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Andrew Cunningham

5th birthday celebrations at Lavingham Planning Consultants!

10th May 2021 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

We enjoyed our 5 year birthday for Lavingham Planning Consultants earlier in the month.

We thought we would share some of our fun facts we have calculated over this time.

If you’re thinking of your next big project, then please let us know, we would love to help.

We offer a free consultation for new clients, so please do drop us an email at info@lavingham.com. Or use our contact form online.

 

Planning birthday, Lavingham Planning Consultants, Northallerton

Filed Under: Our news Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, Lavingham Planning, North Yorkshire, Northallerton

The Changing Face of Planning

29th September 2020 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

The Government has announced a consultation process on guidelines to speed up the planning system across England. In a report published at the beginning of August 2020 titled Planning for the Future, the Government provides detailed plans for changing a ‘relic’ of an existing system.

The plans aim to greatly improve the existing system which sees many potential planning applications refused because of previous stipulations.

The plans include re-energising local plans produced by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) so that land falls into one of three categories: growth, renewal or protected.

Automatic approval

The proposal outlines that planning permission would automatically be secured for areas categorised for growth. Some development would be permitted in renewal areas but would be restricted completely in protected areas.

Local Authorities will also be put under increasing pressure to ensure that planning approval for some bigger development projects is approved in under 30 months.

Priority for aesthetic developments

The Government also announced that high-quality development proposals would be likely to be granted automatic permission if they reflect local character and preferences.

The changes outlined by the Government mean that more applications will be granted immediately, whilst other more unique applications will be categorised, and approval will be granted based on new guidelines. The proposed guidelines suggest that following the implementation of the measures outlined, planning should be easier to achieve and less of a headache for all involved.

The reforms will mean:

  • Local communities will be consulted from the very beginning of the planning process. By harnessing the latest technology through online maps and data, the whole system will be made more accessible
  • Valued green spaces will be protected for future generations by allowing for more building on brownfield land and all new streets to be tree-lined
  • Much-needed homes will be built quicker by ensuring local housing plans are developed and agreed in 30 months – down from the current 7 years
  • Every area to have a local plan in place – currently, only 50% of local areas has a plan to build more homes
  • The planning process to be overhauled and replaced with a clearer, rules-based system. Currently around a third of planning cases that go to appeal are overturned at appeal
  • A new simpler national levy to replace the current system of developer contributions which often causes delay
  • The creation of a fast-track system for beautiful buildings and establishing local design guidance for developers to build and preserve beautiful communities
  • An ambition that new ‘zero carbon ready’ homes delivered under our new system will not require any future retrofitting.

Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

“Our complex planning system has been a barrier to building the homes people need; it takes seven years to agree local housing plans and 5 years just to get a spade in the ground.”

Decisions on the Green Belt will stay with local authorities as they prepare their plans so that they can continue to protect and enhance these important areas for generations to come.

Following the publication of Planning for the future, the government will now consult with planners, lawyers and local government experts on the proposals, as well as interest groups and residents.

So, potentially lots of changes ahead! Luckily we are on top of all of these proposals as they move from consultation to law, so are well-positioned to advise you on how to get the permission you need. If you need some advice, do get in touch, please email us at info@lavingham.com or message Andrew on our social media platforms.

For more information on planning, please take a look at some of our past  blogs.

Filed Under: Planning news Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, Lavingham Consultants, Lavingham Planning Consultants, Lavingham Planning Services, Local authorities, North Yorkshire, Northallerton, planning applications, Planning consultant, planning consultation

Have you considered using permitted development rights instead of planning permission?

5th September 2019 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

If you don’t feel you have the skills, time or budget for a planning application process you could consider arranging your planned work so it falls within permitted development rights (no planning permission required)

Some loft conversions and property alterations can be considered under the permitted development rights.

Points to note if you are considering this as an option:

  • Check whether your property is within an area where the rights are more restricted (i.e. Conservation Areas, Article 4 Directions or National Parks)
  • Check whether your property had its permitted development rights removed when it was built – the Council will be able to advise you on this, but may charge you for this service.
  • You may still need to get building regulations approval for any work – this may well still apply even if planning permission has not been sought.
  • Check the Planning Portal for England’s Interactive House – this can give you an idea as to whether or not your property alterations would require planning permission.

As with every part of the planning process, it’s best to do your research and get advice from the local authority if you’re unsure about what you can do. Even if your alterations are permitted development and don’t require planning permission it is worth getting this in writing from your local authority for future conveyancing purposes. It is important to note that most Councils charge for this service.

Why not call us for a FREE consultation today. For more information, please contact us at info@lavingham.com or send us a message via our social media platforms.

Filed Under: Our news, Planning news, Residential planning Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, Lavingham Planning Consultants, North Yorkshire, Northallerton, permitted

Are planning permission applications free?

30th August 2019 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

Some are but most sadly are not!  And it can vary depending on the size and scale of your project. Don’t be caught out with unexpected additional costs too.

Make sure you:

  • Understand and know what type of permission you need to apply for and the associated fees. (We can help and advise on this)
  • Add in a little additional budget as a contingency, in case additional costs are required and necessary to progress your application, such as site specific surveys.
  • Use FREE tools that are available online such as the Planning Portal for England’s fee calculator or speak to us and we can advise.

Why not call us for a FREE consultation today. For more information, please contact us at info@lavingham.com or send us a message via our social media platforms.

Filed Under: Our news, Planning news, Residential planning Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, Lavingham Consultants, Lavingham Planning, Lavingham Planning Consultants, Northallerton, Planning advice, planning applications, planning costs

Top tips to get your planning permission approved

15th August 2019 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

First things first! Allow plenty of time for planning permission approval.

Planning applications are not decided in a couple of weeks and if you have complex plans you have to be aware that the deadline may need to be extended.

What can you do to minimise delays

  • Research your local council’s timeframes and their performance figures to be sure how your council process works within the statutory timeframes to get an idea of how much time you will need to allow.
  • Make sure your application is correctly completed with all the necessary supporting information, this is something we are happy to advise you on.
  • Be vigilant – you may receive actions to respond to, to help further your application, the quicker you respond the better, as it will help your application to continue moving.
  • Be realistic about possible delays, if your builder or contractors are ready to start work on the day of your application decision, maybe build in some time for possible application delays, you don’t want to lose your good builder!

Avoid changing plans after work has started, unless the Council specifically ask you to.

Before you submit your application make sure you pull together all of your information and get your advice ready in support of your application. Getting professional advice and support at this stage could be a vital step to ensuring a smooth application process.

Of course, sometimes, things do go awry and changes will need to be considered, just make sure you speak directly with your planning department as quickly as possible or engage a professional planning consultant to advise you at every stage.

Why not call us for a FREE consultation today. For more information, please contact us at info@lavingham.com or send us a message via our social media platforms.

Interested in reading other blogs we have written on planning, please go here

 

Filed Under: Planning news, Residential planning Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, Lavingham Consultants, Lavingham Planning Consultants, North Yorkshire, Northallerton, planning applications

Planning approval rates grow

13th May 2019 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

The number of planning applications granted has steadily increased over the last decade up from 73.5% in 2010 to 80.5% now, new research has found.

Though the number of applications submitted is down by 4%. This number has stayed quite steady in general terms and with increased approval applications the number of actual houses being built has increased from 30% to 42% since 2010.

However, the introduced ethos of ‘presumption in favour of development’ via the National Planning Policy Framework does look to have boosted approvals, with an increase of 30,000 planning permissions per annum since 2014.

Reports have suggested that the increased approval rate has allowed more homes to be completed which has been complemented by a more efficient planning system.

If you need a hand getting your planning application into shape to get it through the planning process. Please do get in touch with us.

Why not call us for a FREE consultation today. For more information, please contact us at info@lavingham.com or send us a message via our social media platforms.

Filed Under: Planning news, Residential planning Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, Lavingham Consultants, Lavingham Planning Consultants, North Yorkshire, planning applications

What exactly is a Certificate of Lawfulness?

11th February 2019 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

We recently mentioned we had been successful in obtaining a Certificate of Lawfulness for one of our clients. We were pleased to get this sorted for the Client, but thought it would be a good time to explain more about how and why this needed to be obtained.

The property had had the approved house foundations poured in the early 1990s, but no further building action had taken place after that. We felt that the planning permission was still live, but it was vital for the Client to be able to prove to the local planning department that the permission previously granted was still valid and binding. The process of investigating this can be quite lengthy and it is advisable to seek professional help like ours to get this sorted. Our investigation of this not only involved discussions with our Client but also delving back through the historic records contained at the North Yorkshire County Records Office.

So, what is a Certificate of Lawfulness?

A Certificate of Lawfulness, in this case, allows you to make a formal application for a certificate to determine whether your development can become lawful through the passage of time and can be continued without the need for further planning permission.

In this case the planning permission had been given and foundations laid, but no further building action had been taken. It required us to fully investigate the case, speak to Building Control to ascertain that they were still functional enough to build upon.

The issue of a certificate depends on factual evidence we can gather about the history and planning status of the site or building and interpret any relevant planning law. The granting of a certificate applies only to the lawfulness of the development carried out.

We were able to supply this evidence in this case, to allow the Council to provide the Client with the certificate  to satisfy any future interest or enforcement for the local planning authority, and to allow the Client the certainty that the permission for their house was valid.

Sometimes planning work can take up more time than you would like so it is advisable to take some professional advice. This is where we can help you. Why not call us for a FREE consultation today. For more information, please contact us at info@lavingham.com or send us a message via our social media platforms.

Filed Under: Our news, Planning news Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, certificate of lawfulness, Lavingham Planning Consultants, North Yorkshire, Northallerton, professional planning advice

Building on Brownfield sites, can digital tools help?

28th November 2018 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

The National Housing Federation has recently showcased its tool for highlighting over 17,000 brownfield sites, totalling 27,700 hectares and potentially providing land for nearly 1 million homes.

This digital tool has been welcomed as a great way of seeing brownfield sites, but hasn’t considered some of the land that is not publicly owned or some parcels of land that are no longer available due to local plans being amended and updated.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) have welcomed the provision of the tool as a potential to help tackle the housing crisis but are keen to for it to be used with caution and can help Local Authorities to see the potential of sites within their areas.

It will be interesting to see how these tools develop and help provide LAs, private developers and planners with options on sites in their areas and potentially achieve options on these instead of venturing onto green field sites.

We work with Local Authorities and private developers to look at land potential and can provide a wide range of services to assist with their assessment and future planning application options.

For more information, please contact us at info@lavingham.com or send us a message via our social media platforms.

 

Filed Under: Corporate planning, Our news, Planning news, Residential planning Tagged With: Andrew Cunningham, brownfield sites, Lavingham Planning Consultants, Local authorities, national federation of builders

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appeals, Planning Advice, Lavingham Planning, Andrew Cunningham

5th birthday celebrations at Lavingham Planning Consultants!

10th May 2021 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

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The Changing Face of Planning

29th September 2020 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

appeals, Planning Advice, Lavingham Planning, Andrew Cunningham

Appeal success!

11th November 2019 By Lavingham Planning Consultants Ltd

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