Planning Permission

Getting Planning Permission can be daunting if you’ve never done so before, or have been refused in the past. Please don’t be anxious, this is a process which architects do regularly and they can advise you from the outset if the house in your garden is likely to be approved based on their own experience and knowledge.

You will need Planning Permission for an extra dwelling on your land. This could be either Outline Planning Permission or Full Planning Permission.

Outline Planning Permission – This agrees on the principle of development and does not need detailed design drawings. This can reduce your architect’s fees and may be all you need if you wish to increase the value of your land in order to sell it.

Full Planning Permission – Whoever goes on to buy your land, if you are selling, will have to resubmit for Full Planning Permission including much more detailed design drawings so that the house can be built. You may wish to make a Full Planning Permission Application even if you are selling your land, as you might want to retain control of what the final design will look like, especially if you will be remaining in your existing house. Of course, you will need Full Planning Permission if you will be having the house built yourself.

For more information about Outline and Full Planning Permission, follow this link.

When applying for Full or Outline Planning Permission, your architect will submit a package of drawings and additional documentation, as required, to your local Planning Department. The planning process will then take up approximately 8 weeks - if there are no contentious issues - during which time the general public and other consultees (e.g. the local Town/Parish Council etc.) will be able to comment on the proposed scheme. This whole process is overseen and managed by your architect, who will discuss the comments with the Planning Officer, with a view to getting a favourable decision. If your proposed scheme is looking likely to be, or is, refused, your architect will advise you as to what to do next. There are sometimes changes that can be made which will ensure your scheme will get Planning Permission.
Although there are no guarantees that Planning Permission will be granted, your architect’s knowledge and experience of the planning system should help lead to a favourable outcome.

There is a fee payable to the Local Authority on submission of the Planning Application. In Cornwall, this will be £578 (no VAT) from 6th December 2023.

3HW have great experience at taking projects through the Planning Permission process with a high percentage of success. Please contact us to talk through your project.