The importance of getting a planning application right
When planning to alter existing buildings or to build new ones, having the correct planning permission in place is vital.
All too often, stories hit the headlines about people who have spent thousands (and sometimes millions) on creating their dream homes and making alterations without permission.
Most of the time the result is a straightforward one – they have to pull it all down and they are left without a building and without the finances to put it right.
To avoid falling into a similar trap, ensuring that all the necessary aspects of an application are compiled in the correct manner is of fundamental importance.
Getting everything right
It is just not the landowners who can suffer either as unscrupulous builders and planners can also lose out on thousands of pounds if the planning authorities feel they are disregarding regulations.
Planning authorities view each application on its own merits and will either grant or refuse it accordingly, although some applications can be passed with alterations.
In these cases the building work can take place but a failure to take into account the alterations can mean the plans remain in breach and the authorities could take action.
The application can be refused in several instances, and it is important for planners, builders and land or property owners to be aware of these when developing plans.
If any new building is likely to impact the privacy of somebody else or would mean drastic changes to infrastructure then it may be refused.
For example, building a new football stadium in a residential area would likely be refused due to the increased footfall and vehicles that the existing road system would not be able to handle.
That is obviously on a large scale, but even small changes can have an impact, especially if they go against regional or area-planning policies. Specialists in Business restructuring services can often provide advice in complex areas such as these.
It is important to check any existing regulations prior to starting a planning procedure, as it can save funds in the latter stages should it turn out that alterations cannot take place.
To be perfectly safe, it is important to take every step of the planning process one stage at a time to ensure that nothing is overlooked or ignored.
Overlooking something important can only lead to greater expense in the latter stages of development or construction, so avoiding unnecessary outlays is beneficial to all concerned.
By Phil Smith