Planning permission refers to the approval given by the local authority under the power given to it by the 1948 Town and Country Planning Act to allow the building of, or changes to, a building.
All building work carried out should meet current building codes and regulations. This ensures that buildings are designed and constructed in accordance with the regulations and legislation.
Leaseholders must obtain a Licence to Alter before modifying their property, depending on the proposed works. Obtaining a Licence to Alter can often be a drawn-out and complicated process.
Permitted development rights allow the improvement or extension of homes without the need to apply for planning permission, where that would be out of proportion with the impact of the works carried out.
New build is a term that denotes new construction as opposed to the renovation or refurbishment of existing structures. New build can include newly constructed structures of all types such as houses, apartmentsand so on.
Whether you are looking to add an extra guest bedroom, a stunning master suite, a quiet new home office, there are so many ways a loft extension can be utilised that it usually isn’t hard to find a solution that fits.
Ground floor extensions have a wonderful ability to transform the spaces you use most, such as the kitchen and living area. It’s in this area of the home that we spend the majority of our time or entertaining friends and family.
Basements add a fantastic amount of living space, can significantly improve your quality of life and add material value to your home, optimise the space design, room lay-outs and quality of light and living.
Refurbishment is the process of improvement by cleaning, decorating and re-equipping. It may also include elements of retrofitting with the aim of making a building more energy efficient and sustainable.
Feasibility studies are preliminary investigations undertaken in the very early stage of a project to assess whether the project is viable. Feasibility studies are not part of the design process, they are assessments.
Concept drawings or sketches are drawings, often freehand, that are used by designers such as architects, engineers and interior designers as a quick and simple way of exploring initial ideas for designs.
If you go ahead with a project that requires planning permission without first gaining consent, you may well be forced to demolish any building work or put it right at a later date – a costly exercise.
