Cut through the red tape|Planning permission without the headaches Before you decide to pursue an application or appeal it is always a good idea to undertake a Case Review.
The Case review allows one of our Planning Consultants to sense check your proposal and has the following benefits:
1) if the project is feasible;
2) if not feasible what amendments can be made to ensure it is and:
3) saves you time from submitting an application which is likely to be refused and money council fees.
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Loft extensions, single storey rear extensions, 2 storey side extensions, porch extension and other associated permutations are just some the ways people seek to extend their homes and maximise their living space.
Strategy is key Key points to considerKnowing the policies and guidance of your Council is important;
Determining whether or not your proposal could be undertaken under permitted development;
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With the British weather and the temperatures constantly fluctuating from reaching record highs in the summer, hardware stores can quickly sell out of both fans and portable air-conditioning units.
It seems the only way to keep cool when the weather becomes humid, is to have a back-up plan of walking through the freezer isle of the grocery store!
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Are you planning to open a coffee shop? One of the most frequent questions we are asked is do I need planning permission
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) sets out various land uses and categories.
If you are opening a coffee shop you should be mindful of the requirements.
Coffee shops normally fall within use class A1 and cover the sale of retail goods and includes sandwich bars,
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Quite often the first question many clients ask is how much is the service going to cost? How much will they be charged to submit an appeal or an application?
Our approach
Before we discuss fees with our clients our approach is to always to first understand the problem.
So for example we need to understand why your application was refused,
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Firstly it is important to note that we are completely independent of the Council and any information you give us is treated with the utmost confidentiality.
You have certain rights including a right of appeal against an Enforcement Notice.
It is important that your case is approached in the correct manner and that your case is presented
properly in order to avoid any complications later in the process.
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Before you embark on your planning application or planning appeal it is important to know how long it is likely to take the Council or Planning Inspectorate to determine it.
Below is a guide for timescales for different cases.
Applications:
Applications are decided by the relevant council that the application is submitted to.
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Do you believe that the proposed development proposed will have a detrimental impact on any of the following? The application property itself; neighbouring properties; your living conditions or those of someone else; the local community; the overall character of the area; highway/transport safety or parking; or even environmental impacts.
It is also important to lodge an Enforcement complaint with your local planning authority if you believe a development has been carried out without planning permission or not in accordance with approved plans.
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In this competitive economy businesses are always looking at providing a unique experience for their customers
Increasingly cafés and restaurants are adding Shisha lounges as they prove to be a hit with their customers.
Smoking LawsShisha Lounges have to comply with the smoking laws introduced in July 2007
One of the basic requirements of the smoking ban is that there should be no smoking inside of public spaces without a certain amount of open ventilation being provided.
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A question many people ask is “Will I get planning permission to change from A1 to A3” in a particular location.
You may have found your ideal premises and location and have big plans. However, you need to pause and ask yourself the question do I need planning permission to change from A1 to A3 and more importantly will I get it?
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We are delighted to add another win to our success book! We’ve just received an approval for a certificate of lawfulness for our client in Lambeth. Our client was proposing to erect a ground floor rear extension, a first floor rear extension, a rear dormer roof extension and a basement. After having undertaken research on the development, our team advised that the best way to go would be to apply for a certificate of lawfulness.
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We’re always happy to receive good news after helping our clients! MZA has recently secured approval for our client in Ealing to continue the use of her property as two self-contained flats. The team advised that the best route to undertake would be a certificate of lawfulness for an existing use or development.
In support of the application,
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It is our pleasure to announce that MZA has been successful in overturning another council decision! We’ve recently helped our client in Wandsworth appeal a refusal to retain his single-storey hotel outbuilding in his rear garden.
The proposal was refused by reason of its size, scale and design. According to the council, the development dominates the rear garden,
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We are very excited to add another success to our record! MZA Planning helped a client in Lewisham secure planning permission for a change of use from a mini-cab office (sui generis) to a takeaway (A5).
Our team put together a strategy which involved a detailed planning statement, a cover letter and the preparation of drawings.
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MZA Planning are happy to announce another win! We recently helped our client in Barnet apply for a conversion of a property to two self-contained flats. We didn’t only help him, we also secured an approval for the project!
In support of the application, our team prepared a detailed Planning Statement which argued that the proposal would provide one net additional dwelling that would positively contribute to Barnet’s housing targets.
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Our team has just hit another win and we couldn’t be happier! MZA has helped one of our clients secure planning permission for a conversion of a dwellinghouse into two self-contained flats and an erection of a dormer in Harrow.
In support of the application, planning drawings were produced and the team prepared a Design and Access statement which highlighted that the proposal would not be harmful to the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
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MZA Planning are delighted to announce another success in the appeal department! We were able to overturn the council’s decision for our client in Merton. Our client was proposing to demolish a garage and erect a three-bedroom house. The land to which this proposal was related to just so happened to be land that was required for Crossrail 2 according to TFL’s plans,
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MZA Planning are delighted to add another success story to our record! Our client was proposing a scheme that involved the erection of a 3-storey rear extension to accommodate an office and a Duplex residential accommodation in Ealing. We supported our client from the very beginning, helping him with a pre-application submission which also entailed a meeting with the council,
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We recently secured prior approval for our client in Hounslow who was proposing a change of use from A1 to A3. However, upon approval a few conditions were imposed and so we decided to step in again and get them discharged. The conditions were related to extraction equipment and refuse and waste management.
In order to achieve a positive result,
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MZA Planning are very pleased to announce the success of yet another planning case in Hounslow. Our client had a vision to convert his garage into a habitable room and we helped make this a reality.
In support of the application, drawings were produced and the team prepared a planning statement which highlighted that multiple similar developments have occurred along the same road.
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MZA Planning not only deal with planning applications and appeals, but also help clients obtain certificates of lawfulness as a way to be certain that their developments are lawful and do not require planning permission. Just recently, we helped our client achieve a certificate of lawfulness for a change of use to an internet café and console gaming centre.
In support of the application,
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MZA Planning are excited to announce another win! This time, we helped our client overturn the council’s decision for the erection of a front boundary treatment, along with a wood panel pedestrian gate and sliding vehicle access gate.
The application was refused on the basis that the proposed boundary treatment would reduce the openness of the front of the property due to its size,
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MZA Planning are delighted to announce the success of another case of ours! Once again, we were able to help a client overturn the council’s decision. Our client proposed to erect a rear infill extension at ground floor level, however was turned down due to its excessive depth and projection beyond the rear wall of the outrigger, which would detract from the form and character of the dwelling and would fail to preserve the character and appearance of the Queens Park Conservation Area.
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MZA Planning recently helped a client preserve the use of his property as two self-contained flats. Our team advised the client to apply for a certificate of lawfulness to continue using his property lawfully, and the end result was a great one!
In support of the application, different pieces of evidence were collated and a statement was prepared by the team.
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MZA Planning are pleased to overturn yet another council decision! Our client was refused planning for erecting a roof extension, on the basis that the proposal would appear overly dominant in the roof slope and would cause harm to the character and appearance of the dwelling.
Our team set out to appeal this refusal, and argued that the neighbouring properties have larger extensions and that our client’s proposal would not be viewed in isolation.
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MZA Planning are happy to announce the success of another case of ours for a client in Southwark. We recently helped our client secure planning permission for a change of use from B8 Warehouse to D1 Church for an additional year. The development has an extensive planning history, which includes previous planning applications and an enforcement, and our team drew on that to help gain approval.
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If a retrospective application is refused, it’s the end of the road right? Wrong! MZA recently helped a client appeal a refused retrospective application for a conservatory. The application was refused on the grounds that its appearance and size were harmful to the living conditions of the neighbouring property, as well as the character and appearance of the property and the wider area.
... more » When our clients approach us with an idea to convert an outbuilding or a garage into a business, we love to take on the challenge! Just recently, we have been successful in discharging conditions for our client whose application we also worked on and gained approval for.
The application for the change of use of an existing detached garage to a child-minding service was initially refused,
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It gives us joy when we can help clients overturn a council’s decision! Just recently, MZA Planning was successful in appealing a refusal that was issued to our client. Our client submitted an application for a vehicle crossover, and it was refused on the basis that the proposal would result in the disruption to the free flow of traffic and would be detrimental to highway and pedestrian safety.
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We are happy to add another success story to our record! We’ve recently helped a client with his goal of constructing a single family dwelling house, following the demolition of an existing single level building. This scheme represented a revision to a previous scheme, and it was approved on the basis that it would have acceptable impact on the conservation area.
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MZA Planning are delighted to announce another win in the application department! We recently helped our client gain planning permission to continue using his property as a 15 person HMO. The team produced a Design and Access statement which highlighted that the property has been used as a HMO since 1954, and that the proposal would not result in the loss of a single family dwellinghouse.
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Our team at MZA is happy to add another successful case to the record! We recently overturned Ealing Council’s decision to refuse our client’s application for a vehicle crossover. The proposal was refused on the grounds that it would likely lead to vehicles reversing to / from a busy classified road, to the detriment of the safe and free flow of traffic and highway safety.
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MZA Planning are happy to announce the success of another case of ours, which involves a planning application for an outbuilding. Our client was interested in altering and using the outbuilding in her rear garden for business purposes. The team set out to achieve a good result by arguing that the development doesn’t impose on the neighbouring dwellings, and the changes to it have increased its visual attractiveness which makes it look more similar to the properties it is adjacent to.
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Our team has won another appeal and overturned the council’s decision to refuse a client’s application to convert a dwellinghouse into 2 self-contained flats. Our client’s application was refused on the basis that the proposal would create a cramped and poor standard of living accommodation for the occupiers of the flat.
In support of the appeal,
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MZA are pleased to announce another successful overturn of a Council’s decision. Our client was refused permission to demolish an existing two storey detached dwelling, and reconstruct it with the addition of a basement and mansard roof. The refusal was on the basis that the proposal would have a negative impact on the historical value of the property, and the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
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We at MZA are happy to announce that we were able to help a private hire taxi service continue trading. Our client had temporary planning permission to use part of a car park in Westminster as a booking office, and wished to obtain permanent permission for the same development.
After a lengthy process of liaising with the Case Officer appointed,
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Parliamentary approval has been given the legislation that will increase planning application fees by 20% in England and introduce new categories in regards to applications for Permission in Principle.
The changes made by the government will come into force on 17th January 2018.
This means that any applications that have been submitted but not validated by its respective council will be liable to the increased fee.
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MZA Planning are very pleased and excited to announce another win in Bromley’s Planning Committee Meeting. After a failed application and appeal, the Council finally conceded that there was little they could do to resist the application. Our team, through careful design and strategy, managed to address all previous concerns with the scheme such as the lack of amenity space.
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MZA Planning are delighted to announce approval of planning permission for a client in Hammersmith and Fulham. Our client was looking to change the use of a railway arch from an unclassified use to a gym (Class D2).
The first attempt for this change was withdrawn by the client, however MZA Planning was able to turn this around and submit a successful application to the LPA.
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Hounslow Council has deemed the conversion of light industrial to residential inappropriate, due to the effect this has had on employment sites and town centres within the borough. Council has claimed that they cannot afford to lose more employment land to residential. Therefore, a non-immediate direction to eliminate these rights has been created.
This direction was approved by the Council in December of 2016 and made in January of 2017.
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Hounslow Council has found the conversion of offices to residential under permitted development to be unacceptable as this creates a loss of office space. Consequently, the Council has moved to protect office space in the borough by way of Article 4 Direction.
This direction was approved by Council in December of 2016 and made in January of 2017.
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Hounslow council has introduced an Article 4 Direction that may affect you. If you are seeking to create a Small Scale HMO (C4) with certain parts of the borough, these directions mean that owners will now need to apply for planning permission.
With regards to the change of use from Dwellinghouses to small HMOs, the Non-Immediate Article 4 Direction has been approved by the council,
... more » MZA Planning have been successful in securing planning permission for a client in Ealing. Our client was faced with an enforcement, however our Consultants were able to obtain permission for the continued use of the property as a retail unit and close the enforcement file.
With a detailed Design and Access Statement produced by MZA Planning,
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MZA Planning have recently secured approval for an appeal in Hounslow, reversing the Council’s decision of refusal. Our client was refused permission to erect a single storey side infill extension, on the grounds that the proposal would fail to preserve the character and appearance of the Strand on the Green Conservation Area.
Our team argued that the extension would not be harmful to its surroundings,
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MZA Planning are happy to add yet another successful planning appeal to their record, which overturned Hounslow Council’s refusal to grant permission. Our client had been refused permission to erect a single storey extension to an existing outbuilding, due to its size and scale that the Council found unfit to the surrounding area.
Our Consultants, having great knowledge with regards to planning policies,
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MZA Planning are pleased to announce a successful outcome for an enforcement appeal in Brent. Our client was served with an enforcement notice stating that there was a breach of planning permission, in relation to the change of use of the premises to a mixed use as residential and a clinic.
This case required a great deal of effort and hard work as it was quite a lengthy process.
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MZA Planning are pleased to add another successful case in Hounslow to their record. Our client in Chiswick applied for a rear roof extension to form an outrigger and Juliette balcony.
MZA Planning oversaw the case from A to Z; we helped the client by arranging for our architect to produce drawings for the project and by producing a detailed design and access statement in support of the application.
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MZA Planning recently obtained A3 (Restaurant) planning permission for a client in Barnet. The client had previously applied for an A3 Restaurant use and had been rejected by the Council on both occasions.
Using our knowledge of permitted development regulations introduced within the last couple of years our consultants were able to secure approval for our client within days for a 2 year period.
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MZA Planning are pleased to announce approval of planning permission and listed building consent in relation to a project in Bristol.
Our client seeking to redevelopment a Grade II Listed Building sought approval in the 1st phase for a new shopfront and associated alterations.
The application was initially heading towards refusal, however, through a combined team effort and a swift response.
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MZA Planning are happy to announce yet another successful planning application in for a property located in Ealing’s Hanger Hill (Haymills) Conservation Area where an article 4 direction has removed permitted development rights.
The carefully prepared and researched submission proposed steel critical windows to ensure the proposal wasn’t harmful to the conservation area. Approval was obtained and delivered on time within 8 weeks.
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MZA Planning has been successful in gaining planning permission for a client in Southwark. Our client applied for the erection of a second-floor rear extension in a Conservation area.
MZA Planning arranged for an architect to produce drawings for the project and prepared a design and access statement in support of the planning application. The drawings had to be amended after liaising with the case officer,
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MZA Planning are pleased to announce another successful planning appeal overturning a Council’s refusal to grant planning permission.
Our client applied for a vehicle access with hardstanding, however, Ealing Council refused the application on the grounds that the proposal would fail to allow vehicles to enter and leave the site in a forward gear and as a result would be harmful to highway safety.
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One of the historic Royal palaces, in the shape of Kensington Palace, is set for some major renovations ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge making it their family home. It is been reported that officials from Historic Royal Palaces have made an application to Kensington and Chelsea Council for some major changes. This was fully expected but the planning application is controversial to say the least.
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Want somewhere to stash the lawn mower? Or a place to retreat to with a good book? Sheds are versatile buildings, but there might be some hoops you need to jump through before installing one in your garden.
The national home of planning and building regulations outlines on their website the factors you have to consider before putting up a potting shed.
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Chelsea have been given the green light to build a new 60,000-seater stadium at Stamford Bridge after winning planning approval for the project.
The club’s hopes of redeveloping their current home received a boost on Wednesday evening when Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s planning and development control committee voted unanimously in favour of the scheme.
A statement on the club’s official website,
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Hounslow Council’s Planning Committee has given a resounding ‘No to the 32-storey Chiswick Curve.
There was a unanimous vote against the planning application which had been recommended for refusal by Council planning officials.
Despite the cold weather, about sixty people from groups opposed to the Curve, turned up at the meeting in the Civic Centre, to show their strength of opposition to the project.
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Abundance London is working on an ambitious project to transform the area under the railway bridges along Turnham Green Terrace, outside the tube station.
This area has been an eyesore for many years. Abundance London first proposed this project several years ago, and now has permission from TfL to create a lovely mural here. Over 27 metres long,
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Suffolk singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is to appeal after plans for a new garage are rejected by his local council. Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire
Suffolk singer Ed Sheeran is taking his local council to a planning appeal after plans for a huge new garage were rejected.
The songwriter wants to build a four-bay cartlodge garage with extra parking at his 16th Century Listed building home near Framlingham in Suffolk.
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Heritage campaigners have called for a public inquiry into Westminster council’s handling of the planning application for the “Paddington Cube” office block.
The proposed £775 million development next to the railway station was given the green light by councillors earlier this month.
But Henrietta Billings, director of the SAVE Britain’s Heritage group said objections from Historic England and the London Ambulance Service had been “brushed aside” at the meeting of the planning committee that granted the consent.
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London Stansted Airport has unveiled plans for a new £130 million Arrivals build it claims will “significantly improve the passenger experience”.
The building is the latest phase in the multi-million pound transformation programme by MAG to support future growth at the airport and attract new passengers and airlines.
Stansted is currently the busiest single terminal airport in the UK with up to 5,000 departing passengers alone passing through its doors every hour at peak times.
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Scrooge council chiefs have threatened to fine a woman £2,500 for flying a flag featuring SANTA and his reindeer – because it breaches ADVERTISING laws.
Janis Patterson, 64, hoisted up the colourful festive flag which shows Father Christmas and his reindeers flying in front of a moon.
But the mum-of-two was stunned when Broxtowe Borough Council threatened her with prosecution for “the unauthorised display of advertisements”.
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Plans to build 12 flats near the homes of the residents were rejected when they lodged their objections with the local council.
Plans to build 12 flats near the homes of the residents were rejected when they lodged their objections with the local council.
But the house builder, Raith Developments, has now sent a bill for lost profit to the nine residents in the village of Thornton,
It’s enough to make the typical Islington resident splutter over their breakfast muesli, or perhaps feel too nervous to drive their oh-so-eco-friendly Toyota Prius – but it appears the local authority feels there may be too many estate agents in the borough.
The Islington Tribune reports that a planning direction given by Islington Council’s executive committee has removed the permitted development rights which until now allowed traditional shops –
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Plans to double the size of Brent Cross Shopping Centre in a £1.4billion makeover have been revealed by its owners.
Under the proposals by Hammerson and Standard Life Investments a new cinema and hotel will be incorporated within the shopping centre which will also boast more than 200 retailers.
The upper floor of the centre will host 40 new restaurants with the addition of a market level containing food stalls and producers.
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Sir James Dyson is in trouble with the council after adding a luxury swimming pool to his £20 million mansion without planning permission.
The inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner range and Airblade hand dryer, who is worth £5 billion, is thought to have spent around £1 million on a basement swimming pool that may now have to be ripped out if he is not granted retrospective listed building consent.
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New Victoria, a £185m regeneration project which will will be located in Manchester city centre, has received planning permission.
Muse Developments, the developer and urban regeneration specialist, in partnership with Network Rail, has been given consent by Manchester City Council’s planning committee to create the £185m mixed-use development on the 2.5-acre site on Corporation Street.
The project will see the creation of three new buildings: a 150,000 sq ft,
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A MAN who demolished a 200-year-old listed cottage in Thornton-in-Craven without planning permission could be facing a prison sentence.
David Eckersall, 55, admitted the demolition of grade two listed Nutter Cote Farm at Skipton Magistrates’ Court on Friday and will be sentenced in nine weeks time.
Eckersall, who was allowed unconditional bail, will learn his fate following an all options report,
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A key legacy of the London Olympics has begun to take shape as 20,000 new homes are given planning permission in boroughs around the site of the 2012 Games.
Government figures say that developers are on course to meet a target of 24,000 new properties in east London at sites where regeneration was triggered by the Olympics.
Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell said more than a third will be classed as affordable and many are due to be built on former wasteland that was cleaned up.
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Ealing Council have begun the process of formal enforcement action against the ‘gazebo’ outside Melody Cafe on Bedford Corner.
Local Councillors and the Bedford Park Society have been informed about the move which came after the owner failed to submit a planning application by the deadline set by the Council planning department.
After a site visit on 21 July,
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A grandmother who spent her life savings on an extension has been told she has to tear down the build because it is ‘out of character’ for the local area.
Nicola Graham-O’Connor, 49, spent £11,000 adding pillars, railings and a canopy to the front of her semi-detached home in Quinton, Birmingham.
The homeowner claims she informed the council of her plans before embarking on the build and was told she did not need planning permission.
The new planning application to build a new cinema in the centre of Chiswick has been submitted raising hopes that films could be shown there as early as next year.
The cinema remain the same size as the original applicationwith five screens but approval was also being sought for three two-bedroom flats, “to make better use of the site”.
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George Orwell has won planning permission to return – as a lifesize bronze statue – to the BBC, which he left on bad terms in 1943 snarling that his work there as a talks producer “was wasting my own time and the public money on doing work that produces no result”.
This time he won’t cost the public a penny: all the money for the first public statue honouring the author of Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm has been raised from private donors,
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London City Airport has been given planning permission from the UK government for the expansion of the terminal, which will increase annual capacity to 6.5 million passengers.
The expansion plans come as part of the City Airport Development Programme – a £344 million project to enhance the airport to cater for increasing passenger traffic. Plans are in place to build seven new aircraft stands and a parallel taxiway,
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CROYDON’s £1.4bn Westfield/Hammerson development will be even bigger than first planned, with hundreds more homes and an IMAX cinema.
There will also be a new flagship Marks and Spencer store to replace the current M&S in North End, and three floors of shops in the shopping centre.
The updated plans have been announced ahead of a planning committee meeting to discuss the changes on April 28,
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Architect to revamp 1950s modernist building
Orms has won planning permission for a refurbishment of a 1950s building on the corner of Oxford Street and Newman Street in London’s West End.
The eastern end of Oxford Street is currently the focus of major construction projects, most involving demolition or retention of just a facade.
The refurbishment of Oxford House will remove an underused car park and replace it with a new office entrance and restaurant.
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Over 200 people attended a public meeting on Wednesday night at St Michael and All Angels Church which heard that the current application for the 32-storey Chiswick Curve is currently on hold. Discussions are continuing between the developers and Hounslow Council on the planning application.
Leader of the Council Steve Curran said that Hounslow Council is looking at the whole of the Golden Mile and Chiswick roundabout area (Great West Corridor Plan) and that the Chiswick Curve site cannot be considered in isolation.
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Furious neighbours who live opposite the £28million mansion at the centre of London’s longest running mega-basement dispute have branded the ‘gaping 30ft chasm’ left by its fraudster owner a ‘plague on our lives’.
The Grade II listed townhouse was snapped up by conman Achilleas Kallakis, who was later convicted and jailed for seven years.
In 2005 he submitted a planning application to install a swimming pool ,
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NEIGHBOURS have rallied around a woman told by the Town Hall that she has broken planning rules by painting a property in a picturesque Belsize Park street… pink.
Camden Council said it had been made aware of the choice of colour and had begun an “enforcement investigation”.
The case has now been handed to planning officials after Su Rose applied for retrospective consent for the pinky paint job,
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Kensington and Chelsea now has the toughest basement development policy in the country, the council has claimed.
The Royal borough, which has seen a massive increase in properties converting basements into extra living space , has new powers ensuring that all such developments must receive planning permission.
It comes as Queen guitarist Brian May said he would leave Kensington because the number of mega basement developments had meant staying there was ‘a living hell’ .
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SUSSEX’S tallest building is set to get a boost to make it the tallest of its kind outside of London.
British Airways i360 bosses have submitted a planning application to add an 11.45 metre spire to the 162 metre tower to make it the tallest UK observation tower outside London.
If the addition is approved, the Brighton monument will tower above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth which is 170 metres tall and pull further away from the 158 metre Blackpool Tower.
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Local councils are using drones to fly over homes to check planning applications, it emerged today.
A dozen local authorities admitted to using or hiring drones after hundreds were asked via Freedom of Information laws.
Civil rights activists accused town halls of making unfair intrusions on people’s lives while the Information Commissioner warned any use of drones would have to be ‘necessary and proportionate’.
A STREET food market a few steps from the Town Hall operated without council planning permission for more than a year before officials realised and moved to shut it down.
Now Network Rail are asking Camden to allow the Real Food Market to return to the new open space outside King’s Cross station.
The application has left planners weighing up support from traders and fans of the market,
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Jean Nouvel’s “tours Duo” could have its planning permission revoked as the French organization “Monts 14″ takes the city to court this week in an effort to stop construction before it starts.
Rendering of the Duo Towers.
Photo: courtesy Ateliers Jean Nouvel.
The group “Monts 14″ (fourteen mountains) filed a new appeal with the administrative court in Paris,against the construction of Nouvel’s Duo towers,
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Councils are supposed to determine all non-major planning applications within eight weeks, but to speed this process up further, the Government is considering a proposal to allow applications to be processed by an “approved provider”, which might mean the job can get done more quickly.
Legislation could be in place before the summer, though pilot schemes will be set up at first to test the system.
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The clampdown on so-called ‘beds in sheds’ across Hounslow has continued with the demolition of three more “illegally-let” outbuildings.
Two sheds in Strafford Road, Hounslow, and one in Springwell Road, Heston , were torn down by their owners on the orders of Hounslow Council .
The council’s housing enforcement team first visited the two outbuildings at the rear of homes in Strafford Road in November 2014,
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Jack Wilshere, the Arsenal and England footballer, has won a planning battle to keep 18ft-high nets in his back garden after neighbours complained that they were a “monstrosity”.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who is currently not playing following surgery for a fractured fibula, faced having to tear down the nets in his garden in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, after a complaint from neighbours.
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An unauthorised outhouse with a concealed entrance constructed at the back of a residential property in west London – one of the so-called ‘beds in sheds’ properties – has been demolished by a local council.
The detached outhouse at the rear of the house in London NW10, was removed by Ealing council’s demolition contractor after the owner failed to comply with an enforcement notice requiring them to remove the illegal dwelling.
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West Ham have submitted a planning application for a huge digital HD ‘wrap solution’ for the outside of their new home at the Olympic Stadium.
The Hammers are leaving Upton Park for Stratford this summer and if their application is successful fans arriving at their games will be treated to a unique prospect. They will be able to watch HD video clips of the Hammers on the exterior of the ground on 83m by 12m giant digital screens that will ‘respond to different brightness settings’ whether the game is taking place in the afternoon or evening.
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A FILM director had to tear down the top of her son’s treehouse after neighbours moaned it breached their human rights. The film director had a 14ft structure built for her four-year-old without realising she needed planning permission.
Residents say kids climbing a ladder to its slide can see into bedrooms. But others said children should be free to play outside at the £5million mansion.
A FARMER who built his dream “castle” without planning permission is finally tearing it down – after a nine-year legal war.
Robert Fidler, 67, discretely built the mock-Tudor home by hiding it behind hay bales and tarpaulin.
The dad-of-six defied court orders and lodged legal appeals in the battle with the council, which wanted the property to be destructed because he didn’t ask for planning permission.
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A three-bedroom house built illegally in a conservation area has been demolished by a council following a 14-year legal battle.
The chalet-style timber bungalow was originally built in 2002 without planning permission in Hollow Street, Chislet, Kent, and since then the owner has replaced it with a brick structure, extended it and added three caravans to the site.
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More than 900 homes are set to be built on the Hounslow civic centre site beside Lampton Park, after plans to move the council’s HQ were approved
A huge new housing development beside a park in Hounslow must not be allowed to prevent festivals taking place, a councillor has warned.
Hounslow’s civic centre will be demolished and replaced by up to 940 homes beside Lampton Park,
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Protecting London’s vibrant commercial heartland and ensuring it can remain a key driver of the UK economy for decades to come is the focus of major new planning guidance published by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP.
The Mayor of London has published major new planning guidance aimed at protecting the city’s vibrant commercial heart which is a key driver of the UK economy.
Property Alliance Group’s application for a high-rise residential scheme at the corner of Store Street and Millbank Street near to Manchester’s Piccadilly station was given approval at the planning committee meeting.
Known as Oxygen, the project has been designed by 5plus Architects. The scheme includes 345 apartments and 12 townhouses, alongside leisure facilities and rooftop gardens.
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The spaces behind the iconic illuminated signs of London’s Piccadilly Circus are set to be occupied for the first time since the 1950s, as part of a renovation by Fletcher Priest Architects that includes a huge rooftop extension.
Fletcher Priest received planning permission earlier this month to transform the various buildings that make up the Piccadilly Lights complex into offices,
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Plans to bring the long-awaited 12,000-capacity arena to Bristol have hit a stumbling block after councillors voted to defer their decision over planning permission.
The proposals were sent back to council planners amid concerns raised about parking, cycle spaces, coach drop-offs and park & ride at a four-hour meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
The move is likely to push back the early-2018 opening date for the £92 million venue and cost the council hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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Planning consent has been granted for £1bn worth of developments at Manchester Airport.
The scheme is a series of 60 improvements to put in place state-of-the-art facilities for passengers.
It will include the expansion of Terminal 2 and an enlarged security hall with the latest technology for screening passengers.
There will also be new stands and piers,
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Residents in one of Kensington’s most exclusive streets are in a bizarre row with town hall chiefs over a 60ft bird net installed to prevent them from being plagued by pigeons.
A retired judge and former MI6 officer are among neighbours who have already spent more than £10,000 battling Kensington and Chelsea Council’s demand that they rip down the protective netting.
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Westminster Council is likely to approve plans for the redevelopment of New Scotland Yard despite a flurry of objections
Westminster Council is recommending planning permission for the redevelopment of New Scotland Yard, despite criticsim over the scale of the scheme.
Critics include Historic England, which has warned harm is likely to be caused to designated heritage assets by BL Developments’ Ten Broadway scheme.
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