Planning Consent UK Ltd

OUR BACKGROUND IN DEVELOPMENT:

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Although the core business of our company is Planning Permission, the company has grown from a Property Development background with a track record in achieving Planning Consent, passing Building Control, carrying out Construction Projects with Building Contractors, working with Interior Designers, Architects, Landscape Designers, and ensuring all regulatory matters are dealt with in a timely manner during the construction phase of a Development Project.

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HOW CAN WE HELP:

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As Developers know, keeping on top of your paperwork is a major task in itself. We can take the load off your shoulders by taking charge of any or all of the following as part of our Developer Service Package: New Build Warranty, Contractor All Risks Insurance (CAR), Construction Finance, Foundation Works and Piling, Equipment Hire, Mains Services, QS Inspections, Building Control, Thames Water, Network Rail, Code for Sustainable Homes (SAP), Robust Details, Secured by Design (SBD), Temporary Buildings, Basement Impact Assessment, Tree Survey, Arboriculturalist Report, Soil Permeability Test, Ecology Report, Flood Risk Assessment, Daylight and Sunlight Assessment, BREEAM Insulation Requirements, u-values, Product Spec Matching, Structural and Electrical Engineering, Energy Performance (EPC), Solar Energy (MCS), Interior Design, Showhome Staging, Landscaping and liaison between Architect and site. We can also help with your project logistics by setting up progress monitoring systems enabling you to stay on top of your project.

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In our core business of Planning Permission, we can be particularly useful to Property Developers, helping to maximise land use, internal floor space and so maximise your return on investment. We aim to act fast and obtain Planning Consent for you quickly, without controversy or drama so you can start your work as soon as possible and make the most of your opportunity. Our own systems of working allow us to be very responsive to Local Authority advice or requests and we will not keep an application waiting for weeks just to make minor changes. We follow an established route of Design, Consultation, Application and Consent that helps get the Local Planning Authority on the client's side right from the start. We use simple, widely readable, easy to understand scaled plans for planning consent, that can be e-mailed, opened, printed, quickly and easily changed if required, all keeping client costs down. We advise our clients to apply only for proposals that fall within Current Planning Policy, avoiding disappointment later and not wasting your time, money and opportunity.

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COSTS AND CHARGES:

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Our Charges are transparent and your final bill will reflect only the work that has actually been done for you. We don't charge fixed fees, nor do we have a minimum fee either. You are charged by the hour for full hours only and you will receive regular updates with date and time spent and what work has been completed up to that point. You will receive e-copies of all completed work as it is finished, provided it has been paid for. The only additional cost that we may charge you for is "out-of-pocket" expenses such as printing charges for extra copies of plans at your request or for travel costs when multiple site visits are required. Any unused balance of funds on your account with us will be credited back to your bank account on completion of our work on your project. We want to change the way people apply for Planning Permission once and for all, making the process clearer, more accountable, quicker and more certain for our clients.

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To get started, we recommend our "Development Intro Meeting" when basic site information can be gathered, detailed discussions can take place to clarify your requirements and a way forward can be agreed. If you want us to proceed, this can be combined with a "Development Site Survey"  which we can carry out immediately after the meeting. If you need us to estimate the cost to achieve planning consent, we can offer a best guess but there may be simply too many variables and unknown factors to reach any meaningful estimate. However, our Planning Permission Service Guarantee applies to Developers too, so we will be highly motivated to achieve Planning Approval at the first attempt. It is in our interest to do this because if we succeed, you succeed. If you succeed, you will choose us again and recommend us on, helping our business to grow.

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ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT TERMS FOR DEVELOPERS:

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Alternatively, if cash flow is difficult but you don't want to lose your site to another developer, we can offer you another way to fund your planning consent. Subject to agreement and the relevant site survey, we would consider on a case-by-case basis to work on a "percentage of site value uplift" which would only become due for payment once your planning consent is granted and you have access to funds. Clearly we would want an undertaking from you or your lender on this or alternatively, you can use your site as security, subject to suitable terms.

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PLANNING PERMISSION HISTORY:

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In recent years, Planning Policy has been getting ever more complicated for ordinary householders and Property Developers alike. Although there has been a desire in government, both at local and national level to simplify the process, so far it hasn't translated into noticeable results. The reason for this is that there cannot be a uniform, national policy, or one shoe that fits all. Every location around the country is different, each with its different architectural histories and different local needs. To allow for this, National Government writes the planning policy "template" and Local Government then interprets that template in their own way. In some cases this interpretation results in contradictory and overlapping policies. ​In our experience, even in a single borough, different case officers have been known to arrive at different conclusions given the same local planning policy! This doesn't help and the poor applicant can be left confused and unsure of how to proceed. The up-side is that if you only require Permitted Development, the rules are pretty much the same right across the country. This is because Permitted Development is a national policy, not a local one.

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OUR APPROACH:

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Here at Planning Consent UK Ltd we first check with the Local Authority to see if there are any restrictions or conditions on your property and then advise you according to this. We understand the underlying "planning policy template" as it applies to Permitted Development, on which we base our drawings and advice. Our aim is to achieve the best possible outcome for you, whether it be through Planning Consent or the more simple Permitted Development.

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Additionally, our own systems of working allow us to be very responsive to Local Authority advice or requests and we will not keep an application waiting for weeks just to make minor changes. We follow an established route of Consultation that helps get the Local Planning Authority on the client's side right from the start. We use simple, widely readable, easy to understand, scaled plans in MS Word format for Permitted Development or Planning Permission, that can quickly and easily be changed if required, keeping client costs down. We advise our clients to apply only for proposals that fall within Current Planning Policy, avoiding disappointment later and not wasting our client's time and money.

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COSTS AND CHARGES:

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Our Charges are transparent and your final bill will reflect only the work that has actually been done for you. We don't charge fixed fees, nor do we have a minimum fee either. You are charged by the hour for full hours only and you will receive regular updates with date and time spent and what work has been completed up to that point. You will receive e-copies of all completed work as it is finished, provided it has been paid for. The only additional cost that we may charge you for is "out-of-pocket" expenses such as printing charges for extra copies of plans at your request or for travel costs when multiple site visits are required. Any unused balance of funds on your account with us will be credited back to your bank account on completion of our work on your project. We want to change the way people apply for Planning Permission. We want to make the process clearer, more accountable, quicker and more certain for our clients.