DesignBuyBuild_16_2015

A Guide To Securing Planning Permission
For Self-Build Homes By Leading
Structural Insurance Provider CRL.
WHILE building your own home is
an exciting prospect, navigating the
complexities of the British planning process
can be a real turn-off for many prospective self-builders.
However planning doesn't have to be a nightmare. Steve
Mansour, Group CEO at CRL, talks you through the
process and explains the types of permissions a selfbuild
project will need.
WITH government moves to encourage self-build and
the influx of TV programmes like Grand Designs the
UK public's desire to construct their own homes has
literally gone through the roof.
The appetite for self-build is clear – with around 12,000
new homes (or between 7-10 per cent of the UK's new
housing stock) thought to be constructed in this way
every year. Support for self-build projects has also been
one of the government's key housing initiatives, making
loans available to community groups and releasing
public land to accommodate new houses.
An introduction to self-build planning
Unless you're fortunate enough to be an architect or
qualified designer yourself, after you've found a suitable
plot of land (although you don't necessarily need to have
bought it to gain planning permissions), you'll need to
hire in some professionals.
Some self-builders opt to use a project manager as a way
to run the entire project at arm's length, while others opt
to pick architects, designs and surveyors themselves.
This year the new Construction (Design & Management)
Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) were introduced and
came into force on the 6 April 2015. There is now a
requirement for domestic client’s to understand the
Health and Safety requirements of a project.
However, their duties as a client are normally transferred
to the contractor, on a single contractor project; or the
principal contractor, on a project involving more than
one contractor. However, the domestic client can choose
to have a written agreement with the principal designer
to carry out the client duties. So having a professional
team to guide you through the planning process is
essential.
Whatever route you go down, it's in your best interest
to kick off the planning process as soon as you
can. Consulting with the local authority's planning
department – either yourself or by proxy – is a great way
to determine what you will, and won't, be able to do.
Your local planning department is likely to have some
preliminary guidance on their website, if not a full copy
of the 'Local Plan' that informs planning constraints in
the area.
However, councils also offer more formal preapplication
advice for a fee, although the cost – and
quality – of this can differ greatly from authority to
authority. This should hopefully give you a better
idea of the key issues that may arise and take steps to
sidestep or tackle these as necessary.
This guidance can be used to inform your design and
when you're happy with the plans, you can formally
submit them for planning approval. This will typically
cost under £200, but can differ depending on where your
new home is to be situated.
Timing
While central government has set a target of eight weeks
for planning applications to be assessed, some councils
are better than others. However, there are financial
incentives in place to encourage this and even the worst
performers shouldn't make you wait an onerous length
of time for a response.
You will be able to track the progress of your
application through the local authority's website and find
out if any problems have been identified. Local planners
are highly risk averse and in some cases it can be worth
withdrawing and re-submitting an application that
encounters difficulties, rather than waiting for refusal.
However, we'd always advise consulting with a
professional, if possible, before making any rash
decisions regarding your application.
Refusal and appeals
Having your self-build plans refused by a local authority
can jeopardise the chances of your project ever coming
to fruition in its current form. Given the increasing
pressure local planners are under, previous refusals can
fuel future ones – making a proposed site untenable in
the eyes of the local authority.
You can however appeal to the Department of
Communities and Local Government's Planning
Inspectorate if you think the application has been
refused out of hand.
This comes with its own set of complications and you're
likely to have to wait for at least a year for a response
after lodging your appeal. It is well worth talking to a
professional consultant before deciding how to handle
rejection.
Post-planning
If everything goes smoothly and you're granted
permission without any constraints – the paperwork,
unfortunately, doesn't end there.
You will still need to ensure the project adheres to UK
Building Regulations, a code which governs the safety
and structural integrity of a proposed building.
Unlike planning permission – Building Regulations are
less open to interpretation and your project will succeed
or fail based on whether it meets their criteria or not.
You can find out more about these – and how to go
about gaining approval – at the government's planning
portal at: www.planningportal.gov.uk
Finally as someone who sees successful self-build
projects come to fruition regularly, I hope you are not
deterred from building your own home. Constructing
your own home is an exciting, and a highly rewarding,
project and if the above guidelines are followed should
be a relatively smooth process.
For more information please visit: www.c-r-l.com
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