Does the planning permission process cost a lot of money?

[rjbell]

I don't know where to start. Can you speak to a planner first to see what the likelihood of getting permission is? how much does the whole process cost?

 

[Architexeter]

You want to start by finding a planning agent to discuss your proposals. They will normally come and visit your property and advise of the process and their costs with no fee for the initial visit.

You can find Architects, Architectural Services, Architectural Technologists on Google and Yellow Pages/Thomson that will work on this type of project.

 

[tony1851]

How long is a piece of string?

If you look on your council's web site and follow the links to Planning, you will see the scale of fees for various types of application.

Many councils charge a fee for pre-submission advice - others just expect you to look up their policy guidelines on line.

 

[nickjb]

If you are willing to do some of the work yourself it can be very cheap. The planning guidelines should be freely available so read and understand them. You should also be able to view other submitted plans to see what paperwork is required and to what standard as well as what has been approved or rejected. Depending on what you want you can do all your own plans and only pay the council fee but a good architect might be money well spent.

 

[cjard]

I don't know where to start. Can you speak to a planner first to see what the likelihood of getting permission is? how much does the whole process cost?

You haven't given us much to go on. To answer your questions:

1) Yes you can
2) The application fee for a new build single dwelling is about £400

Likely those answers are of no use, so expand on your original post

Tell us what you want to do so we can be more helpful

Provide a drawing. Learn how to use Google Sketchup (an easy, free 3D drawing program that can model your project and generate 2D dimensionally accurate plans)

Write the planners a letter with drawings explaining what you want to do and ask for advice. Provide justification of external visual changes, such as other buildings that have similar features. Be aware that they are not compelled to reply within a certain tie and it could be a long wait. The advice is useful for a few reasons:
They like you to go for advice first (i.e. it's politics)
They will point you to relevant policies (i.e. local housing policy is a mire, guidance is welcome)
The response will tell you about the bees in the case officers bonnet

One of my past case officers said that habitable rooms should have a view. This is not enshrined in policy, just an opinion of the officer but its something he cares about. I could design plans that met this requirement by moving rooms around, There's nothing stopping you reconfiguring rooms later, right now you're planning a scheme that is acceptable to policy. It doesn't necessarily have to be workable/ideal to live in

Consider putting some things in that solely so that you can take them out later, as this demonstrates willingness to compromise. Leave some things in that guidance objects to, but modify them. Later when they pick up on them, you can modify them again and demonstrate further compromise

Planners don't necessarily have the time to scrutinise your plans in detail, so don't plan everything to the nth degree. A bit of vagueness now will help your project later

Be prepared to argue, and present your case. Be prepared to bargain. They don't have to follow policy if you can provide justification for deviation on some points in order to meet others

Depending on your project, it will need supporting documentation like Planning, Design and Access Statements. Use your local council planning website to look up what others have submitted, particularly if it's a similar project to yours. Use the keyword search.

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It might also be worth watching the BBC2 series "the planners" - it will teach you about the process and the planners' perspectives and give you some sympathy for what they have to do and put up with, which will in turn help out with any dialogue you have to make to them

 

[tony1851]

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give you some sympathy for what they have to do and put up with

like short working hours, generous pensions, generous sick-leave (eg a week off for a paper cut), no-one being sacked for incompetence, retirement at 60 etc etc............

 

[StevieV1]

I did my own drawings, so no cost there if you are up to it. They were perhaps a bit crude, but they were sufficient.

Submission cost to council £172. So total cost to get PP for me £172. Subsequent drawings I had done for building control £475.

 

[rjbell]

Thank you so far. Well what I want to do is knock down the lean to at the back of a terraced hhouse then extend to the side to meet the boundary wall and have bi-fold doors at the rear. As well as this the garden is on two levels. With what a can only describe as a dug out car port although there is 4 walls (the definision of a car port has 2 walls from what ive read) the roof is not fixed to all the walls. The roof however is at ground level. I would like to be able to walk on the roof to gain some more space in the tiny garden.

 

[rjbell]

Thank you so far. Well what I want to do is knock down the lean to at the back of a terraced hhouse then extend to the side to meet the boundary wall and have bi-fold doors at the rear. As well as this the garden is on two levels. With what a can only describe as a dug out car port although there is 4 walls (the definision of a car port has 2 walls from what ive read) the roof is not fixed to all the walls. The roof however is at ground level. I would like to be able to walk on the roof to gain some more space in the tiny garden.

 

[cjard]

-
give you some sympathy for what they have to do and put up with

like short working hours, generous pensions, generous sick-leave (eg a week off for a paper cut), no-one being sacked for incompetence, retirement at 60 etc etc............

I knew someone would pick up on that aspect

And I'm sure that in an ideal world they would take all these things into consideration when deciding how much of a **** to be when looking at poor Joe Schmoe's application but of course they won't, such is the nature of the Snivel Servant. RJ's going to have to learn to work the parts of the machine that he does have a handle for and being able to drop a bit of empathy into a chat worked for me

 

[cjard]

Thank you so far. Well what I want to do is knock down the lean to at the back of a terraced hhouse then extend to the side

I take it you have an end of terrace?

I would like to be able to walk on the roof to gain some more space in the tiny garden.

You need to post some pics up I think, or a street address so we can take a look on google streetview. You might get some opposition from the council on grounds of overlooking if you go to them and tell them you want to walk around on your roof..

 

[rjbell]

I'm sorry I'm not in yet I will get some on when I move in. The roof will only be at ground level the same night as neighbours gardens. The like below is a PDF from the agenthttps://www.google.co.uk/url?s...1YniJuFk_GeTswuHg&sig2=pysk1MokzdOdRsCOK3Vf7w

 

[rjbell]

I'm sorry my last message made no sense im on my phone. The message should say the same height as neighbours. I'll post some images later.

 

[cjard]

Its quite alright, I've written a lot worse myself. If you spend ling enough on forums you automatically read through typos anyway

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...1YniJuFk_GeTswuHg&sig2=pysk1MokzdOdRsCOK3Vf7w

that's the corrected link

seems you have a mid terrace house, not sure how you'll extend that sideways but...

so there's s carport thing at the back of the house at the bottom of the garden

i assume that is accessed from an alley to the right cos your left neighbour seems to have a garage that touches. A rear neighbour

what i don't see well is the levels.. the car port roof seems at or near the level of the neighbouring gardens walls. Unless it is 4 metres high and you plan to lower it to about 2.3 I'm not sure how you'll reach a situation where you can stand on it and preserve the privacy of your neighbours. Lets See what the photos show

 

[cjard]

Sorry. Windows Phone being a p.o.s

click for pic:

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?res...uthkey=!AI1tOJp1KM2u1Sg&v=3&ithint=photo,.png.