-gable loft conversion. A rear extension up to 3 m deep can usually be built under permitted development, or up to 6 m with prior approval from Worthing Borough Council or Arun District Council. Wrap-around designs usually need a householder application. Near the coast, ground conditions and any flood risk are checked before foundations are designed.
We price each West Sussex project individually, then fix it. After a free survey we give a fixed-price quote based on the design, the structure of the house, ground conditions, access and the specification. Local factors, such as flint or Horsham stone to match an older building, National Park design requirements or water-efficiency measures for a new home, are built into the quote from the start.
Householder applications to the seven West Sussex councils, or to the South Downs National Park Authority, have an 8-week statutory determination period once validated. Prior approval for a larger single-storey rear extension is decided within 42 days. New homes can take longer, particularly where water neutrality or other environmental matters must be resolved first. Build programmes depend on scope and are confirmed once approvals are in place.
We take on projects across West Sussex, including Chichester, Bosham, Selsey, Bognor Regis, Midhurst, Petworth, Arundel, Littlehampton, Worthing, Shoreham-by-Sea, Horsham, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Cuckfield and East Grinstead. Our in-house team handles design, planning approvals and the build, and each project begins with a free survey and a fixed-price quote.