How To Obtain Planning Permission

Provided by your local council, planning permission is essential in the continuation of a construction project, and unless granted, work cannot begin. As the property owner, it is your responsibility to secure planning permission well in advance of any commencement of work. Obtaining planning permission can very easily come down to the level of preparation work you have performed and the accuracy of your architectural designs, so preparation really is everything. Here, we take a closer look at some of the most important factors considered when obtaining planning permission.

Perfect Your Design

The first hurdle you’ll need to get past to obtain planning permission is to have a quality design in place. The design will need to be completed long before any physical work is due to begin and should effectively balance the ambition of your specifications with practicality, to convince local authorities that your plans are realistic, safe and in line with the surrounding architecture. It’s advisable to hire the services of a professional architecture firm that specialises in the approval of planning permissions at this stage, to ensure you have the best possible chance of having your designs approved at the earliest opportunity.

Do Your Research

When planning your design project, it’s important to understand the unique policies provided by your Local Planning Authority. With any planning permission proposal, there are a select number of stipulations that your Local Planning Authority will place under consideration to decide if your proposal can be approved. Below are just some of the key considerations Local Planning Authorities will make when assessing a planning proposal:

●     Loss of Sunlight

●     Noise or Disturbances

●     Smell of Fumes

●     Loss of Trees

●     Effect on Conservation

●     Impact on Traffic/Highway Safety

Of course, not all of these issues will be directly related to your individual proposal, but the role of a qualified planning officer is to carry out research and identify which of these material planning considerations will be most impacted, potentially affecting your design plan.

Hire The Best

Hiring a skilled planning consultant or architecture firm to guide you through the process and handle any technical issues that may arise during the application process will provide you with the expertise you require to ensure your proposal is neither delayed nor denied. Technical reviews may be required as part of your proposals, such as flood risk assessments, tree surveys and archaeological investigations, and these require expert insider knowledge to complete.

Do you need professional help and advice with your planning application? At Simon Levy Associates we’ve provided expert property advice for clients in Borehamwood, Barnet, Watford and the Home Counties for over 30 years. Delivering comprehensive, professional advice on all building-related matters to our clients, we manage the business with integrity and honesty to the high ethical and professional standards expected of chartered architects and chartered surveyors. Contact us today.