How to get your planning permission and/or building warrant for free?

 

HOW TO GET YOUR PLANNING PERMISSION/BUILDING WARRANT FOR FREE?

In this latest blog, we are going to explain how you can get your planning permission and/or building warrant application for FREE….

If you are planning an extension/alterations to your property, which is for the benefit of a disabled person within the home, then the council will allow the fee to be waivered.

HOW TO TELL THE COUNCIL?

When your architect submits your plans to the local authority, they will also submit a letter from your doctor/occupational therapist regarding the disability person and how the alterations will help.

The council will then confirm acceptance of this and will save you £100’s

OTHER WAYS TO ALTER YOUR HOUSE WITHOUT COSTING YOU?

There is also grants available from local authorities and can apply on the below link.

Disabled Facilities Grants: How to apply - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The main criteria for the grants are, you or someone else living in the house must be disabled, intend to live in the property during the grant period (usually 5 years but this can be shorter, for example, if the person is terminally ill).

The person who submits the application must be either the owner, tenant, landlord.

The council needs to be happy that the work is necessary and appropriate to meet the disabled person’s needs, reasonable and can be done, depending on the age and condition of the property.

The work should be completed within 12 months of the grant being approved.

When is the quiet time for Architects?

 

Is there a quiet time for an Architect?

Typically the quietest time for an Architect is December and January, however the last few years have been mayhem with Architects/Technicians being busy more than ever.

Typically the reason for these quiet spells are people concentrating on Christmas/holidays, however its a great time for Architects to get caught up with paperwork.

I also think that another reason for this is people don't quite understand the process of obtaining the permissions, as these take a few months, thus if thinking of an extension in the Spring/Summer then you should be engaging with an architect in the Winter.

Non stop architecture through COVID

December 2022 and January 2023 seemed to be back to pre-covid, however the last 2 months have been busier than ever...the next few months will be telling.

Different stages of planning permission and/or building warrant in Scotland

 Different stages of planning permission and/or building warrants in Scotland

You don’t always need planning permission and a building warrant, however 9 out of 10 construction projects may require at least one of them if you plan on doing alterations/construction works to your home.

Find out here if your project is exempt from a building warrant.

 

Most architects will meet the client to discuss their project and take a brief (description of the works). This is when the architect starts to sketch basic designs of what the client is hoping to achieve.

 

Once the client is happy with the sketch proposals, the architect will produce more detailed plans and also be able to confirm if planning permission is required.

 

The architect/technician will apply for the permissions with the local authority and will be the main contact between client, structural engineer, local authority and eventually the contractor.

The Local Authority Planning or building standards department will vet the plans to check they comply with planning legislation/building regulations, they will then either ask for additional information/approve the plans. Once approved, the council will provide a compliance plan (CCNP), that states the stages you/contractor need to contact the council for inspections such as, 7 days of starting the works, foundations, drainage and timber kit with insulation before plasterboard.

After the plans are approved, your contractor can start the works.

After all works are complete, then the client should apply for the completion certificate (sometimes the Architect can do this for a small fee). When applying for the completion certificate, the local authority will normally require electrical certificates, gas certificates and truss certificates before they will release the completion certificate.

Have a look at our other blog regarding when to hire an Architect.

https://architecturalservicesandproducts.blogspot.com/2023/02/hiring-architect-and-when-to-appoint.html