Permitted development, does not require an application for planning permission, provided all conditions are met. The rules apply to houses, not flats, maisonettes, or other buildings. Permitted development rights may have been removed by Article 4 or Article 3 directions. Other consents may be required if your house is listed or in a designated area or has other constraints.

Permitted development although suitable for many standard extensions & conversions, the materials used, need to be of similar appearance to the host dwelling. Deviation from the GDPO guidelines will require a full householder planning application.

Planning permission is based on planning policy and planning law. One of the main considerations when applying for planning is the 45-degree rule.
We have extensive experience in Local and Government planning policies & planning law and would always recommend applying for a certificate of lawfulness or planning approval, to ensure that your project is legal in planning terms.

YES, YES, YES! This is the only answer, we deal with retrospective planning applications and planning enforcement on a daily basis. Don’t leave it to chance!

Don’t be swayed by anyone, who wants to start the build straight away, without putting in the paperwork first. A certificate of lawfulness is NOT the same as a completion certificate from building control. Planning regulations and building regulations are separate permissions, which you should always apply for, they are not the same and you will need both.

A certificate of lawfulness will give you the legal planning status for your project. Without this certificate, your project will not be deemed legal, in planning terms. You may also require this paperwork in the future, for a valuation, remortgage, or to sell your property.

There are more and more options for you as the client, out there. However, we would always advise our clients, to go with an independent architectural firm. There are a few reasons for this; 1. We specialise in architectural drawings, planning policy, and planning law and know what the planners will and won’t accept. 2. When you instruct an architectural firm, you are free to obtain independent quotes for the building works, which can and do vary considerably. We can help you obtain independent builders quotes if this is something you are interested in, however, you are never tied to one builder  3. If you are promised free drawings, it may sound good at the beginning, but the cost of the drawings is rolled into the price, so ultimately you will have paid for the drawings but you are not free to shop around. 4. Assurance that the drawings and paperwork have been completed accurately, in advance of works carried out on-site, and not at your own risk. 5. Timescales, we can prepare your drawings within 2 weeks and deposit both planning regulations & building regulations drawings at the same time, so that you are ready to start within weeks, not months.

We get asked this question all the time. The sensible answer is; to always get your paperwork in place first. This process doesn’t need to be lengthy, we pride ourselves in our approach of “planning made easy” because it can be done with the right architectural firm. We offer transparent, straight-talking, absolutely no-nonsense planning advice, Let’s face it when you are a Nationwide company, you have seen it all. Don’t leave it to chance, or be swayed by anyone with a financial interest.

Ask the experts for straight-talking advice, who have seen the wrongdoings and enforcements.

Our prices are so competitive because our systems are so slick. Our 3D laser scan survey is so accurate, that our surveyors only need to visit the site once, for 1 hour, on average. The data is then sent to our head office, where we access your survey from our server.

We draw in Revit 3D Architecture (BIM modeling) not flat 2D CAD. We produce your existing drawings within 7 days. We will then arrange a telephone design consultation with you to discuss your proposed project in detail and will produce your initial proposed drafts for you to make any amendments to.

Once you are 100% happy with your designs, we produce your final drawings ready for submission, which include all the required drawings you need.