Understand the planning process.

[charliegolf]

Do we have LDCs in Wales? And, instead of applying and paying for one, why not simply write (recorded delivery) to the council saying.

"Under permitted development rules (page ref), I intend to develop my home like the plan attached." I am happy to receive your views on the project if you have any. Work is to begin on (date).

Yours,

CG"

They'd have to respond surely, even if only to say you can't, or it isn't PD.

CG

 

[wessex101]

I don't know how things work in Wales but in England, Council planning departments are not obliged to respond to your letter, just refer you to their pre-application advice service which usually incurs a fee of about £50. Even then you will probably just receive generic ambiguous advice from the most junior member of staff that quite often is just wrong.

 

[Nakajo]

£50? Where do you live? 1972?

 

[^woody^]

Free in Tamworth. They do a visit and give you a brief report too. Great people to deal with.

 

[wessex101]

Dorset, so yes, a lot like 1972.

The last authority that gave fee advice around here went over to charging last year. I wouldn't mind so much if the advice was worth having.

 

[tony1851]

Do we have LDCs in Wales? And, instead of applying and paying for one, why not simply write (recorded delivery) to the council saying.

"Under permitted development rules (page ref), I intend to develop my home like the plan attached." I am happy to receive your views on the project if you have any. Work is to begin on (date).

Yours,

CG"

They'd have to respond surely, even if only to say you can't, or it isn't PD.

CG

They don't have to respond because to determine whether or not something is PD, you are asking a technical question, which will take an officials' time to determine and then for their superior to check.
They would probably just write and say that if you want an official determination, send the plans + application forms + appropriate fee (around half the normal planning fee).

 

[RobertBM]

£50? Where do you live? 1972?

I was just about to reply with the same as down here in the SE, you’d be lucky to have them open your letter, let alone reply to it for £50

 

[lt8480]

If you can do something under PD then you can just build it and you don't technically need an LDC. An LDC simply confirms the council views the works would fall under PD if they had been completed on the day of the letter.

It is good if you don't want to risk that you may have misunderstood the policy, but also most helpful when you come to sell and move (assuming you build to match the LDC). This is because conveyancing solicitors are not experts in PD and they don't really care about PD rules, they want instead a piece of paper from the council saying they agree the works fell under PD. Trying to argue you works are PD when you come to sell without an LDC will probably just waste time and solicitor's fees, and put people off buying your house or offering below value, or end up in buyers asking you to indemnify the works or asking you to get the LDC in place, etc.

One thing to be careful of if you do get a LDC or working under PD is that is should be completed under the current rules (the wording of a PD approval actually says the council views the work would fall under PD if they were built as per drawings on the date of the LDC). This is different to planning approvals which instead require you to start within a certain time. So technically at the point of undertaking works under PD you should check that the rules haven't changed since you got the LDC through (unlikely unless it has been a while).