Basement swimming pools in Kensington.
Kensington · W8 · Kensington new-build housesCompleted work, photograph
Kensington’s tall stucco houses have the height for a deep pool hall. The ground and the rules decide how far it goes.
How Kensington houses take a pool.
- W8
- All of Kensington is covered by the Royal Borough.
- January 2015
- CL7 was the first policy to limit basement extent.
- BS 8102 Grade 3
- Waterproofing for habitable space below ground.
NU Projects is a design and build company in Fulham SW6, founded in 2010. We handle basement swimming pools in Kensington W8, under one contract. A basement runs £450 to £780 a sq ft, construction only. Call 020 7731 6841, and a budget estimate typically follows within seven days.
W8 is large terraces, squares and some detached villas. Many were built with a generous lower ground floor already. That floor is a natural start for a pool hall. Where it is too low or too small, we dig lower, within the rules.
CL7, adopted in January 2015, grew into Policy CD11. It limits how far a basement reaches. The 2016 Basements SPD says the storey cannot be split into two floors later. A pool is therefore planned as the one floor, with its plant beside it.
Terraced houses here share walls with neighbours. Water and concrete weigh a lot, so we check the party wall first. In wet ground an empty tank can lift, so we design for that too. The lining follows BS 8102 Grade 3.
Our dig for two new houses in Kensington went three floors down. In Chelsea, in the same borough, we built a new basement under a townhouse. Both ran as one NU job, from first drawing to handover.
What the council allows in Kensington.
- Council
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which covers all of Kensington.
- Extent
- CL7, adopted January 2015, was the first policy to limit basement extent. Since 2024 it is Policy CD11.
- Later changes
- Under the 2016 SPD, the storey cannot be split later.
- Planning
- An Article 4 direction since April 2016 means every basement needs planning.
- Height
- A pool hall wants height, so the floor level is set early.
Source: Kensington and Chelsea’s Local Plan 2024, Policies CD4, CD5, CD11 and CD13. Read on 3 October 2026. Policies change, so we read them again for your address.
Basements in the borough.
Kensington·New build
Kensington new-build houses
Our dig for two new houses in Kensington, three floors down.
See the project
Chelsea·Townhouse
Chelsea basement and extension
A new basement and kitchen extension in Chelsea, in the same borough.
See the projectCompleted work, photographs
What a basement pool costs in Kensington.
£450 to £780a sq ft, construction only. Our basement band.
£180k to £300kConverting an existing basement. A project total, from our 2026 cost guide.
£500k to £900k+Digging a new basement. A project total, from our 2026 cost guide.
These are two kinds of figure. The band is a rate per square foot, construction only.
The cost guide figures are whole project totals.
Fees, party wall costs, contingency and VAT sit outside them.
What Kensington owners ask about pools.
In Kensington
- Every service in Kensington
- Basement construction in Kensington
- House extensions in Kensington
- Luxury refurbishment in Kensington
- Interior design in Kensington
- Party wall surveying in Kensington
- Architects in Kensington
- Basement gyms in Kensington
- Basement cinema rooms in Kensington
- Basement golf simulator rooms in Kensington
Pools nearby
- Basement swimming pools across London
- Basement swimming pools in Chelsea
- Basement swimming pools in South Kensington
- Basement swimming pools in Holland Park
- Basement swimming pools in Notting Hill
- Basement swimming pools in Knightsbridge
- Basement swimming pools in Belgravia
- Basement swimming pools in Mayfair
- Basement swimming pools in St John’s Wood
- Basement swimming pools in Hampstead
- Basement swimming pools in Fulham
- Notting Hill and Holland Park
- South Kensington
- Chelsea
Further reading, from the journal
Can a Kensington house keep its lower ground floor and add a pool?
Often yes, if the floor can be dug lower inside the one storey limit.
The structural engineer confirms it after a survey of the footings.
How long does a Kensington basement pool take to build?
It depends on the dig, the tank and the plant. We give a programme once the design is fixed.
Wet trades and drying time are planned into it.
What heats a Kensington indoor pool?
The plant room heats the water and the air together. Heat recovery from the air handling saves energy.
The system is sized to the finished pool.
Does a Kensington pool affect the neighbours?
Noise and vibration are the main concerns. Plant sits on isolated mounts, away from shared walls.
A Construction Traffic Management Plan covers the dig itself.
Who designs a Kensington pool hall at NU?
Our team designs, prices and builds it. There is no hand off between a designer and a contractor.
You deal with one project lead throughout.
Tell us about your home in Kensington.
Your name and one way to reply are enough. It goes straight to the studio.
- Already have an architect or designer? We build to their design. Working with your designer
- An NDA on request, and your home is never published without your consent. How we work in confidence