Planning Applications - Isle of Wight and beyond
planning applications and building regulations
When planning architectural work on your home, obtaining Isle of Wight council or regulatory permission is usually necessary. This falls under permitted development, planning permissions, and building regulations.
We can help you with most applications.
Sometimes, we will enlist the help of a specialist planning consultant. We want to ensure you have the right resources at your disposal when you need them.
How we can help
When undertaking a building project, you will likely need a planning application granted by the Isle of Wight council. You are likely to also need building regulations approvals.
If you'd like to discuss the ideas you have for your home or if you've acquired a new residential site on the Isle of Wight or on the South Coast of England, we'd be happy to discuss these.
Give us a call and we can talk through the issues. Lindsay is also happy to meet you on site.
If this is your first project, this can seem daunting. An experienced architectural team, like Mattinson Associates, can guide you through this process.
What is 'permitted development'?
Permitted development rights generally allow minor changes, like building a swimming pool, adding a porch or a small rear extension. It's advisable to confirm your rights for such projects by applying for permission. Our team can assist you with this investigation.
If you plan to make more significant changes that affect your home's massing, neighbours’ privacy, or the street scene, or if your home is in a designated area of natural beauty (AONB) or Conservation Area, you will need planning permission.
What is a pre-app?
To increase the chances of a successful planning application, we typically opt for a pre-application gold level service. This involves submitting detailed information to a planning officer and having an on-site discussion with them. We discuss the concept and early drawings as well as considering aspects such as tree impact, presence of bats, and ground stability. We can source and brief experts on your behalf to address any of the issues that the planner raises.
The pre-application process doesn't have a regulated time frame, so it may take longer than we would hope. Its a valuable way to convey the essence of the concept to the planner on site, which we believe, makes for a stronger application overall.
Am I guaranteed a successful outcome?
We have a 99.9% success rate of achieving planning permissions for our clients. But, of course, we cannot guarantee a positive outcome.
If your planning application is turned down, a new application can be submitted. In fact, multiple different applications can be submitted for a single property simultaneously and each would legally have to be evaluated for their individual merits. We'd not suggest this route!
If a planning application is turned down by a planning officer, there is generally leave to appeal to the national inspectorate.
We've avoided the national planning appeals process by submitting applications that are well conceived for their site and the policies in place for the area, while meeting the needs of our clients. Achieving this balance is one of the areas that a RIBA chartered architect will have trained for. The designs we put forward will have been carefully considered to balance objectives.
What happens after a successful planning application is received?
After receiving planning permission, Mattinson Associates will prepare detailed building regulation drawings. These larger-scale drawings enable engineers and construction partners to build your new home or extension.
What is the scope of building regulations?
Building regulations ensure the safety of the building by reviewing the designs and/or the work on site for structural and fire safety.
Building regulations also play a crucial role in achieving government targets for net-zero buildings.
Ongoing updates to the building regulations standards ensure that current constructions meet national commitments to net-zero. Factors like insulation, energy sources, ventilation, drainage, and building safety are assessed. Unfortunately, at the moment, these higher levels of performance required can make construction more expensive but they do make for a better quality building.
Working with building regulation departments is a relatively faster and more collaborative process, providing our clients with peace of mind regarding the sustainability and safety of their new home or extension for years to come.
Are building regulations necessary?
Building regulation drawings are required even if planning permission was not necessary, as compliance with fire safety, thermal performance, and structural integrity regulations is essential.
What are the stages of submitting a planning permission?
The planning application undergoes stages of registration, validation, public consultation, referral to the planning committee (if contentious), and finally, a decision. Legally, this process should take 12 weeks for uncontentious work. However, due to funding and staff shortages, planning processes nationwide often take longer, prompting requests for time extensions.
Is there a fast-track planning application process?
Sadly, no. But, to help speed up the process, we provide clear and comprehensive drawings, a design and access statement, and any relevant expert reports with our planning applications.
We also remain available to address any questions from the planning officer. Lindsay's familiarity with the island's planning policies and intuitive sense of site suitability ensure a 99.9% success rate for obtaining planning permissions while maintaining the designs' creative and functional intent.
What does the National Appeals process involve?
The national appeal process can be time consuming. But it has its place. This process ensures planning officers make planning application decisions based on a balanced review of the merits of an application in light of policies.
A comprehensive submission, which includes drawings and a written statement, outlines why the applicant believes the the Isle of Wight planning department might have misinterpreted policy as it relates to the application. The National Inspectorate may decide to overturn the refusal or agree with the Isle of Wight's planning department judgement.
This process takes about 25 weeks for householder applications but can take considerably longer too.
