Planning Permission

Planning permission is required for any proposed extension/development outside of your Permitted Development Rights.
If you are planning to convert your loft, extend your house to the side, rear or front you could require planning permission from the Local Council. Contact us today to see what permission you need for your proposal.

Planning Applications - Generic Info

What is planning permission?

Planning Permission, in simple terms, is like asking if you can do a certain piece of building work. It will be granted (possibly subject to certain conditions) or refused.Parliament has given the main responsibility for planning to local planning authorities (usually, this is the planning department of your local council). Therefore, if you have any queries about a particular case, the first thing to do is to contact your local planning authority.It is your responsibility for seeking, or not seeking, planning permission. If required, it should be granted before any work begins.

How long does planning permission last?

If Planning Permission has been granted, the authority grants/refuses planning permission by sending you a letter notifying you of its decision.
Planning permission runs with the land. This means that land or buildings can usually be sold or let with the benefit of planning permission. Occasionally, however, planning conditions may limit the use or occupation of land or premises to a named person or company.
If you wish to sell or let a building or land which is subject to such a conditional permission you will need to apply to the LPA to remove or vary the condition. The application to vary/remove the condition following the grant of planning permission can be applied for online via the Planning Portal.
By law, any planning permission granted expires after a certain period. Generally, unless your permission says otherwise, you have three years from the date it's granted to begin the development. If you haven't started work by then, you will probably need to reapply.If the permission is subject to conditions, for example, requiring you to submit for approval details of a specified aspect of the development which was not fully described in the application, these must be dealt with before the development can begin.If outline permission has been granted, you will need to submit a further application for approval of anything that was not covered by the outline application (known as "reserved matters") before starting work. This must be done within three years of the grant of outline permission.
You may also need to get other approvals such as listed building or planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area before you can start work. Both of these application types can be applied for via the Planning Portal. Please note multiple consents can also be applied for using the online service, for example, full planning consent and listed building consent or planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area.
It may be possible for you to make minor changes as you proceed but you should check the position with the LPA first. Any significant variation would require a further planning application. If, following a grant of planning permission, you need to make minor amendments to the application; this can be achieved by submitting a non-material amendment application.

What are the fees for a planning application?

When submitting an application, in most cases there will be a planning application fee. However, for some types of consent, e.g. listed buildings and planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area, no application fee is required.
Just for example, a standard Householder Application for a single dwelling house is £206-00. For a Full Application, this can range between £206-00 and £462-00 and will depend on your circumstance and what you are applying for.
Since September 2018, a service charge of £20.83 (+ VAT) will apply to all planning applications submitted through the Planning Portal, excluding applications which do not attract a planning application fee and those with a fee below £60. This is payable at the time of submission.
Where the local planning authority fails to determine your application, or where you submit a valid application and then withdraw it at any time before it has been determined, the application fee will not be refundable. However, if the local authority fails to determine your application, you can appeal.
When a previous application has been granted, refused or withdrawn, one further application by the same applicant for the same type of development on the same site can generally be made free of charge within 12 months. It is for the local authority to decide whether this concession applies.

Planning Applications with Design Spec

In a nutshell, we can take control of your Application from start to finish. We can help you with as much or as little as you would prefer, whether it be dealing with communications with your Local Authority, crossing the T's and dotting the I's and providing you with all necessary updates and amendments that may be required throughout your Planning journey.
We are here to work with you, this is an exciting time in your life and you should be able to enjoy the process, by allowing us the chance to assist, we can help make this a smooth and rewarding time.

What is our process with Planning Applications?

Our process is simple, upon acceptance we arrange a site survey for us to come and measure up your property,

We then draw up all the existing and proposed plans and take you into the unlimited design stage where we can explore every options for your proposal. Some clients get this done in one sitting in our boardroom, others take time and reply over email and Whatsapp with design ideas, bouncing back and forward with options for the build.

Planning Applications & Visual Representations

This is a standard example of an approved Planning Application involving a large loft conversion with a side extension on a family home.
Our plans show clear designs of the existing dwelling, whether that be residential or commercial and tidy representations of the proposed works.
Our plans include standard 2D and 3D visuals of the project with the option of including a Virtual Reality Experience and Internal/external Rendered images for an additional fee.

Additional Services

Rendered Images

Keeping up-to-date with modern advances in technology, we are able to provide you with breathtaking Rendered Visuals of your project before any building work has even taken place and outstanding Virtual Reality  tours using the advanced Oculus system.

Virtual Reality

Can you imagine being able to physically walk around your new extension? Navigate your way through your brand new flowing Internals? Or standing in your well earned Master Bedroom and Ensuite? With Design Spec, now you can.

Contact us

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