A guide to residential architectural planning and design

At Hampton Booth we understand that starting a construction project can be daunting, for many people this is once in a lifetime undertaking and that’s why we are happy to guide you through the whole process.

Initial Consultation

The first stage of any project is to meet on site for a free no obligation consultation. During this meeting we can discuss your ideas, budget and look at any possible site constraints. We will be able to give guidance on the which council approvals are required, the fees involved with these and any possible additional services which may be necessary to complete the planning application and building regulations approval process. Following our meeting we will put together a brief and provide a quotation for our services.

Site Survey

Should you wish to proceed we will then arrange a time to conduct a measured survey of the site. This is the starting point for our design and involves measurement of all internal and external dimensions, heights, angles of the existing structure and measurements to boundaries. This is used to form the basis of your existing and proposed architectural drawings.

The Design stage

Having discussed the clients ideas we will commence the design process, depending on the complexity, this may start with feasibility studies and sketches before developing a proposal.  

On fairly straight forward projects we will produce a first draft proposal, we can then arrange our next meeting to look at the plans, discuss any alterations that you would like to make to the final set of drawings.  

All drawings are created using 3-dimensional software, rather than generate a set of 2-dimensional black and white plans we produce a computer generated model of the building. Producing a model rather than independent 2-dimensional plans reduces the possibility of discrepancies occurring and allows 3d-views of both the interior and exterior to be created which aids visualising the completed building.  

The application procedure

Planning Application

Most projects will require two sets of applications, this first of which is planning approval from the council, this considers the proposals design and appearance, the local character, road and pedestrian safety, local and regional planning policy amongst other criteria. The standard period to determine a householder planning application is 8 weeks, planning approval is valid for 3 years for work to start on-site. In the event that the 3 years pass without construction commencing a further application would needed to be submitted to extend the permission.   

Permitted Development

In some cases, a planning application will not be necessary as the development will be allowed under permitted development rights. In these cases we can generate the design and construction drawings required for building regulations approval at the same time. Hampton Booth always recommend that where it is believed that a build can proceed under permitted development that a Lawful Development Certificate is applied for. This confirms that planning approval was not required and is also useful in the event that the house is put up for sale.

There is a wealth of information online to give you an idea of whether planning permission is required for your particular project. As the guidance changes regularly, we would always recommend using a qualified professional to guide you on this.

Throughout the process we will keep you updated to ensure the design and applications are progressing as expected.

Building Regulations application

Once the planning approval is received we will proceed to the building regulations application. The drawings will be revised and an additional set of detailed section drawings and documentation created for submission to the local Building Control or your choice of approved inspector. This details the construction of the building, covering areas such as floor and wall details ensuring that they meet the building regulations with regard to the structure, thermal efficiency, etc. Where a project involves structural alterations or steelwork support is required, a structural engineer will be need to be employed to design and produce calculations for those elements. We can advise if this is likely during our initial meeting and can arrange quotations from companies who can provide this service. The structural engineer will need to be appointed directly by the client rather than through Hampton Booth. Once the engineers report is available we will update our drawings to reflect the report, the revised drawings and report are submitted to building control for building regulations approval.

Building Regulations approval is achieved in 2 parts, on submittal of a ‘Full Plans’ application the council will send an invoice to the client listing the 2 fees to be paid. The initial ‘plan check’ fee is payable on application, a building control officer will check the building plans for compliance against the building regulations and either issue comments for revisions to be incorporated or an approval. Once an approval or conditional approval is received, building work can commence on site. The 2nd part of the approval relates to the construction phase, a building inspector will periodically visit site to check to check the construction complies with the regulations, the second fee will be required once the first inspection is carried out. Your builder will coordinate the visits as they become necessary.

Hampton Booth will act as your agent throughout the design and application process, we will manage all parts of the application process including filling in the forms and responding to any queries from the council and can liaise with structural engineers.

Once all of the necessary permissions are obtained, we are happy to discuss the project with local builders to obtain quotes on your behalf.

Your builder will often take over managing the project from this point, although we are happy to stay involved to monitor progress on your behalf if required.

Party Wall Agreements

Where the building work will involves working on or close to the boundary line with a neighbouring property, a party wall agreement will be required. The agreement must be made with the owner of the property and must be agreed a minimum 2 months before work starts and is valid for 1 year. Further information can be found at; https://www.gov.uk/party-walls-building-works

Contact Hampton Booth now using the number below or our contact form to get your project underway.