When you decide to do a home improvement or building project, probably you would think that selecting builders and get the right design are the most important things for you to begin the project. A lot of people forget about the planning permission, which equally as important, in fact it could change your whole plan.
There are differences in planning permissions depending on your local authority, however usually when it’s a major improvement project then you will likely need permission before the project begins. There is a chance that you will not need any permission in case you only plan a small improvement that just affects the inside part of your house.
Ideally you should always check whether any home construction plan you have requires any permission or not. If you don’t have time to check on it yourself, you can always ask a trusted builder to do that on your behalf.
It’s also important for you to know that these planning permissions are not the same as building regulations. These are made to ensure that the building meets all construction, design, safety, and energy conservation standards.
Planning Process
There are some important terms that you should know regarding the planning process:
- Planning Officer
This is the person that represents your local authority who’s in charge of advising and necessary change in property that usually has affects in the environment and surrounding neighborhood.
- Outline Planning Permission
This is a decision from the local authority indicating that your application is a subject to gain full permission.
- Full Planning Permission
This is what you should be expecting every time you apply for a planning permission, because this is an approval from the authority that you can go ahead with your construction plan. However, you need to understand that you should only carry out the project just as mentioned in the submitted plans without any changes.
As mentioned earlier, every local authority has its own rules and guidelines, so it’s important to understand the particular rules adhered to by your local authority. If you haven’t found a builder that can help you to do that, you can always check on the published Local Development Network.
Knowing these guidelines before you even come up with a construction plan is a great advantage for you rather than going back and forth to the local authority to get your application approved.
Sometimes certain areas within the same jurisdiction have different guidelines, there are also some types of architectural designs that are favored by certain local authorities, and there are many more information that could be very useful for you. If you can familiarize yourself with these guidelines it’s high likely that you will get a full planning permission the first time you submit your application. This can also help you to find the right builder for your project. You can choose a builder that really understands these guidelines and can help you make a proper construction plan.
