Recommend a London planning consultant...

[Harry Flashman]

Hi all, I have a simple project, but little time to formulate application and get it in correctly.

- I want to build a car port to the side of the house, but projecting as far forward as the front of the bay window, so planning required.

- I want to build steps down from the kitchen patio doors to a patio. The patio will need a retaining wall and be elevated due to the slope of my garden.

The pre-application process seems almost as onerous as the main process, and frankly I wonder at its value: I'd rather give the my money to someone who knows what they are doing and make sure that this is all correct from the off. I can do drawings of the proposed project myself.

Photos:

Front of house - car port where the bins are (it looks narrower than it is in this photo, but basically just a nicely done lean-to shelter for a car, it's not big enough for much more. I want planning as it will protrude to the front bay, and I don't know what counts as the front elevation for Permitted Development: Bay or main house.
78 front by baconrashers, on Flickr

Rear of house - you can see the patio doors in question at the left of the photo.
78 rear view by baconrashers, on Flickr

Any advice or contacts appreciated chaps, as ever, as would be somne idea of the cost of paying someone to do this all for me. Otherwise it's a day off work for me, wading through the application. Possible, but not desirable right now. Thank you in advance.

[mudnomad]

http://www.salisburyjones.com/about-us

George helped me on numerous occassions

[Equus]

I'm Director of a combined Planning Consultancy and Architectural Practice.

You'll be needing drawings to support the application, unfortunately, so a pure Planning Consultant isn't what you're looking for.

To be honest, it's a pretty straightforward application, so you don't really need a Planning Consultant, anyway - whoever draws the plans should be ably to handle the Planning Application, unless they're a complete muppet.

[Harry Flashman]

Thanks Mudnomad - I will contact him.

Thanks Equus - the drawings will be me I think, as pretty simple and I can handle them (I have existing drawings, and just need to adapt them to show steps/patio retaining wall and car port.

Hence the desire for someone to walk me through the planning process - I huess I just need to do the supporting documents, many of which I have (e.g. site plans) as we bought the house recently.

In your opinion, is the pre-planning application worth doing at the extra cost it entails? Seems rather like a council scam for more money to me!

Edited by Harry Flashman on Tuesday 13th February 10:28

[Equus]

Harry Flashman said:

Thanks Equus - the drawings will be me I think, as pretty simple and I can handle them (I have existing drawings, and just need to adapt them to show steps/patio retaining wall and car port.

In that case, PM me if you want someone to handle the actual application. It's very straightforward, and wouldn't cost much. If you are genuinely able to provide drawings to the proper standard yourself, then preparing and submitting the application documentation takes less than an hour... which, I have to say, makes me me question why, if you can find time to prepare the drawings, you can't do it yourself. It's a 'Householder' Planning application, therefore designed to be user-friendly to the non-professional.

You will need a Site Plan, a Site Location Plan and existing/proposed plans and elevations, all of which must be to specified standards in terms of the way they present the information.

No, it's absolutely NOT worth doing a pre-app on this sort of thing... just get on with an application. You can speak to them part way through the formal Planning process and submit revised drawings if they have any minor comments. If the worst comes to the worst and they refuse the application first time around, they will give written reasons for refusal; if you can address these, you can submit a revised application free of charge within 12 months of the refusal, so there's really no benefit in paying extra for a pre-app on something so simple.

Edited by Equus on Tuesday 13th February 10:56

[Harry Flashman]

Thanks Equus - I shall crack on with some drawings. And thanks on the advice of pre-application: I thought that...

To be honest, I am not sure that access steps to the patio require PP, but better safe, I think. Neighbours are great and we get on very well with them both (retirement age husband and wife), been in their house for 25 years and no sign of moving. They are totally relaxed about it all. There are no overlooking issues from the steps due to summer vegetation on the boundary, and no direct view from garden or patio at all due to high fence and trees.

[Equus]

Harry Flashman said:

To be honest, I am not sure that access steps to the patio require PP, but better safe, I think

It's a bit of a grey area. You need PP for any veranda, balcony or raised decking more than 300mm. high, but there's no clear guidance on the dividing line between a landing for steps and a balcony.

I'd suggest that if the upper landing of the steps is no larger than it needs to be to function as a landing under Approved Document K to the Building Regulations, then you'd have a reasonable argument that PP is not required. If it's any larger, then yes, apply for PP (or an LDC), just to be on the safe side.

[Harry Flashman]

Equus - you completely guessed my plan. Was going to do a landing sized to Part K B.Regs - and genuinely use it for that only. In fact, the smaller tha landing, the cheaper the job as foundations for raised landing will be less extensive than full raised area. Main eating, barbecuing areas etc down on the patio at lawn level, done properly with a sub base. There may have to be a small retaining wall at one end of the patio due to the sloping lawn.