Planning a home project should be an exciting prospect. From the early stages of finding inspiration from architectural designs to picking out paint colours, it’s hard not to get carried away in the fun of it. That is of course until the thought of planning applications comes into play.
Ensuring your building regulations application gets approved is a bit of a bureaucratic minefield, but it’s essential to follow the building regulations. At best, a planning mishap could create a costly dispute with the council, at worst you could be ordered to tear your project down.
The best way to avoid this kind of headache is to consult a building regulations consultant and follow the letter of the law.
At MyHousePlan, we continue to stay up to date with upcoming or changing regulations in Essex, to ensure that you have the best possible chance of having your dream home building design plans approved by your local council.
Does my project need planning permission?
First and foremost, you’ll need to ascertain whether your planned work requires planning permission. Under permitted development, there are a variety of extensions and renovations that could be allowed without the council getting involved at all. However, one centimetre could make a huge difference.
We strongly recommend seeking the advice of an architectural designer if you want to know for certain whether you need planning permission or not, otherwise, it could be a very costly mistake.
My project doesn’t need planning permission
Just because your work is permitted without the need for planning doesn’t mean you should just get on with it without any certification at all. It’s highly advisable to seek expert building regs applications advice and get your building regulations in place.
My project needs planning permission
If your planned works fall outside of permitted development, it isn’t the end of the road, you simply need to secure planning permission in order to carry out your project. To do this, there are steps that you need to follow to give yourself the best chance of a straightforward application and quick approval.
Our architect and building regs experts can guide you through the planning drawings and building regulation consent process, including writing your planning permission application for your local council.
Get advice for your application
The supervision and advice of an architectural designer at this stage gives your dream renovation, extension, or outbuilding its best shot at sailing through the application process without significant conditions being applied. Collaborating with your architect will help you create a well-thought-out plan, designed to your taste, and suited to your needs. Not only that, but the use of a local architect like MyHousePlan means that you’ll have access to insider knowledge of what your local council is likely to accept, plus what your local area has objected to in the past.
Submit your planning application
Once you’ve agreed on your plans, you can submit your planning application. This should include five copies of the application forms, proof of ownership, a location plan, elevations of the existing sites and the proposed works, and a block plan. Your local architect will be able to advise what else will be needed to support your application. There are two possible outcomes at this stage.
Your application is invalid
Your application may be found invalid upon receipt. This means that the council will need additional information before they are able to progress your building regulations application further.
Your application is valid upon receipt
If your initial application is accepted it will be formally registered, following this, a 21-day building regulations consultation period will begin. This will include consideration of various people’s opinions on the proposal, such as your neighbours, local businesses, and any other interested parties who could be impacted by the work. A site visit will also be conducted to verify some of the details, and the council planning team or committee will formally consider your application on that basis.
The council will make one of three decisions:
Permission denied
If the council denies your building regulations application, you will be given reasons as to why. If you think the reasons given are unfair or incorrect you can appeal the decision. However, if the justification is sensible, armed with this knowledge you can revise your plans to meet the council’s approval and resubmit your application. An architect can help you introduce the amendments to satisfy the council without forcing you to compromise entirely on your vision.
Permission granted with conditions
The council may agree to your proposal, with some alterations or caveats. So long as the conditions are agreeable to you the work can take place so long as the conditions are met. The assistance of your architectural designer can ensure that the project is carried out to meet the exact specifications of the plans for permitted development rights.
Permission granted without conditions
This is the jackpot as far as planning applications go; it means that you can carry out your project exactly as originally intended. But the work isn’t over just yet! The supervision of experts will be vital in ensuring that your project doesn’t go off-piste and incur the wrath of the council by falling outside the original scope of the approved application.
We have a process in place to ensure our clients are supported throughout their build project, from initial planning drawings, all the way through to the schedule of works.
Simply put…
Do you have an upcoming project?
At MyHousePlan, we offer support from the very start of your project, through to the project build so you can bypass the guess work. If you’d like to find out how we can support you with your project, get in touch and speak with one of our experts.
Are you looking for some inspiration? Check out our case studies.
