Design and Planning Process
Procedure
The Way Forward
On the initial contact a meeting is arranged on site or at an address of your choice to discuss your ideas. At this stage we will be able to identify any potential planning and building regulations concerns and offer advice to mitigate these. We will identify what permissions and consents are required for your project and costs involved. A quotation for our work can be given if required. Should you have difficulty in envisaging your project we can produce simple elevations and floor plan drawings to assist you free of charge.
The Survey
This can be at the initial meeting or at a date and time to your convenience. This will involve the taking of photographs, measuring the building at site as existing and usually takes less than an hour. On returning to the office Wessex Water will be contacted to identify if there are any public drains on or near the site which could have an impact and cost on the project.
Design
Plans are now produced showing existing and proposed elevations, existing and proposed floor plans, sections and site plans. The plans are forwarded to you and we recommend that you spend checking that your ideas have been interpreted correctly and that the design works. It is a lot easier to move walls, alter dimensions and position of windows on a drawing than during construction. The design can be finalised at a second meeting and then modified and returned to you. We are now ready to apply for permissions.
Obtaining Permission
The majority of projects require both Planning Permission and Building Regulations.
Planning Permission
Pre application advice
Sometimes a project can be a little unconventional or be outside of the planning guidelines in this situation we would recommend submitting a Pre Application Advice application. This does have a small fee but the benefit is that the planners will return advice that will assist the main application. This usually takes two to three weeks.
Planning Permission
This basically determines to whether a project may proceed or not. The plans along with the revelvent application forms are submitted to your local authority usually via the Planning Portal. The process takes about 8 weeks, during this time you will be able to monitor your application on line on your local authority website.
Building Regulations Approval
This application ensures that your project is designed and built to the latest regulations. A more detailed version of your plans, application forms and other relevant documents i.e. calculations are submitted again on line. Sometimes after the plans have had their initial check further information may be requested by the Local Authority. The plans are then amended and returned for permission to be granted.
Drains
Should a project involve building near or over a public sewer then an application for permission to do this must be submitted to the Local Water Authority, this does attract a fee.
Completion
When both Planning Permission and Building Regulation approval have been received these documents are forwarded to you for safe keeping. Additional copies of the plans can be supplied to you for quotations and working plans at no additional cost. You may now commence with the building work.
Comments
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Very fast, great price. Thanks Simon. Ollie, next door neighbour!
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Extremely quick turn around and took all of the planning hassle our of our hands. Karen Holmes
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I use Simon on all of my building jobs. He's very proffessional and very reliable. I wouldn't look anywhere else. Ray Collins
Useful Planning Links
Here are some useful links if you're thinking about starting a project. I submit plans and applications every day on behalf of clients, so I'd be happy to chat if you need help making sense of the rules, regulations and red tape, or if you have any queries.