Getting Planning Permission for Building Work
Planning permission is basically the permission to construct or extend a building that is already constructed. This is the responsibility of the local authorities. The visual aspect of a development that is to done under the area of the responsible local authority is under their serious consideration. They are totally concerned with the appropriateness of the building and its use. Any individual, no matter if he owns the land or no or is not at all interested in the land can also make a planning application. Once the application is made, its notice will be published in the local newspapers and the property will also have notices of the application. The application notice can be viewed by anyone. Any kind of opinions from the neighbors and anybody who has a certain opinion or comment is considered by the local authority.
Planning Permission Application
Each local authority has written policies and guidelines which are to be followed strictly. These guidelines are not just restricted to a few pages, but are condensed into a thick book. These rules define clearly the type of the buildings that can be built in their respective area and also the style of the building. The approval or the rejection of the application is largely dependent on how closely the building plan is to the guidelines. If the application also is for a road access or an increase in the road traffic, there will also be an involvement of the authority's highway department.
The development application is generally not rejected and the development is permitted according to the general government policies, unless the reasons are good enough for the refusal to planning permission. The planning committee is the body that can officially grant the planning permission. The members of the committee are the members who are elected by the committee and this committee is open to the public. There are certain members called as the council officers, who also play a part in the planning permission. These members are the non elected and the paid members. Their job is to make some recommendations to the committee. In case of routine matters, the recommendations of the council officers are often accepted. As the officials also have a role in the planning permission, it is always advised to consult these council officers before making an application. Once again when the application is sent to the committee, it is also possible that one can go for certain last minute changes to increase the chances of approval.
In case the application is not accepted, you have a right to appeal. Firstly you can appeal to the council and then later you can even appeal to the secretary of the state. Though the applications for small development do not require getting into any such troubles, but the big developers can have a force of specialists so that their application is finally approved even if it requires some minor modifications. Along with the planning permission for new buildings and alterations, generally the approval of the building regulation is also required.
The application for the planning permission requires a certain fee. This fee has a relation in some way or the other to the value of development. When the development that you wish to make is something more than a simple extension of a building, then it is always recommended to employ an architect who can properly draw the plans that can be submitted to the local authorities. He can submit these plans to the local authorities and then even seek their approval. Once the plan is approved, he can also oversee the work. The employed architect will give you a professional insurance that nothing will go wrong and should also be familiar with the officials and also their foibles.
Every application for the planning permission is unique in its own way. It is not possible to sum up all the rules and regulations that apply to any particular development. It is always advisable to consult the local planning or the building control officers before you begin the development. This can save you from any abortive work that can be very expensive. If you have started the work without the approvals that were necessary, the local authority can issue enforcement notices. The notice if is the best one can ask you for a retrospective approval, or if it comes to the worst it can also is of the demolition of the development of the work, even if it is completed.
Planning Permission for Conservatories
If you wish to do a conservatory built, you must seek the planning permission. You must seek professional advice about any doubt to avoid any costly planning mistakes. It is impossible to jot down all the regulations of any type of development, here are some guidelines that can help you through:
- Up-to 70 cubic meters or about 15% of the un-extended house volume can be added to a detached or semi detached house if the 15% does not exceed 115 cubic meters.
- Up-to 50 meters cube or 10% of the un-extended house volume can be added to a terraced property but the 10% should not exceed 115 meters cube.
However one should note that Scotland has slight variations in the regulations. If you are in a listed property or live in a conservatory area, then you must have planning permission before you plan to begin any such extension. If your conservatory is higher than 4m in any position then it should not fall within 2m of your boundary so that it does not interfere with the rights of your neighbors. And also the conservatory can not cover more than half of size of the garden before the installation of the conservatory.
There is a growing quest for increased living space. This nowadays means the extension of the available space. Therefore many people often build up to the boundaries. This often leads to many conflicts between neighbors. To avoid such conflicts you must follow certain rules like you must never encroach over the boundary line. You must never consider the fence to be the correct boundary line.
You must always seek planning permission to avoid any expenses that can be actually easily avoided.