Planning and Building Regulations
If you are planning to alter or extend your property, you’ll need to ensure that the proposed work complies with planning laws and building regulations.
Permitted Development
Some extensions and alterations are classed as ‘permitted development’ and do not require planning permission, but if your property is listed or located in a conservation area these permitted development rights are significantly curtailed.
Planning law is complex and it’s always safest to check with your local authority before embarking on a building project whether you need to apply for planning permission.
Pre-Application Submissions
If the planning authority indicates that you’ll need to submit a planning application for your development, a pre-application submission is a useful way to gauge how a full planning application might be viewed. Although not legally binding, the response from the planning officer will give you a good idea whether the proposed development is acceptable in principle. If there are aspects of the proposal that the planners consider unacceptable, you’ll be able to make changes before submitting your full application.
Applying for Planning Permission
Although a planning application form itself is not overly complicated to complete, you will be expected to submit professionally drawn plans of the proposed development. For this reason alone, it is recommended that you employ the services of an architect or designer to assist with the preparation of your planning application.
Building Regulations
Separate from the planning system is building control, which ensures your building work complies with building regulations. Typically you will submit a full plan application, accompanied by detailed plans of the proposed construction work, to the building control section of your local authority. The plans will be checked carefully against the standards required by the Building Regulations prior to work starting and the work will be inspected regularly as the project progresses and on its completion.
Working with an Architect
Some clients have already engaged an architect or designer by the time we become involved in a project. For those who haven’t, we highly recommend the services of Dominic Marshall, an architect with whom we have worked on numerous projects.
Dominic’s practice, Bounce Architects, will
- Work with you to design a scheme which meets your requirements
- Liaise with your council’s planning and building control departments regarding your proposals
- Prepare and submit your planning and building regulations applications together with the accompanying detailed plans
- Monitor the build and liaise with the contractors to ensure that the project is realised as envisioned by the architect and client.
Some people are concerned by the additional costs of employing an architect, but professional input into the design speeds up the planning process and adds significant value to the completed project.
The portfolio pages include details of two collaborative projects: an extension to a croft in the Scottish Islands and a garden annexe in Wilford, Nottinghamshire. Bounce Architects and HC Carpentry & Joinery worked together in each case to create valuable additional living space for clients which combines contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship.
If you’d like to find out how we could help you realise your project, call us on .
