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The following information is offered solely as a guide based upon those questions often asked of us by our customers. The information provided is not meant as an exhaustive or definitive text but is simply an attempt to help clarify some aspects of the building process.

1. Do we need planning permission for our extension?

This is a question to be determined on a case by case basis. However, generally if you are extending your property outside the existing footprint of the building, or you are considering roof lights, dormer windows, new windows etc and the proposed alterations do not fall within current permitted development limits for the property then you will need to consider making a planning application.

A planning application is usually filed with a basic set of drawings showing the extent of the existing property against the new development to be considered, this is accompanied by a fee. The planning application is filed with the local authority planning department which covers the area in which the development is to take place. Making a planning application is usually straight forward, however, the planning application must be filed in the correct manner and as with all things involving local authorities filing a planning application can be more complicated in practice than in theory, especially if you are not used to the planning system requirements.

My advice to prospective planing applicants is to either instruct an experienced local architect or draught person to provide the requisite drawings and to file the application for you or if you wish JEB Construction can work up planning drawings & file the planning application on your behalf. It is important to ensure that the person instructed to provide drawings listens to what you require from your build & crucially listens to your budget this will provide early advice or feedback on the proposal with an eye to what the local authority is likely to allow, and should ensure that the application is filed in the correct manner reflecting your needs and requirements from the build.

Although most planning applications are straight forward, planning constraints arise when developments are within a conservation area or an area of outstanding natural beauty, or where the application is borderline for reasons of size, proximity to neighbors boundaries or through issues of design. Remember it is important to get the planning application right, obviously an application will stand or fall on the basis of the information provided and although changes and amendments to the application can be made at a later date these may often require further planning applications, fees, delays, and as with all planning matters the outcome is never guaranteed. It is also useful to remember that the extent of the development covered within the planning application is all that may be lawfully built. Any deviations from the plans are unlikely to be covered by the planning consent and may therefore be deemed to be unlawful development, possibly requiring a retrospective planning application or minor amendment for which the result may be uncertain.

Many local authorities conduct informal weekly planning surgeries where it is possible for a prospective applicant to simply drop in with basic drawings, photographs, sketches or plans, meet with a planning inspector and get an idea of how the planning department are likely to view a planning application for the proposed development. These surgeries can give valuable early feedback on the likelihood of success of an application and give early information on possible points of conflict with planning guidelines and advice on how to avoid areas which may result in the rejection of an application. However, be aware that the informal nature of planning surgeries means that you will never be given a definitive answer as to wether a planning application will or will not ultimately be granted consent.

Remember, even though a project may not require planning approval the work will still need to be carried out in accordance with the Building Regulations. As such a project will usually require a number of visits to site by the building inspector to inspect the work at various stages. Inspection and verification of the work by building control is crucial and without the required inspections it will not be possible to obtain a certificate of completion for the work carried out from the local authority.

2. 2.What are The Building Regulations? & What is a Building Regulation Specification?
   

The Building Regulations are simply a set of minimum requirements or standards, determined by local authorities and the government to which all the different areas of a build must comply. The building regulations simply enforce good building practice to ensure minimum standards of construction are always attained.

A building regulation specification is a detailed specification of the way in which a project is to be built and the material types and/or quantities to be used. Typically a detailed specification will provide information on every area of the build from foundation depth to cavity width, insulation, wall ties, roof construction etc. It is common for the detailed information of the building regulation specification to be set out on the working drawings from which the project will be built.

A building regulation application can be filed at the same time as an initial planning application and this is known as a full plans application. The benefits of filing a full plans application are as follows:

1. The customer holds both the plans and the detailed construction notes ensuring that their chosen builder builds to a local authority checked and approved scheme using the correct materials for the job.

2. When the customer seeks quotes from various builders they can be sure that the quotes are comparable and all cover the same materials schedule and build specification.

3. 3.The detailed construction specification can be approved by the local authority at the same time that the planning application is being considered without the need to file a separate building regulation application at a later date with the associated delay (approximately 8 weeks) before building regulation approval is given.
   

Please note that it is not a requirement to file a building regulation application at the time of filing a planning application, indeed it is often prudent to wait until planning has been granted before filing the building regulation application ensuring that the extra costs associated with the drawing up of the building regulation specification are not lost if the planning application is rejected. However, if a building regulation application is filed after the planning consent has been granted then a further delay will ensue whilst the building regulation application is considered by building control. It is worth noting that unlike a planning application a building regulation application cannot be rejected as such, it may require changes to certain elements of the specification to comply prior to receiving approval but it should eventually be passed by building control.

Finally, there is no actual requirement to make a building regulation application at all, but the build must still adhere to and be inspected under a building notice for compliance with the relevant building regulations, and without the provision of a building regulation specification the benefits listed above may not be available to the client.

3. 3.What is a Building Notice Application?
   

A Building notice application is an alternative way of informing local authority building control that work on a project is about to start. As with a building regulation application building notice requires that a fee be paid and the appropriate form filed prior to commencement of the work, entitling the builder or applicant to contact the local authority building control office to arrange an inspection of the work at the required stages, usually within a 24 hour period from notification that an inspection is required. The building inspector will then come to site in the normal way and carry out the relevant inspection, the result of each inspection will be documented by the building inspector in the project file and completion of each inspection stage will move the project towards the issue of a final building regulation completion certificate for the project.

Building notice is attractive route to many clients because the initial costs are reduced and there are no delays. For example with building notice there is no requirement to provide or file a building regulation specification or detailed construction notes and there is no delay for the local authority to consider a building regulations specification and provide the associated approval. However, a building notice application provides very little actual information about how the work is to be undertaken and building control will assume that the person carrying out the work knows and is up to date with the current requirements of the building regulations. Failure to build in accordance with the regulations will mean that the work will need to be carried out properly before each stage of the build can be signed off. As such in the absence of a building regulation specification or detailed construction notes the customer is reliant on the competence of their builder to carry out the work correctly, it will also mean that a customer will be unable to compare quotes with any real certainty, there are usually several ways to build, but all ways are not necessarily equally good!

It should be noted at this point that unlike a planning consent, where the work must be begun within a specified time limit, once work has commenced the building notice/building regulations are not time limited, as such once the appropriate forms have been filed and the fees paid the local authority are bound to carry out as many inspections as required over the period of the build until the work is satisfactorily completed.

JEB Construction Limited is always happy to manage the process of developing and filing either building regulation or building notice applications for our clients.

4. Getting quotes & choosing a builder.

We would recommend the following when getting quotes and deciding on a builder to carry out the work.

1. 1.Meet each builder on site personally and spend time explaining the work, required finish, your needs and requirements of the build taking time to get a feel for each builders ability, level of competence and experience. If possible provide each builder with at least one full copy of the plans from which to quote ideally with detailed construction notes. Very importantly make sure that your builders are qualified or that the subcontractors that they intend to use are qualified and competent to carry out the work which you are asking them to quote for. For example any plumber who carries out work to a gas appliance or gas pipe must be Gas Safe Registered.
   

2. 2.Compare the quotes and ask questions about any details that are not clear or that seem to differ between quotes.
   

3. 3.Get references for past customers who have had similar work carried out and contact these past customers. A good builder should want to show off his work and will not be hesitant about your contacting past customers.
   

4. 4.Make your decision based upon price/budget, reference feedback, and wether you feel that a particular builder will give you and your work his proper attention. You must also feel that you can work with that builder on a day to day basis, after all your builder will be with you for a period of time and the relationship must work for all the parties involved to be successful.
   

5. 5.Finally, contact each builder who has quoted for the work to let them know your decision. Visits to site and quotes take time which is un-paid and as such it is right to give the builder a call to thank them for their time even if their quote is unsuccessful, often the feedback on quotes will help the builder to understand what his quote was lacking, and who knows you may need quotes for future work !