How does the Planning Application process work?

BoozyBabe

So, basically, we submitted our plans to the council about 3 weeks ago.
Online it says the planning App is 38% processed & a planner has been assigned.

No further info has been requested yet.

However, we feel there will prob be a few issues with our plans, & a few people have said as much to us.

1. We have a few arches in our plans. No huge semi-circles or anything even close, but a few things with a slight arch on them (Front porch & central window above porch)
2. We have submitted for certain sections of the house to have stone cladding. (Sandstone)

So, if the planning authority have problems with these, when will we find out?
Will they contact us shortly for a meeting to discuss?
Will it be highlighted in a further info request?
Will nothing be said until a final decision of Refusal?

Why do planning authorities have issues with the items above? Surely they have very minor details.

Lots of recent buildings have arches, plans approved by the same authority.
The same can be said for the sandstone cladding.
If they did refuse, can we appeal & what would be our chances?

If a Refusal is certain should we withdraw quicker than allow a refusal?

How bad an idea is it to say <SNIP>

As I said, the council haven't commented on plans at all yet, so I don't know what the outcome will be, but just wondering how these things generally play out & when should we 1st find out if they have an issue with our plans.
(Due a decision mid Aug)

Thanks,
Sorry it's so long & hopefully not too confusing!!
BB

Mod edit: Discussions on the flaunting of planning regulations is not allowed. Read the charter. I should really delete and ban but Im letting you off with a warning. Please take heed of it.

No6

BoozyBabe wrote: »

So, basically, we submitted our plans to the council about 3 weeks ago.
Online it says the planning App is 38% processed & a planner has been assigned.

No further info has been requested yet.

However, we feel there will prob be a few issues with our plans, & a few people have said as much to us.

1. We have a few arches in our plans. No huge semi-circles or anything even close, but a few things with a slight arch on them (Front porch & central window above porch)
2. We have submitted for certain sections of the house to have stone cladding. (Sandstone)

So, if the planning authority have problems with these, when will we find out?
Will they contact us shortly for a meeting to discuss?
Will it be highlighted in a further info request?
Will nothing be said until a final decision of Refusal?

Why do planning authorities have issues with the items above? Surely they have very minor details.

Lots of recent buildings have arches, plans approved by the same authority.
The same can be said for the sandstone cladding.
If they did refuse, can we appeal & what would be our chances?

If a Refusal is certain should we withdraw quicker than allow a refusal?

How bad an idea is it to say <SNIP>

As I said, the council haven't commented on plans at all yet, so I don't know what the outcome will be, but just wondering how these things generally play out & when should we 1st find out if they have an issue with our plans.
(Due a decision mid Aug)

Thanks,
Sorry it's so long & hopefully not too confusing!!
BB

No offence but I hope you've hired an Architect, Architectural Technoligist, Engineer or some other such professional to prepare and lodge your planning application. Is so you should ask them all these questions otherwise you are probably looking at an invalidation for not providing all the information, a refusal for putting in a design with is not in line with Local Authority requirements design guides or a further information letter a mile long. You will hear back from the LA after 8 weeks one way or the other.

If you get planning with <SNIP>, :eek: this is a very dangerous and foolish approach and could cause you major problems if you need to sell your house.... Please please please if you havn't already hire a professional, you'll need one in about 5 weeks if you havnt!!

BoozyBabe

Yes we've hired a professional & they got all documentation together for submitting.
The arches & cladding are borderline.
They also stated possibility of not getting, but they're something we really want so we instructed the architect to submit them anyway.

My question is, knowing that these issues may be a problem, will we be told before a final decision so they can be amended, or will we find out nothing until the final decision date?

No6

BoozyBabe wrote: »

Yes we've hired a professional & they got all documentation together for submitting.
The arches & cladding are borderline.
They also stated possibility of not getting, but they're something we really want so we instructed the architect to submit them anyway.

My question is, knowing that these issues may be a problem, will we be told before a final decision so they can be amended, or will we find out nothing until the final decision date?

It depends on the planner, they could just refuse but may look for further information and include an advice note telling you to omitt the arches, by stone cladding do you mean the manmade stuff or natural stone, in many parts of the country if you want stone you generally have to use a 200mm think leaf of stone outside the blockwork. If its Jack and Vera 1970's crazy paving cladding forget it!!:D

Did you or your professional have a preplanning meeting, if not can you get one before the decision date, you can always go and ask them, one big piece of advice is if you are not flexible in terms of the design you will probably be refused.

BoozyBabe

Well yea, if we're not allowed those items, we're not allowed them & will just have to live with them.
We understand this, but as they're what we prefer we felt we may as well try.
No harm in asking & all that!

This is what we're looking for. It is the crazy paving type, but as the company are local, there's quite a bit of it in the area:-
Stone Finish

No, we haven't had a pre-planning meeting, so do you reckon if we haven't heard anything in a few weeks, could we ring, ask if there are any issues with the plans & if so then request a meeting to discuss?

No6

It depends on the area if your allowed this kind of not, around here its hated by the planners and it costs nearly as much as natural stone. The planners will not see the plans until week six to seven, thats the time to get htem if you can, In some areas they are quite available in others you can wait months

MMW

We originally had stone in our plans and when we received planning one of the conditions was that the house had to be rendered flat, I did ring and ask the planner if there was any room for bargaining on this point and she told me that no there wasn't and just to be happy with what we got as in her words 'we got away with murder' (we're building a two story house.....in an area with only bungalows......with a balcony......and lots of glass screening.....)

RKQ

If the application has been lodged and validated the Planner can not "legally" speak to you about that application.

I'd advise you to sit back, relax and wait. Any communication now could confuse the issues at best and be mistaken as interference, at worst.

Let it lie and see what happens, trust your professional and your original instinct.

Fingers crossed!

No6

RKQ wrote: »

If the application has been lodged and validated the Planner can not "legally" speak to you about that application.

God RKQ I harass them all the time at about six weeks, keeps it fresh, they have to turn up a preplanning clinics here every week so there's no escape from me!!.. I generally leave my Clients at home, they're less guarded without clients.. where does it say they're can't legally talk to you? or is that just the party line from some planning dept down your direction? We had one up here called the 100m rule, no houses within 100m of slatted houses, loads of people refused, sites abandoned because of it and then someone appealed and it turns out that it was a "rule" made up in the enviornement section to keep the townies who move to the country from complaining about the smell from slatted houses by keeping them 100m away!!:D

RKQ

Yes No6. Validation is an achievement in its self in my neck of the woods.
This "legality" has been stressed numerous times. I'll post up a reference to it.

In fairness they usually validate within 24 hours of receipt, which can be handy.

Its not even possible to get a pre-planning meeting on a refusal, within the appeal peroid! Very strict on that too.

Alot of administration involved. My head hurts counting 6 of this and 6 of that!

Slig

If you are this far into the process then congrats, you probably have a valid application (but it can be invalidated at any time).

A further Information request will probably be out to you after 8 weeks and this could include questions about design & finishes, site assessments, sight lines, housing need and services. It is in your interrest to get this back to the council asap as 6 months from the date the FI was issued they will make their decision. If you have everything answered within 2 months and returned then it allows 4months for them to seek a clarification on any outstanding issues.

Alternatively they can request a revised house design as a planning condition with the grant. A good relationship with a planner is a must. Ask them to give you a call if they decide to refuse to allow you to withdraw the application. However I doubt they would refuse an application simply on design.

The Issue that the council have with arches and stone cladding (and this is not directed at the OP) is that they are simply features that dont sit in with the house design and are generally add-ons forming a "Boy-Racer" approach to design.
EG:
1) You'd like a cottage look but the house you are building is a 5 bed two storey so you add in a few cottage features, concrete barges, a porch.etc.
2) You have space planned a house and end up with a rectangular box and think its too common so you add a bit of stone cladding or scalloped fascias, maybe even a fancy chimney cap or PVC georgian windows.

Its very similar to somebody putting a streamlined bodykit and racing exhaust system on a fiat punto. Its trying to transform something boring into something interresting by only looking at the external and it doesnt work.

Iano Ludz

Slig wrote: »

It is in your interrest to get this back to the council asap as 6 months from the date the FI was issued they will make their decision. If you have everything answered within 2 months and returned then it allows 4months for them to seek a clarification on any outstanding issues.

Slig i think you have 6 months to submit your FI and then the council will decide within 4 weeks of the date they receive the FI. Either way I agree, if you do receive FI, get it back in asap.

Slig

Iano Ludz wrote: »

Slig i think you have 6 months to submit your FI and then the council will decide within 4 weeks of the date they receive the FI. Either way I agree, if you do receive FI, get it back in asap.

New Planning Laws/Act has reduced the time frame to stop applications going from FI to clarification to clarification and then taking years to get to decision. The decision now has to be made after the 6 months, either grant or refusal.

sydthebeat

Slig wrote: »

New Planning Laws/Act has reduced the time frame to stop applications going from FI to clarification to clarification and then taking years to get to decision. The decision now has to be made after the 6 months, either grant or refusal.

Not necessarily applicable to some Co co's. Although this may be technically correct, i know that some co co's will restart the 6 month period should clarification be requested. This is done for the advantage of the applicant.

Slig

sydthebeat wrote: »

Not necessarily applicable to some Co co's. Although this may be technically correct, i know that some co co's will restart the 6 month period should clarification be requested. This is done for the advantage of the applicant.

It all goes back to which takes preferance the planning Act or the local authorities procedure. I have already witnessed some LAs being "caught out" by the 6 months and each has used a different method to revert back to the old system. The only extension to this limit (from the Act) is if the client requests a 3 month extension of time on the FI. Around my part of the world (Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo) the clarification is generally just a formality and it will often re-ask the same questions over and over or request copies of information already submitted with the original application and FI. It is not uncommon for the council to have to hand deliver a decision to us on the due date. It is also not uncommon for applications to drag on indeffinately.