Planning Portal

The Planning Portal is the national home of planning and building regulations information and is of course impartial – being the only national planning application service. The Planning Portal can help house-owners find out more about planning rules, permitted development limits and building regulations for over fifty common building work projects for their homes. As it is quicker and more efficient, Atoll Architecture tends to use this service now to lodge all planning and some building regulation applications – although note that the option to consult directly with local authorities and work with independent Building Inspectors remains.

The Planning Portal guides help stress the important fact that for all building work to their property (or land), the owner in question is ultimately responsible for complying with the relevant planning rules and building regulations (regardless of the need to apply for planning permission and/or building regulations approval or not). Failure to comply with the relevant rules can result in the owner being made liable for any remedial action (which could go as far as demolition and/or restoration). As such, the general advice from them (and Atoll) is to always discuss your proposals with the relevant local planning authority and building control service before starting work. As your architect, Atoll can also help advise you and help negotiate this process. If unsure, you can find out who your Local Authority is by carrying out an online search using your postcode here.

In addition to any professional pre-planning advice received from the Local Authority or Atoll as your potential architect, the Planning Portal can help you test your proposed project against the permitted development limits and conditions. For example, you can find out more about Permitted Development, explore the Planning Portal’s Interactive House (also see links below), and then read about the Planning Portal Getting Started pages.

Interactive Guides to the planning process and produced by the Planning Portal include the following:

Working With an Architect on Your Home

Check out the advice from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and download their various free guides, including their information and advocacy on the benefits of Working With an Architect on Your Home .

Ian Banks has been a Chartered RIBA Architect now for over 30 years, and would be delighted to assist you. Call him now on 07717710014 or email him at ian.banks@atoll-uk.com .

Further information and guides are also accessible off the new Houzz Pro website for Atoll Architecture.

Categories: Architecture

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