How to Take the First Steps to Building Your Dream Home: Submitting a Planning Application

When you have finally made the decision to start building the home of your dreams, the first thing you will need to do is apply for the application correctly. Financially this is the wisest decision - imagine creating your dream and then being told by the planning office that it has to change or even be removed - not only disastrous but costly.

What should you do first?

The key thing with a planning application is to do lots of research. You should engage a professional architect or a planning consultant to carry out a feasibility study and to find out what your local authority’s planning requirements are and what are the chances of your proposal being granted.

Getting to know all about your local authority will increase the chances of planning permission being granted and will reduce the time you could waste developing plans which have no chance of being approved. This is why you should talk to our experts who will do all the research for you.

Also, there is a chance you don’t need planning permission at all. Certain works, known as permitted developments, receive planning permission automatically without you having to make an application. There is a list of projects that can be done under the PD and you can check them out here.

What are the costs of the planning application?

The amount you will have to pay for an application does vary depending on the nature and the scope of your project. The current cost for applying for a new build in England and Wales is £462 and for renovation or improvement of the existing house the cost is around £206.

What do you need to include in your planning application?

●       The correct fee

●       5 copies of application forms

●       The signed ownership certificate

●       The location plan that shows the existing dwelling and your proposals in their context and a site plan that shows your proposals in more detail at 1:100 or 1:50 scale

●       An Agricultural Holdings Certificate

●       A Design and Access Statement,

●       If your home is a listed, you will also need to apply for Listed Buildings Consent and include a room by room Schedule of Works,

●       1:20 scale drawings of all exterior alterations for any listed building or homes in a conservation area.

How long does the application take?

When your application has been submitted, the planning department is supposed to determine planning applications within 10 to 12 weeks of registration.

Also, you can submit an infinite number of planning applications on any one site and then choose which one to use. As long as it is current, you don’t have to use the most recent.

Note: Upon receiving planning permission you have 3 years to start your project.

What if the application is refused?

It probably won’t be since 75% of applications in England and Wales are approved. Still, let's see what to do if you fall into that smaller percentage - you can either amend the application already submitted to fit with the local authority guidelines or make an appeal.

But don’t let these numbers encourage you too much and underestimate the number of documents that may be asked of you - your borough will have local requirements and will expect reports from a variety of consultants. Remember the importance of all local requirements before making your application, otherwise you may be denied and have to go through the process all over again - incurring additional costs.  Conservation areas will also come with numerous constraints that you will have to comply with.

The best chance to get planning approval is to get in touch with the STAAC team which deals with the most demanding projects all around England. An architect that has multiple successful planning applications will not only be aware of the local requirements of your borough, but he/she will have access to all local consultants.

We are available for you on our freephone: 0808 1699964

Or contact us at our email: support@staac.co.uk