If you are looking at doing any form of development or change of use, it is very likely it will need consent, be that Planning Permission, Listed Building or Conservation Area Consent. Westward Planning can deal with the entire process, or, if required be commissioned to deal with certain aspects of the system.
Whatever the development proposed there are several steps involved before you can obtain that vital final decision. Westward Planning can guide you through all of these and liaise with your Local Planning Authority to handle the matters for you.
Pre-planning Application Enquiries
The first step in the life of any proposed development is getting pre-planning application advice from your Local Planning Authority. This is a crucial way of starting off your development as it can identify any problems right at the beginning. There are so many planning applications submitted to Councils that have had no pre-application advice which end up as a refusal because of an omission that could have been identified at the beginning. See how Westward Planning can help you get sound pre-planning application advice from your Council here.
Submitting the Planning Application
Making a planning application is a process that can be quite involved. Depending on the scheme you are submitting, the type of development, where it is and the scale of the proposal, the requirements can be varied. Making a "planning application" may also involve the submission of Listed Building and Conservation Area consents, Environmental Statements, legal agreements all over and above the plans and drawings. Westward Planning can deal with the application submission, and advise you exactly what you need to submit. See all about this aspect here.
Making an Appeal
Hopefully, this is a step that you won't need to reach! When any planning application is submitted to a Council however, there is always the risk of the proposal being refused permission. There is a statutory right to appeal that decision that takes the matter out of the hands of the Local Planning Authority. If you have had your application refused permission, don't worry. In many cases the problems can be resolved with a discussion with the Planning Officer and then followed by a revised planning application being submitted to the Council. In some cases though, the appeal route is the most appropriate course of action to take. Westward Planning can deal with the entire planning appeal process for you, compiling written statements and submissions and managing the process. Find out how we can do this here.