Planning Application-Off Street Parking

[Wings]

I want to provide tenants at a block flats I own off street parking, with the property in a conservation area, and another property/planning application recently turned down by the planning authority, I want to reduce any possible losses by completing the planning application myself. Before I go any further, the property/planning application that was turned down/refused has not stopped the applicants from carrying out the works/off street parking. Also my research of planning matters over the past 10 years, shows that the most dated applications had received approval, with another property completing off street parking without submitting a planning application, the council in that instance deciding not to take enforcement action.

In my talks with the council’s staff, in the two instances where planning approval has not been given, and the property owners have gone ahead with the works, only upon a complaint by the public, will then the council invoke an enforcement order.

So with my need of not incurring any unnecessary losses, I am not commissioning an architect and therefore attempting to prepare both drawings and plans for my application. From the council’s online planning site, there are a number of similar planning applications/plans & drawings to the one I want to submit, for a lot of identical properties to mine.

Whilst aware of copyright issues, is there any computer software/programs that I can use to draw/copy plans and/or drawings, which will also allow for adding or deleting certain boundary lines, trees, walls etc. etc.

[TooLateForAName]

Have the council given any indication of how they will view the application? Positive or negative? They should also refer you to local policies and their requirements for documents (Most of the stuff I see as a parish councillor is very poor - ie you can get away with crap drawings)

You might also talk to your parish council if any, reducing on street parking is generally well received. If you went along with a sample of whatever paving you were going to use (needs to be porous and 'in keeping') you may get support there as well.

[The jiffle king]

I had to do this in Windsor and it was a challenge, but your local council should give you very clear instructions about what is permissible and what is not. Mine was only for 1 car, but did involve a dropped kerb, a tree which I was not allowed within 1.8m of and a few other challenges.
I filled in both forms (planning permission & dropped kerb) and my wife did the very simple drawings (To scale)
At first we had our plan rejected due to the proximity of a tree, but we appealed and had the traffic people round, the tree lady and a contractor. I saw them outside and went out and suggested a compromise which was accepted. I then had to use an approved contractor to drop the kerb.. which the council paid for in the end due to the 6 months it took.
Chap from the council was excellent and really pushed this for me, contractors did an OK job, tree lady was obstinate, but got her tree protected and I did not go near it... win win..

So... you can do it on your own, but a quick call to the planning people will help

T-J-K

[Irish]

The jiffle king said:

I had to do this in Windsor and it was a challenge, but your local council should give you very clear instructions about what is permissible and what is not. Mine was only for 1 car, but did involve a dropped kerb, a tree which I was not allowed within 1.8m of and a few other challenges.
I filled in both forms (planning permission & dropped kerb) and my wife did the very simple drawings (To scale)
At first we had our plan rejected due to the proximity of a tree, but we appealed and had the traffic people round, the tree lady and a contractor. I saw them outside and went out and suggested a compromise which was accepted. I then had to use an approved contractor to drop the kerb.. which the council paid for in the end due to the 6 months it took.
Chap from the council was excellent and really pushed this for me, contractors did an OK job, tree lady was obstinate, but got her tree protected and I did not go near it... win win..

So... you can do it on your own, but a quick call to the planning people will help

T-J-K

I did similar in Docklands. Ran it through Tower Hamlets. No planning required and ran myself it through the streets department. Rejected, appealed. Got.

You just have to hand hold and be polite as possible. Nice of the council to crack a gas main dropping the kerb. I was out of the country but neighbours sorted. Neighbours in East London are great!

Edited by Irish on Wednesday 24th February 13:54

[herbialfa]

Wings!

If the files you can view on line are pdf. you can impost them into Autocad and then trace.

Or trying using photoshop etc.

[The jiffle king]

Irish said:

The jiffle king said:

I had to do this in Windsor and it was a challenge, but your local council should give you very clear instructions about what is permissible and what is not. Mine was only for 1 car, but did involve a dropped kerb, a tree which I was not allowed within 1.8m of and a few other challenges.
I filled in both forms (planning permission & dropped kerb) and my wife did the very simple drawings (To scale)
At first we had our plan rejected due to the proximity of a tree, but we appealed and had the traffic people round, the tree lady and a contractor. I saw them outside and went out and suggested a compromise which was accepted. I then had to use an approved contractor to drop the kerb.. which the council paid for in the end due to the 6 months it took.
Chap from the council was excellent and really pushed this for me, contractors did an OK job, tree lady was obstinate, but got her tree protected and I did not go near it... win win..

So... you can do it on your own, but a quick call to the planning people will help

T-J-K

I did similar in Docklands. Ran it through Tower Hamlets. No planning required and ran myself it through the streets department. Rejected, appealed. Got.

You just have to hand hold and be polite as possible. Nice of the council to crack a gas main dropping the kerb. I was out of the country but neighbours sorted. Neighbours in East London are great!

Edited by Irish on Wednesday 24th February 13:54

Thinking back, plannin was permitted (local rules I guess) then drop kerb only rejected. As above, hand-holding is the way forward

[Wings]

TooLateForAName said:

Have the council given any indication of how they will view the application? Positive or negative? They should also refer you to local policies and their requirements for documents (Most of the stuff I see as a parish councillor is very poor - ie you can get away with crap drawings)

You might also talk to your parish council if any, reducing on street parking is generally well received. If you went along with a sample of whatever paving you were going to use (needs to be porous and 'in keeping') you may get support there as well.

Thanks for your reply.

I have only been able to speak to the council’s highway department, who eventually get consulted by the council’s planning department over such planning applications/off street parking.

The highway department informed me that they have never raised any objections to any previous type applications, since the road does not have a large volume of traffic flow, allowing safe vehicle exit from off street parking. The other criteria, which each previous property/planning application satisfied, was that the parking area should be a minimum of 5.3 metre long by 2.4 metre wide.

What I failed to mention in my original post, is that because my property is divided into four flats, then the property is classed as commercial, not being residential, so I therefore have to pay when submitting a planning application.

From researching the council’s online planning site, I note that prior to two years ago, the council approved every similar type of planning application, and the only refusal, being within the last two years, was the loosing/taking down of a 2ft solid stone wall within a conservation area.

My suspicions are, and I have no proof of this, is that the council are looking at possibly introducing residential permit parking, together with the revenue the same will generate for the council, so the more off street parking, the less revenue produced.

The frustrating thing that I find is that properties with off street parking, invariably callers to those properties park outside my property, meaning that I have to park in another road.

So I am looking for some kind of software that will allow me to both copy, edit and print off previous council applications drawings without infringing copyrights.