Planning Permission

Once you have decided to proceed with the design of a project, you will need to finalise the design details and to obtain the formal approvals required.

The first part of this process is to complete the plans to a standard suitable for planning permission.  At this stage, you need not worry too much about the internal details.

The planners will only be concerned with the 'external envelope' of the building (that is, the overall size and shape of any dormers and their impact on the neighbours) so make sure that you concentrate initially on this.

Check that the overall dimensions give you the sized rooms you require and make sure you are happy with the elevations.

Make sure that there is sufficient car parking provision as the requirements can change if you are proposing to build more bedrooms.

Check that the proposed materials are clearly shown as the planners will need to be certain that the conversion blends well with the existing property.

Your designer will deal with ensuring that the plans are to the correct scale and include additional information required for the planning submission such as a location plan, block plan and a design and access statement.
Once the plans have been completed, they can be submitted to the local councils planning department for approval. Please refer to our factsheet on Permissions Required for more information on whether or not planning permission will be required for your project.

Planning Permission Required

If planning permission is required, then it is normal practice for your designer to deal with the application for you, acting as your agent. Once an application is made,  it goes on the planning register and is available for public inspection. If you are submitting the plans yourself, the application forms can be downloaded from the planning portal website (www.planningportal.gov.uk)  or the application can be made on-line. It normally costs in the region of £150 for a planning application.

Details of materials for walls, roofs, windows and doors will need to be provided, together with a Certificate of ownership stating that you own the property (or have notified the owner if you don't!)

For further details on timescales for obtaining planning permission, refer to our Project Timescales section.

Once a planning approval has been granted, be aware that it will contain conditions, one of them being a time limit on how long you have to build your proposal. This is usually 3 years from the approval date.

Planning Permission Not Required

Where planning permission is not required, we would recommend that you obtain written confirmation of this from your local planning office as it may avoid any problems when you come to sell the property. This can be done by writing to the planners or a more formal 'Certificate of Lawfulness' can be applied for which will require a fee of approx £75.00. Your designer should deal with this for you.