Architectural Services

After your initial contact with us we will arrange to visit you at a time convenient to you for FREE!

The initial meeting gives us an opportunity to discuss client requirements, familiarise ourselves with the site, assess the feasibility of the project and give our clients a good indication of the processes involved in meeting their goals.

Depending on the type of project we can also give our clients a good indication of project costs and relevant timescales. More importantly we hope that the initial consultation gives our prospective clients a good opportunity to assess our staff and professional ability and suitability to the project.

We will always follow up our consultations with a formal letter summarising our proposals and our understanding of the project brief with a no obligation quotation. This always reflects a fixed fee with no hidden costs if you would like to utilise our services further.

Once we have ascertained your requirements we begin the design process. From our detailed site survey we will begin to draw up preliminary designs for your approval. The design drawings will consist of scaled floor plans, site plans, elevations and sections produced with the latest CAD packages. These drawings will evolve into the final drawings that accompany the appropriate applications.

We cover all kinds of application requirements, least amongst these are the following;

• Pre-Application.
• Certificate of Lawfulness.
• Householder Planning Applications.
• Change of Use.
• Full Planning Applications.
• Outline Planning Applications.
• Conservation Area Consents.
• Listed Building Consents.
• Advertisement Consents.

For further information regarding the types of planning applications and local requirements we have listed below a handful of useful links to the government online 'Planning Portal' which has excellent explanations and advice on the planning process.

Guide to permitted development rights.

Interactive planning advice – Detached and Semi Detached Houses.

Interactive planning advice – Terrace Houses.

Interactive planning advice – Loft Conversions.

A planning consent typically lasts for up to three years before the council request a new application. Once you have the approval before you begin to build you will need to submit a building regulation application to building control for approval and guidance. There are typically two types of building regulation applications.

Full Plans Approval

This is the safest and most re-assuring method of approval in our opinion. We take the full set of approved planning drawings and add further detail regarding the method of construction; this will always include and confirm the following;

• Substructure Details.
• Drainage above and below.
• External Wall Details.
• Internal Floor Construction Details.
• Insulation requirements and target thermal U values.
• Robust Details.
• Roof Construction Details.
• Building Cross Sections.
• Construction Notation.
• Structural Engineers Details.

On completion the drawings are submitted to building control to examine and approve before the building works start. Once approved and construction work has started periodic inspections from the appointed building control officer will commence. Once built to the approved drawings and all site inspections are satisfied a certificate will be issued from building control confirming approval.

Building Notice

This is the second least favourable option in our opinion; a building notice relies heavily on the building contractor often building without construction drawings. Without approved drawings, if inspected by building control and found non conforming building control have the right to request that the build be taken down and re-built at the clients cost.

For further information regarding the building regulations click here

By now you will have a planning consent, building regulation approval and are ready to start the construction phase.

At this stage we offer the option to invite suitable building contractors to tender for the final build. We will select at least 3 building contractors from our approved list all of which can provide references and examples of previous projects.

The Ely Planning Company also offer to project manage the entire scheme, this gives you the opportunity to keep us on board right through from conception to completion. We will administer a formal contract between our clients and the appointed builder and at the same time keep a close eye on the financial side of the project.