Thinking ahead is essential with planning

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Thinking ahead is essential with planning

With this exceptionally hot weather it is hard to imagine winter approaching but it will be with us before we know it.

Those embarking upon building projects in the not too distant future will be wanting to ensure their groundworks are completed by the end of September.

Others who might be planning to embark on major extension, renovation or other building works next year may well be aiming to get started as soon next spring arrives.

Following on from my last blog in which I discussed pre-planning consent, now is therefore the time to be thinking ahead a little.

Seeking pre-planning advice can be essential in some cases in either ensuring a smooth application process when it arrives or not wasting time on a project which is unlikely to be approved.

I have recently been working on an interesting project where my clients were hoping to create some holiday accommodation.

It was clear from the outset that the planners might have issues to do with additional traffic on the small country lane where the site was located, as well as proximity to amenities.

And it was vital not to waste significant time on intricate plans if the authorities were going to be concerned about wider issues.

On the other hand, it was also important to give the clients the best possible chance of realising their dream.

In this instance, I decided to get a planning consultant involved who was able to give specialist advice in terms of local policy and infrastructure etc.

After careful consideration, he came up with a strategy for approaching the project in careful stages.

This seems to be the way forward with this particular development and has highlighted the importance of thinking carefully at the pre-planning stage.

Very many planning applications are straight-forward but others might require a slightly different approach and it is imperative to have an understanding of what that might be.