After an analysis from the government, it announced 85% of the people who make the planning permission application following the proper planning application process, granted planning permission. For those of you, who don’t know what planning permission is, it is documentation which is necessary for making the development of land. Not all developments in land require planning permission, for example, sheds, garages and other outbuildings when done under a reasonable size, do not need planning permission or application.

But getting planning permission for your desired extension in your land can sometimes be a nightmare. That’s why if you won’t have prior knowledge about a planning application, then you should consult a Planning Application Agent. In this article, I will explain the full planning application process and, how to complete planning permission from my experience. I will answer general questions about the Planning Application Agent. So let us dive in.

What Is A Planning Agent?

If you are not familiar with the entire process of the applications and planning application maps, then I would say you should talk with a professional planning permission consultant to help deal with your problems and give you the guidance you need. Now you may be asking who is the agent on a planning application? An agent could be an architecture

or a builder as they will understand exactly how to do accurate planning permission.

It is important to know that if you are doing the application via an agent, then all the corresponding documents will send to them, the enquiries will not come to you directly, they will come to you via the agent. Also, the agent will receive the final decision letter. That’s why you need to choose the right consultant for you. Now you might also be asking “where can I find a planning agent near me or a planning consultant near me?” Finding an expert can be difficult.

People fall into the trap, mostly because of the misguidance by the false information by the neighbour or relatives about fake, unreliable planning permission consultants, hence wasting a lot of money. You should ask someone you can trust upon or you can search online as well for some great Planning Application Agents.

Check If You Need Planning Permission?

It is the first thing you need to check before starting your work. If you start working and then you realize you need planning permission, then you might need to bring things back to the right position again. If your work falls under permitted development, then you don’t need planning permission.  So before starting the project you must contact your local authorities. They will examine everything and tell you if you need planning permission or not.

How Do I Write A Planning Application?

People often think going to the agent is not reliable or a wise decision. I would say you definitely should not go to an agent if you have enough knowledge about the procedure. But these days the majority of people use professional planning application agents. The only difference between using a professional agent is that the local council will send all correspondence to the agents. If you are doing it by yourself then the process can get a little difficult if the documentation of the house or land is not accurate. So look for planning permission drawings examples. You have to visit your local council many times a day.

The papers you need-

• Site location in red and any other land you own in blue, this should be at a scale of either 1:1250 or 1:2500.
• Block Plan, a detailed site location which needs to be in great details.
• Planning permission drawings – elevated drawing, scaled at 1:100.
• Finally the correct amount of fees.

After you give the application, your local council will receive the application. They get multiple planning applications a day so it may take some time. They will see if it fulfils all the requirements & if the fees include or not. It is then registered and announced in the neighbourhood and published in the local newspaper. You must concern your neighbours if you want some solid information. Usually, the letters sent to the local neighbours.

However, if an application proves to be more disputed, then the letters send to a wider area of neighbours. But your neighbours have likely been through a similar type of situation before. They can help you make the applications and decisions as well. Also, the changes might even affect them, that’s why it is important to take their opinion and let the news of the improvement spread among the neighbourhood.

Usually, the letters sent to the local neighbours. However, if an application proves to be more disputed, then the letters sent to a wider area of neighbours. Then your neighbours will have the rights to post their comments.

Can Anyone Comment On A Planning Application?

Comments from neighbours examine precisely by the planning officers. This gives the officers more information about the improvement and the possible impact on the local people after the improvement is done. That’s why anyone can comment on a planning application. And if you haven’t received the letter you can still send the comments, but the comments must be sent before the deadline.

Usually, the deadline is written in the consultation letter. If you think you have a solid reason for extending the deadline you should appeal to the planning officer and they might change their decision if they think your comment is sensible. For example, comments like, “he is applying for planning permission on someone else’s property.

What Is The Consultation Period For Planning Applications?

If you are doing via an agent then normally the consultancy period is around 21 days. In this period the council sends letters to the neighbours and site notices and receives all the comments. Your application may take a longer time than usual if your documents are not ready in the first place.

Do You Need Planning Permission For Land You Don’t Own?

For applying for planning permission you don’t have to own the land. You can even apply for planning permission before buying the land, to see if the land you are buying has legal documents or not. If you see planning permission is not given, this will indicate that it will be difficult for you to do modifications in this land.

How Much Does It Cost To Get Planning Permission?

Finally, this is yet another frequently asked question. You can calculate the fees yourself by using the online calculator. And if you are unable to calculate by yourself you can always contact the local council and get the estimated amount. Service charge around 20 pounds+ VAT and then 60 pounds for application fees.

Thanks for reading. Hope this article provided you with all the information you needed about Planning Application Agents.