PLANNING

The planning system plays an important role in modern society by helping to protect the environment in our towns and cities and in the countryside. Planning regulations need to cover many different situations and even the provisions which affect the average householder are quite detailed.

We offer a number of services in relation to building, from the initial planning stage where we can produce planning drawings for any future building work you may be proposing. Planning drawings are an investment in your property as a property sold with planning permission is desirable to potential buyers, and investors it may also increase the value of your property.

We can produce a range of drawings for all building work, be it an extension to your property, internal changes to the layout, or working drawings for kitchens and bathrooms. We can measure up your property or work from your sketches and measurements. There is no upfront cost and payment is only made when the drawings are ready for submission and approved by the client. After producing scale CAD drawings from your sketches and photographs, we can supply these in electronic or paper format. For applications in paper format, six copies of all documents are required (application form, scale drawings and OS map).

We will send you a paper copy of the finalised drawings for your records. These need to be provided to your local council for development approval. We work closely with the council to make sure that the planning is approved.

STANDARD PACKAGES

Includes a full house measured survey, which we create existing elevations and plans. This comprises of the design work from feasibility stage to proposed designs. Forms completed and issued with printed drawings to planning department.

Basic package contains

• Existing plans and elevations
  
• Proposed plans and elevations
  
• Proposed Ordnance survey map
  
• Design and access statement

Which is the minimum information required for a planning application.

The packages

1. Full colour AutoCAD elevations and plans 2D
   
2. Full colour AutoCAD elevations and plans 2D and ArchiCAD 3D
   
3. Full colour AutoCAD elevations and plans 2D and 3DMAX 3D
   
4. Full colour AutoCAD elevations and plans 2D and ArchiCAD and 3DMAX
   
5. Full colour AutoCAD elevations and plans 2D and 3D walk through and 3DMAX

We take care and consideration in each planning application, ensuring that the local authority and neighbouring dwellings understand the proposal, this is ensured throughout, with detailed drawing packages emphasizing that we have recognised any structures character and heritage if applicable, we would create 3D visuals and design and access and encouraging planning statements. The aim is to encourage the local authority that our proposal would be a benefit to the particular suburb, let it be a new dwelling of the change of use of an existing structure, we will do everything to ensure that the proposal is favoured.

A relevant package containing photographs, existing elevations and plans of the structure and site and the proposed elevations and plans with materials and finishing schedule is submitted and then tracked throughout the consultation period in either pre applications or full planning. We always allow for amendments throughout this duration and work with the planning officers to ensure that the proposal is always in favour. We remind the officers that we work closely with any planning policy, let it be green belt, conservation, ANOB, listed buildings and to ensure that again the proposal is in keeping within its environment and is adequately to scale all addressed within the data provided.

We deal with encouraging statements with appeals and committees, being the actual designer of the proposal has a huge advantage as we would have familiar grounds of the site, proposal and area, as well as what the client and local polices require. We have strong relations with all local authorities within the Home Counties and London, we have over 20 years of establishment and each local authority appreciate our efforts in each application as well as taking on our comments to ensure that policy guidelines are met and appreciated. The idea is to provide a trade with each proposal, in theory to provide our clients what they desire as well as meeting local planning policy, in some cases especially with space requirements we come to a position that our clients need more space than what the guild lines allow, we then encourage the officers to understand that policy guild lines may need to be relaxed due to what today's society is suggesting in what is required in a typical dwelling, the need for cinema rooms, en suites, breakfast rooms were nonexistent 50 years ago, but are an everyday essential in today's requirement for a family home with a growing family.

All of which can be allowed for when introducing sustainable elements and renewable energy sources into a new home or refurbishment, this provides our clients with cost effective energy sources and means to limit fabric and ventilation heat losses as well as a very special home and provides that local authority of a living example of what the house of the future should be.