Pre-application Advice

Saving you time and money

For smaller residential extensions and permitted development projects, a simple desktop study by JFL Design & Planning can quickly identify whether the proposals are likely to be accepted.

For larger projects or more challenging sites, a site visit may be necessary to establish any likely issues and consider how they may be overcome in a site appraisal report – for example, where there are mature trees close to the area to be developed or where the proposals are close to a site boundary and may impact on neighbours.

Where there are complex issues to consider, a site appraisal report and desktop study combined will act as a helpful reality check for a client who is thinking about investing funds into a large development project.

Although JFL Design & Planning are very successful at gaining planning consent for a wide range of projects, on occasion the likely response from the local planning authority may not be certain. At these times it is often recommended that a pre-application report is submitted to gain further guidance on the proposed development.

JFL Design & Planning have gained pre-application advice for a variety of projects, including a retirement bungalow to be built in a large back garden, and the conversion of a Wesleyan Chapel into a residential annexe. In both cases, JFL Design & Planning provided the clients with clarity and focus for the decisions that followed.

Permitted Development

Planning: Special Considerations

So you know where you stand

It’s often clear whether a project needs planning consent or not, but the rules have changed recently in the case of permitted development – what is allowed without the need for consent.

Equally, change of use planning is a special case, as each project has to be considered carefully, both in the context of the existing building and its use, and also its suitability for the proposed new use, which can have both social and structural implications. 

Permitted Development for Residential Schemes

Are you sure you don’t need planning permission?

Many small residential projects do not require planning permission, as the work is considered to be a permitted development. Projects like this include some single storey side or two storey rear extensions, most loft conversions and many out-buildings or garages.

However, there are strict limitations to the size and position of these permitted developments, and in some locations, such as designated Conservation Areas, these projects are not allowed without first gaining planning consent. So it’s vital to know where you stand.

JFL Design & Planning provides advice to clients at the initial enquiry stage, to guide the most appropriate options for the proposed development. Although some small projects can be organised directly with a builder, we always recommend that plans and detailed drawings are produced before the works start, to ensure both client and builder understand and agree the size, position and details of the project – and most importantly, the construction costs.

Many projects allowed as permitted development will still require building regulations approval, so obtaining detailed drawings at an early stage can serve several purposes. JFL Design & Planning provide a fast, efficient plan and drawing service for small permitted development projects, and also for schemes that may just require a small building regulations submission but require a greater input on general design and reorganisation of an internal layout.

UPDATE: From May 2013, the allowance for the size of a rear extension has been temporarily increased. For projects completed by 30^th May 2016, rear extensions may extend up to 6m for an attached and 8m for a detached property. Other restrictions still apply, and development which falls between the existing and increased limits will still require a simplified planning application to be submitted. JFL Design & Planning have recent experience in managing such applications and can advise if the relaxed rules apply to your proposals.

Full Planning Applications

Full planning applications

… so you can proceed with peace of mind

Residential

Getting the planning you need for your home

Smaller projects may be allowed as Permitted Developments (see separate section), but most will require a formal planning application with supporting drawings, plans and reports to be submitted to the local planning authority for approval.

As the name suggests, JFL Design & Planning provide a full design and planning service for property owners. Our primary aim is to ensure that projects progress smoothly from the initial concept through to the start of construction, with minimum delays.

If specialist expertise is required, for instance from a structural engineer or a specialist in a certain type of construction, we can organise as required, so clients only pay for the services they need.

Specifically, if the proposals include building over or near a public sewer, JFL Design & Planning can organise site meetings, produce suitable drawings for Wessex Water and guide an application to a successful conclusion.

Once construction had started, JFL Planning & Design meet with the construction team on site to ensure any design issues are agreed and specific planning conditions are fully appreciated. We will always continue to track the project until completion.

Commercial

Developing your business to its full potential

Some works to commercial property can be carried out under the recently-extended Permitted Development  rights, while most will require a full planning application. Each site needs to be assessed on its own merits and within its local context to see if the revised rules apply.

JFL Design & Planning can identify the options to develop your commercial property and produce the reports and architectural drawings required to support planning and building regulations submissions. We have recently managed change of use applications, as well as advertising and signage consent ones, for commercial clients, and have assisted property agents with our fast track scaled floor plans service.

Change of Use Planning

Change of Use Planning

Turning a shop into a café? Ask us what you need to know.

A home or business owner may be looking to change the use of a premises for a number of reasons. A large home could be turned into a business, either by creating office space to run a company from home, or turning it into a hotel or B&B; a retail outlet may be turned into a café, production or storage unit, or vice versa. Some of these changes will have major structural, as well as architectural and planning implications, and we can advise on the best course of action.

In terms of planning consent, the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 organises the uses of buildings and land into various categories known as ‘Use Classes’. Planning permission may not be required for some similar use changes, but often a planning application with detailed scaled drawings is still required.  A regular enquiry to JFL Design & Planning for this type of work is for plans, drawings and reports to support a change of use of a retail shop (class A1) to a restaurant or cafe (class A3).

If you are planning  to change the use of your premises, we are here to help.

UPDATE: From May 2013 certain changes of use will be allowed as permitted development. The most notable change is to allow office premises (B1a) to change to residential use (C3). There are exclusions and excluded areas and properties suitable for this conversion will still be subject to a prior notification procedure covering specific issues. External changes are not allowed without a full planning application and it may be challenging to upgrade the building fabric internally and successfully reorganise the internal layout to create a suitable living space. If you own a property which may be suitable for conversion, contact JFL Design & Planning for further advice.

Building Regulations

Building Regulations

Making sure your building design will stand

The building regulations are in place to make certain that construction projects are completed to a suitably high standard – it is notable  that the worst building collapses often happen in places where the regulations are inadequate.

The regulations cover a range of specific elements and details including structural stability, conservation of power and fuel and electrical installations. Scaled drawings, which include construction details and specifications, are usually submitted with a building regulations application only after planning consent for a scheme has been granted by the local authority.

JFL Design & Planning work with specialist structural engineers to produce detailed building regulations drawings which are given final checks by a qualified buildings inspector before being submitted to an Approved Inspector or Local Authority Building Control. Once the work starts, a building inspector will liaise with the builders directly, carry out the necessary checks at various stages of the works, and only issue a Completion Certificate once they are satisfied that the key elements of the project are completed to standard.

From our experience with residential projects, we have found that most builders and construction teams prefer to wait until the detailed building regulations drawings have been produced before providing a firm quote for the project construction and labour costs – which, ultimately, also saves our clients money, as they will not waste time and resources on projects which may not prove viable.