Planning and Building Regs
Can Carpenter Oak help me with my applications?
Yes.
Navigating your Planning Application and other key milestones in your project can be daunting; we are here to help.
We have an Architectural Services team of RIBA Chartered Architects who can prepare and submit your Planning and Building Control Applications, if this is what your project requires.
Alternatively our experienced team can work collaboratively with you, your own architect, and your chosen project team to help move your project forwards through the planning and design phase.
Every project we have submitted for Planning Application has received Planning Consent due to our clear, honest planning advice and high-quality architectural designs.
Carpenter Oak's expertise in historic buildings and regional construction techniques informs our work, which includes a variety of traditional and contemporary styles inspired by local vernacular architecture. This careful and sensitive approach attracts positive reactions from Planning Authorities and Local Communities, as well as our clients.
What is the difference between Planning and Building Control?
Planning Applications
The Planning Department of your Local Council determines what buildings can be built where.
They will consider for example;
- Is the appearance of the building appropriate for the area?
- Will the building cause any harm to people or the environment through noise or disrupting wildlife?
- Is there infrastructure such as roads and sewers in place to serve a new building?
Therefore a Planning Application identifies a building's use, external appearance, and sometimes information about the site such as Highways, Ecological or Tree Reports.
Once you have Planning Permission, you can build a specific size and design in that location, but materials and technologies are usually undecided.
Building Control Applications
Once you have Planning Permission, you then generally need to submit a Building Control Application. These are submitted to the Building Control department of your Local Council, or to a registered private company who can also approve applications, called a Registered Building Control Approver. Lets call both of these ‘Building Control’.
Building Regulations ensure high-quality construction, and Building Control checks compliance.
Building control will consider for example;
- Is there enough insulation to make the building energy efficient?
- Will the building be structurally sound?
- Will the building allow people to escape in the event of a fire?
Once you have Planning Permission, our Architects can prepare Technical Drawings of your building to show all of the materials such as insulation, structure and fire protection which will be installed in your project.
Other consultants may also input on the Technical Design of your building, for example all of our projects include a Structural Engineer.
These buildings will form your ‘Building Control Application’ and be submitted to ‘Building Control’ to approve.
These drawings will also show all of the builders and contractors for your project how their bit of your project will integrate, from the foundations, to the insulated panels which form your roof walls and your roof.
Does my project need Planning and/or Building Regulations?
Projects which do not need Planning Permission
Building owners in the UK have a set of rights called your ‘Permitted Development Rights’. For example, in most cases, you would have the right to build a shed in your garden, or replace your front door, without needing Planning Permission.
You can even potentially build an extension to your home, or a more substantial building in your garden without Planning Permission, if the project is within your ‘Permitted Development Rights’.
The pages listed above give more specific guidance for different types of projects.
The Planning Portal is also a useful source of information on whether your project is likely to require Planning Permission.
It is always advisable to check that your Local Planning Authority agree that your project does not require Planning Permission, and this can be done through a ‘Lawful Development Certificate Application’, which could be submitted by our Architectural Services Team.
Projects which do not need a Building Regulations Application
Most extensions and building projects will need a Building Regulations Application, even if they do not require Planning Permission.
However, examples of projects which may not require a Building Regulations Application include;
- Conservatories (click this link for more information)
- Open carports of less than 30m2
- Small porches
- Garden structures such as verandas which are not connected to your home
Am I likely to get Planning Permission?
You may have heard that it's difficult to get Planning Permission, but we frequently help our clients to get consent for their projects.
Feel free to get in contact with our friendly team and we can help you to ascertain whether the project you are considering is likely to receive planning consent.
There are steps you can take now to help you understand how complex your planning application is likely to be.
Firstly, identify if the land you intend to build on has any specific designations that would make planners more sensitive to development.
For example, is your home or land located in any of the following areas?
- National Park
- Area of Outstanding Beauty
- Flood Risk Area
- Conservation Area - consult your local council website
Is your home Listed, or close to a Listed building? - historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/
Is your home or land remote from other towns and villages, and therefore potentially within the Open Countryside?
If your home is in one of the designations above, if it is Listed or in the Open Countryside, this may make your Planning Process a little more involved.
However, the vast majority of our projects are in sensitive rural and historic settings, and we therefore have the experience we need to help to get planning permission in more difficult areas.
Do I need a Planning Consultant to help with my applications?
Our Architectural Services Team of RIBA Chartered Architects regularly submit Planning Applications without the assistance of a Planning Consultant. However, if your Planning Application is likely to be contentious, the skills of a specialist Planning Consultant can help to get your project over the line.
The section above on Am I likely to get Planning Permission? will hopefully help you to understand how simple or complex your application may be, and therefore whether you are likely to need the assistance of a Planning Consultant.
For some of our projects other specialist consultants may be needed to assist at various stages, for example ecologists, arboriculturalists or Energy Assessors.
Interested in our planning and building regs services?
Book an initial consultation
Get in touch