Ian Brewerton Architecture

Most building projects will require both Planning Permission and Building Regulations Approval. Click here to see FAQ, and here for Planning Fees

These are completely separate approvals, and neither approval guarantees the other will also be granted.

Planning Permission
deals with matters of principle, including;

• the use of land
• the effect of development on adjacent land and properties
• the need for the development
• the impact of the development on infrastructure (road traffic, drainage, water supply)
• the impact of the development on the environment (ecological impacts, wildlife)
• the appearance of the development and how it relates to its surroundings

Planning controls are intended to protect public interests, not private interests (such as land values of adjacent sites), but in practise there are areas of overlap. There is a right of appeal for the applicant if a proposal is rejected, but generally no appeal (except in the courts on legal grounds) for objectors if it is approved.

Members of the public may comment on proposals, immediate neighbours of a proposed development will normally be consulted, and the Planning process is generally intended to be open and transparent.

Building Regulations
deal with Health and Safety and the Conservation of Fuel and Power. There is no public consultation, and the proposals submitted remain confidential between the applicant and the Building Control Authority. If the proposals meet the technical requirements they will be approved.

Unless the proposal is entirely strightforward in planning terms, it is best to obtain Planning Permission before seeking Building Regulation Aproval, to avoid wasted time and expense.

new page 22 April 2009