Key message from GDLive? Clarity in planning and ease of...

We were delighted to be involved in Grand Designs Live at the Excel Centre in London, providing planning support and advice to visitors on the ‘Ask and Expert Stand.’
Our associate planners, Adam Rabone and Catherine Hoyte came back from 3 busy and interesting days at Grand Designs, enthused to have seen so many new and innovative products and ideas for housebuilders.
They met with a wide mix of visitors seeking planning advice; with queries ranging from permitted development rights for extensions to new build and housing development projects.

But the key piece of feedback from visitors was that the planning rules are difficult to understand and access.

During the three days we attended the show, we spoke to many visitors and the confusion over the planning system was considerable. We heard several examples from those who had sought advice from their local authority but after having invested in pre-application advice, were left none the wiser about the implications of what they had been advised or what they should do next.
Furthermore, in practical terms many were struggling to find their way around Council websites to locate policy documents. There was also considerable confusion that the rules seem to vary from authority to authority depending on their specific plan policy.
Such feedback isn’t necessarily surprising, as a report earlier this year from the Local Government Information Unit highlighted, opinions on barriers to development included:

64% of SME builders feel that planning departments need more resources;
79% of SME builders feel that the planning system is too heavy handed and that the uncertainty and delays involved can make small sites disproportionately difficult;
In contrast 55% of councils said that the main barrier to approvals for self build is that “the quality of the applications is often poor” and that the planning process is often hampered by an inadequate understanding of planning requirements.

You can read more about the report here. And with our own feedback from visitors at Grand Designs in mind, we have prepared a basic list of initial planning pointers to consider before you embark on a residential development project:

House Extension:

You need to ascertain whether your proposals fall under Permitted Development (PD);
If your proposals do fall under PD rights, then you need to consider whether you will need to obtain Prior Approval for the development;
If your proposals are not PD and you need planning permission – make sure your appointed builder/contractor/architect knows about planning and understands the key issues, or employ a planning specialist to help.

Replacement Dwelling:

If you are seeking to replace an existing house, then the principle of a residential dwelling on the site has already been established;
However, councils often have specific planning policies for proposals to replace existing dwellings;
Be prepared, there is often a size restriction;
Other key considerations will include design; impact on neighbouring amenity; and impact on the character and appearance of the landscape; all of which will need to be carefully assessed against the relevant local and national policies.

New Build:

For new housing, the government and local authorities look for development to be sustainable as defined in the NPPF;
Part of sustainable development includes situating new homes where they have access to existing communities and facilities;
Development of new homes outside existing settlement boundaries is harder to achieve than those within, but much will depend on the location and specifics of the site and the local authority’s specific policy;
It is worth bearing in mind that Councils have an obligation to provide enough land for self build homes to meet the demand of those households on their self build register. You can read more about this here.

These initial pointers should at least get you asking the right questions about your development, but for ease of mind and clarity of process, the use of a planning consultant on your scheme can make all the difference.

How we help:

You can see examples of how we have added value to our clients applications with some of our recent planning approvals; from extensions and annexe accommodation to self build dwellings outside the settlement boundary:

If you feel your development project would benefit from professional planning consultant input, contact our team to see how we can best assist you and to get a quote for our services: enquiries@plainview.co.uk