Planning permission is consent from your local authority for proposed building works.

You will need to apply for planning permission if you wish to erect or add to a fence, wall, or gate and:

• It would be over 1 metre high and next to a highway used by vehicles (or the footpath of such a highway); or over 2 metres high elsewhere; or
• Your right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates is removed by an article 4 direction or a planning condition; or
• Your house is a listed building or in the curtilage of a listed building.
• The fence, wall or gate, or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage.
• If your project needs planning permission and you do the work without getting it, you can be served an ‘enforcement notice ordering you to undo all the changes you have made.

Our service includes:

• A site visit by our architect to confirm requirements and take measurements,
• Contact the planning department of the council to register the application as an agent,
• Complete all required forms and submit application fee,
• Sourcing of block plans and location plans,
• Preparation of plans and elevations as necessary, and submission to council planning office,
• Deal with any questions and progress application to outcome.

The Council’s process once the application is lodged:

1. The planning case officer will visit the site prior to determination and on receipt of all consultation responses will draft a report of recommendation.
2. The Head of Planning normally decides the majority of planning applications, under powers delegated by the Council. These delegated powers normally apply to smaller or more straightforward applications. Major or controversial applications tend to go to the Council’s Planning Applications Committee (made up of elected councillors) with officer recommendations to these meetings. This Committee is held usually once a month. The Committee will decide at the meeting whether to approve or refuse the application.
3. The period of determination for the majority of applications is 8 weeks from receipt of a valid application but some applications may take longer than this including major developments (typically 13 weeks). When an application takes longer than 8 or 13 weeks, the council will ask the applicant or agent to enter into an extension of time agreement. This will provide a new date beyond the statutory period target date and provides certainty to all parties.
4. Once the application has been determined, the Planning Authority will send a decision notice to the applicant or agent. For most types of application, this will be either an approval, usually with conditions that must be complied with (and the reasons for the imposition of each condition), or a refusal stating why the application was unacceptable.
5. There is a right of appeal for the applicant, if the application is refused, not decided in 8 weeks or if you disagree with the imposition of conditions. Before opting to appeal a decision, it is a good idea to consult with the Planning Officer who dealt with the proposal to see if there is any scope for negotiation and, if changes are feasible prior to re-submission. Arboriculturist service we can also assist with if required. Costs will depend on what is required from the council.

This is the point where an Arboricultural development report to B.S.5837:2012 is required. At this stage the Arboriculturist will make a site visit and collect the required data that will be fully compliant with what the local authority will require. The Arboriculturist can then use this data to create a Tree Survey Plan (TSP) and a Tree Protection Plan (TPP), along with an Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) this is what makes up our development tree reports.

Using mapping software, we are usually able to provide a quote using your house name/number, your postcode and a copy of your architects plans on what you are planning to do.

We can provide the following Health and Safety Tree surveys

• BS5837
• DEVELOPMENT REPORTS
• TREE PRESERVATION ORDER
• TPO APPLICATIONS

The process for obtaining a Tree report to assist with the planning application: