Do I need Planning Permission?
Planning permission is not always required, examples being:
- For agricultural operations or the use of existing buildings on agricultural land for agricultural purposes
- Changes to the inside of buildings or small alterations to the outside (a good example being an alarm box)
- If permitted development is applicable
We will advise you if planning permission is necessary but you can check this with your local planning authority too.
What is Permitted Development?
Permitted development is a formal notification to your planning authority of your proposed development, examples being:
Temporary uses of land
Agricultural buildings under 5,000sq ft in size
Forestry building and forestry roads
We will advise you whether your project is subject to permitted development.
If you require full planning permission we can handle the entire process for you as your agent. We will provide drawings, complete the application forms and submit them on your behalf, keeping you informed of progress at every stage.
Depending on the building and location, Environmental Impact Assessments may be necessary, along with Flood Risk Assessments, Disability Access Statements, and Design and Access Statements, all of which we will complete on your behalf.
Our work on your planning permission is free of charge unless you decide not to proceed with your building from us once the application is complete (charges may be incurred for this). You will however, have to pay your local authority fees and these are based on the size of building.
Building Warrants**
**Only required in Scotland
If your building is in Scotland you will need to get a Building Warrant and S&A will complete this work for you as a part of the planning process. A Building Warrant is in addition to a planning application and the two don’t work together, so you can be allocated one without the other, but you need both before you can commence the build.
The cost of a building warrant is calculated by your local authority and is based upon the value of the project. There is also an engineers fee for a site visit and investigation.