Planning Permission: The Must Do List

There’s an awful lot to think about when you’re making a planning application, be it for a new house, a conversion project or even a modest scheme like an extension or garage.

Some of the requirements are standardised across the country, but others are dictated by individual councils.

This guide to some of the most common things self builders and renovators forget during the planning stages will help improve your chances of success.

Get pre-application advice

While seeking guidance from the local authority prior to submitting your planning application is not compulsory, government policy strongly recommends it.

Some councils are such advocates of it they’ll refuse to engage with you if you make a formal planning application without having taken (and paid for) pre-application planning advice in advance.

At the very least, check out your local authority’s pre-app procedure. If the length of time it takes, and the costs, aren’t excessive then make use of the service.

It not only lets you know what the planners are likely to make of your scheme when you formally submit it, but it also helps you to pin down the key requirements for your application – for instance in terms of supporting materials and any potential additional charges on top of the standard planning application fee.

Engage early with neighbours and the parish council

The optimum time to do this is before you go in for planning; but it’s easy to forget this and only get round to speaking to them after you’ve applied.

The snag here is that some local authorities (LAs) are pretty quick in notifying neighbours and the parish council – and a formal-looking notice about building works can generate a negative reaction if they’ve not been forewarned.

Similarly, some parish councils consider it a courtesy to consult local residents, and they may well prove to be more sympathetic if this occurs.

With finely balanced applications, a lack of objection can make the difference between success and failure – so get in there early to muster support.

Reality check the scheme

Once you’ve settled on a design and layout that you think will suit your needs, it’s important not to get carried away in the excitement. You still need to make sure the scheme will fit properly on your plot or property.

This can be a particular issue for smaller sites, such as infill plots, or where you’re building close to trees or boundaries. Pegging out your planned house on the ground is often a worthwhile exercise.

It may sound extreme, but it’s not unheard of for very basic mistakes to be made – and sometimes they’re literally not discovered until the groundworkers turn up to set out the foundations, only to discover they won’t actually fit.

Verify ownership of land & access

At the end of every planning application form is a section asking you to confirm whether you own the entirety of the land that will be directly affected by your scheme (the application site).

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