Planning Applications, Prepared and Managed by an Architect

A householder application is normally determined within eight weeks of validation, and a larger or major application within thirteen. That clock only starts once the council accepts the submission as valid, which is why we take validation requirements seriously. Add a couple of weeks at the front for the survey and drawings.

A full measured survey, existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, sections and a site plan, a design and access statement, and the council submission itself. We also handle correspondence with the planning officer, including any amendments needed to get the scheme through.

There are two costs to separate. The council charges a statutory application fee, which is set nationally and depends on the type of application. Our fee is for the survey, the drawings, the statements and managing the process. We quote both clearly before starting so there is no surprise at submission.

The decision notice sets out the reasons, and those reasons are the route back. In most cases a refusal is about a specific element rather than the principle of developing at all, so an amended scheme addressing those points can be resubmitted. There is normally no additional council fee for one resubmission within twelve months.

Not always. Many single storey rear extensions fall under permitted development, subject to limits on depth, height, materials and how much of the garden is built on. Those limits are tighter on flats, listed buildings and in conservation areas. We check before you commit to a route.

It is the written case for the application. It explains what is proposed, why the design responds to its surroundings, and how people will get to and use the building. For most householder applications it is not a legal requirement, but a well written one gives the officer the reasoning they need to support the scheme.

Yes, and we would prefer to. Officers ask technical questions about drainage, overlooking, materials and policy compliance, and they usually want an answer quickly. Having those conversations go to the person who drew the scheme is faster than relaying them through a homeowner.

It is a paid enquiry to the council before you formally apply, and you get an officer's early view on whether the principle is acceptable. On a straightforward extension it is often unnecessary. On anything unusual, in a conservation area, or where a neighbouring scheme has been refused, it is money well spent.

Three years from the date of the decision, unless the notice says otherwise. You need to make a material start on the work within that window. If you are not ready, it is usually simpler to reapply than to argue about whether a start was material.

No. The council consults neighbours and gives them a period to comment, normally twenty one days, but an objection is not a veto. Officers weigh comments against planning policy, so an objection about loss of a view carries no weight while one about overlooking or loss of light does.

No, and you usually need both. Planning deals with the use of land and the visual impact of what you are proposing. Building regulations deal with whether it is structurally sound, safe, insulated and properly drained. A scheme can have planning permission and still fail building control.

Yes. We work across Yorkshire, including York, Selby, Malton, Harrogate, Leeds, Doncaster and the coast, as well as North Lincolnshire south of the Humber. Different authorities apply their local plans differently, so we read the relevant policy for the site rather than assuming.