Builders in Henley-on-Thames | Lynch Brother Homes

We’re Lynch Brother Homes, builders in Henley-on-Thames and the villages around it. We build extensions and loft conversions, renovate period houses, and take on kitchens, bathrooms and structural alterations. The business is based in Cumnor, near Oxford, and either Henry or John Lynch is responsible for every job we have on site.

For plastering, rendering and decorating we use our sister companies, J & H Lynch and Noble Painting & Decorating. One firm, from the survey to the final coat of paint.

Planning in Henley-on-Thames

Henley is in South Oxfordshire, so applications go to South Oxfordshire District Council. Cross the bridge into Remenham, though, and you’re in Berkshire, where Wokingham Borough Council decides. It sounds obvious, but near the river it’s the first thing to confirm.

The town has three conservation areas: Henley Main, St Marks Road and Reading Road. Their boundaries were revised in 2022, and Henley Main now stretches to the northern end of the Fair Mile and the Greys Road and Reading Road junction, taking in Britannia Place. St Marks Road and Reading Road also have Article 4 directions, which strip back permitted development rights further still.

On top of that, the Joint Henley and Harpsden Neighbourhood Plan is part of the development plan. Its review took effect in November 2022 and runs to 2035, and the council reads it alongside the South Oxfordshire Local Plan when it decides an application.

Where your house is	What usually needs planning permission
Unlisted, outside the conservation areas	A single-storey rear extension or a rear dormer can often go ahead under permitted development, subject to the size limits. Our permitted development guide sets them out.
Henley Main conservation area	Side extensions, rear extensions of more than one storey, dormers and other roof extensions, and any external cladding.
St Marks Road conservation area	All of the above, plus porches, hard surfaces, walls, fences and gates, and even repainting the outside (Article 4 direction, 2008).
Reading Road conservation area	The conservation area controls plus its own Article 4 direction. We check exactly what it covers for your house before we draw anything.
A listed building, anywhere in town	Listed building consent for any work, inside or out, that affects its character.
Flood Zone 2 or 3, near the Thames	A flood risk assessment with the application, and possibly a raised floor or flood-resistant materials.

Henley sits on the southern edge of the Chilterns. Villages such as Nettlebed are inside the Chilterns National Landscape, where the tighter permitted development limits apply just as they do in a conservation area. The council’s Article 4 page and the government’s flood risk standing advice have the detail.

Henley houses and what they need

Central Henley has a lot of listed buildings, and much of the town falls within a conservation area. The traditional materials around here are Chilterns brick, flint and clay tile, and new work has to sit comfortably next to them: the right brick, lime mortar on older walls, and handmade or reclaimed tiles on the roof.

Houses near the river need a different first check. The flood level decides how high a new floor has to sit, so we look at the Environment Agency flood map on the first visit, and the design and planning application start from the right level.

Builders in Henley-on-Thames for extensions, lofts and renovations

House extensions

Kitchen extensions at the back, side returns and two-storey extensions. In a conservation area most of these need planning permission, so we prepare the drawings and the application as part of the design, not as an afterthought. Our house extensions page explains how a project runs, and the 2026 extension cost guide has the prices.

Loft conversions in Henley-on-Thames

Henley’s period houses often have steep roofs with plenty of headroom, which suits a rear dormer. Where the roof is lower, a mansard can work. In the three conservation areas (Henley Main, St Marks Road and Reading Road), dormers and other roof extensions need planning permission, and the council expects materials that match the house. The Article 4 directions on St Marks Road and Reading Road take away further permitted development rights, and listed buildings also need listed building consent for changes inside and out.

We prepare the drawings, handle the application and plan the programme around the council’s decision time. Our main loft page covers stairs, fire safety and party walls, and our 2026 loft cost guide has the prices.

Period house renovations

Rewiring, replumbing, new heating, structural repairs and new layouts in older houses, keeping the character intact. Where an old wall needs to breathe, J & H Lynch uses clay plaster, as they did at The Nook in Islip. There’s more on our house renovation page.

Kitchens, bathrooms and structural work

Knocking through with new steel beams, moving a kitchen, adding a bathroom or an en-suite: all done by our own trades. The kitchens and bathrooms pages have 2026 prices.

Garage conversions, rendering and new homes

An integral garage can usually become a proper room for £10,000 to £25,000; our garage conversions page explains what’s involved. J & H Lynch looks after exterior rendering and re-rendering, and if you have a building plot, we build new houses as well.

Two projects worth a look

Maple Road, Thame. Thame is in South Oxfordshire too. We took down an old conservatory and built a single-storey rear extension in its place, with a new open-plan kitchen and dining room. James Basey Architects designed it to match the existing brickwork, and we met the owners regularly to go through progress and decisions.

The Nook, Islip. An 18th-century stone cottage in a conservation area. We removed load-bearing walls and set steel beams into the stone to create an open-plan kitchen and living space. J & H Lynch finished key walls in clay plaster, and we kept the original flagstone floor wherever we could.

Who you’ll deal with

Henry and John come from a family of Oxfordshire builders going back to 1984. They set up Lynch Brother Homes in 2018, and the firm holds TrustMark registration and Federation of Master Builders (FMB) membership. In 2025 Henry was named Young Business Person of the Year by the Oxfordshire Business Awards.

Questions about building in Henley

Is planning permission needed for an extension in Henley-on-Thames?

It depends where the house is. Away from the conservation areas, many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development, up to set sizes. Inside Henley’s three conservation areas, side extensions, extensions of more than one storey and dormers all need permission, and St Marks Road and Reading Road have extra Article 4 controls on top. A listed house needs listed building consent as well.

Which parts of Henley are in a conservation area?

There are three: Henley Main, St Marks Road and Reading Road. South Oxfordshire District Council revised the boundaries in 2022, and Henley Main now includes the northern end of the Fair Mile and the Greys Road and Reading Road junction. The council’s conservation area maps show the exact lines.

What does the Article 4 direction in St Marks Road cover?

It came into force in 2008 and removes permitted development rights for extensions and alterations, roof alterations, porches, hard surfaces, gates, fences and walls, and painting the outside of the house. In practice, almost any external change on St Marks Road needs planning permission, however small.

Can I extend a house near the river?

Usually, yes. If it’s in Flood Zone 2 or 3, you’ll need a flood risk assessment with the planning application, and the design may need a raised floor level or flood-resistant materials. We check the flood map before any design work starts.

What does an extension or a loft conversion cost in Henley?

A single-storey extension typically costs £30,000 to £50,000, and a two-storey extension £55,000 to £90,000 or more. Loft conversions run from about £25,000 to £75,000; where yours lands depends on the type. Listed houses and conservation areas can push costs up, because of the materials and the extra drawings involved.

Which villages near Henley do you cover?

We work across South Oxfordshire, including Shiplake, Harpsden, Rotherfield Greys, Rotherfield Peppard and Nettlebed. Nettlebed is in the Chilterns National Landscape, so the tighter permitted development limits apply there as well.

Talk to us about your Henley project

Call 01865 420063 or fill in our contact form. If you tell us the address, we can check the conservation area, any Article 4 direction and the flood risk before we visit.