We were instructed to secure necessary Listed Building Consents and planning permission for the refurbishment of a Grade II listed building in Cheltenham.
We worked alongside a local architecture firm and the Heritage Officer at Cheltenham Borough Council. We provided all necessary documentation to ensure a prompt and positive decision.
While working on a project in Surrey we were shocked to see that Mole Valley District Council were charging £300 to £720 per hour for pre-application advice! Our client politely declined the offer.
But they are not the only ones, with many South East councils charging eye watering fees. For instance, the London [...]
Continue Reading →As we fast approach submitting our 500th planning application we thought we would share three key lessons that we have learnt about how to approach the planning system.
1) Simplify
The planning system was not meant to be complicated, and yet Councils and consultants produce more and more [...]
Continue Reading →We have noticed a significant increase in the number of clients that are enquiring about the possibilities of securing planning permission for a change of use of a public house to a residential dwelling (Use Class C3). Equally, we are being increasingly approached by the owners of public houses who are looking [...]
Continue Reading →The enforcement provisions of the Localism Act 2011 will become effective on 6 April 2012.
Much has been written about the issue of ‘concealment’ in relation to the new enforcement powers, but new rules on retrospective applications have been largely ignored.
The impact of these new provisions will make it [...]
Continue Reading →Below are a selection of some key quotes from the National Planning Policy Framework released today:
Material considerations
Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in the preparation of local [...]
Continue Reading →From the complete Budget 2012 document:
The Government is reforming the planning system so that it supports growth. The Government will publish the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) by the end of March 2012, coming into force for plan-making and decisions from that point onwards, with appropriate implementation arrangements for local authorities with pro-growth policies in local plans. There [...]
Continue Reading →George Osbourne’s comments on the planning system in the Budget speach:
You can’t earn your future if you can’t get planning permission.
Global businesses have diverted specific investments that would have created hundreds of jobs in some of the most deprived communities in Britain to countries like Germany and the Netherlands, because they couldn’t get [...]
Continue Reading →The application sought to change the use of an A1 delicatessen to an A3 Cafe/restaurant with a retail element in an affluent suburb of Manchester.
Council
Manchester City Council
Issues
Our client approached us following a previous application refusal for the change of use. The reason for refusal [...]
Continue Reading →Our client was faced with an enforcement threat over Grade II listed gallery and sought advice on diversification of use.
Issues
An historic gallery built in 1880, and once being the home of the art collection of Sir Francis Cook, faced an uncertain future. The building had been identified by [...]
Continue Reading →Ask a Planning Expert
Plainview Planning is a planning consultancy providing expert advice on applications, appeals, and enforcement.
Contact us for free initial advice, with no obligation to continue to use our services.Browse Articles
