Permitted Development Rights Archives

Class Q success creates double dwellings

3rd October 202321st June 2023 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design Practice are delighted to announce another successful Class Q application. This will allow our client to change the use of, and convert, an unused agricultural building to form two new homes in Chinley, Derbyshire.

The building in question consisted of a large agricultural building constructed from concrete blocks, a profiled cement roof and is enclosed on three sides by profiled cement sheet walls. An accompanying structural report concluded that the building was structurally sound and capable of conversion.
Both dwellings will have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and open plan living, as well as outdoor amenity space. The external alterations have been kept to a minimum to comply with Class Q legislation and to respect the rural aesthetic of the local area.

The agricultural building was located outside the settlement boundary of Chinley, in close proximity to the Peak District National Park, the site benefits from wide landscape views whilst being nestled away in the valley.

The Permitted Development rights, commonly referred to as Class Q, is the right to convert agricultural buildings into homes as a matter of principle and has been with us since 2014.

Permitted Development (PD) is the right of an owner to develop their land within limits prescribed by a piece of legislation known as a General Permitted Development Order. The point of the order was originally to allow minor developments to go ahead without having to go through the planning application process, for example, small extensions to houses.

In the interest of simplifying the planning system and boosting the supply of houses, the government extended PD rights to include the right to change agricultural buildings to homes. Originally proposed as a temporary measure, this has since been made permanent.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a multi-disciplinary team of Chartered Town Planners, Architects, Architectural Assistants and Heritage Specialists. Gaining planning permission is a key step in almost any development. We can take a project through from inception to completion, but we also offer the flexibility to engage a client’s own architects and provide a planning service, whilst our design team can also work with clients who have engaged other town planning professionals.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd are well versed in researching and understanding local Council’s policies to ensure the best possible case if put forward for our clients.

For a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your project, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01332 347371 or enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk.

Shaun Hyde, Planner, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

The future’s bright…planning success for orangery extensions

28th November 202225th May 2022 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design Practice have recently gained planning permission for two orangery extensions to existing homes, both in Derby. This continues a winning streak we have in securing planning permission for these extensions, including seeing permission granted for a new brick-built orangery extension on a greenbelt property in Lower Hartshay, a village in Derbyshire.

What is an orangery extension?

Orangery extensions use principles from both a traditional brick or block extension and elements from a fully glazed conservatory. One of the areas where an orangery benefits over a conservatory is that it reduces the greenhouse effect that conservatories can suffer from, yet they retain the main intended benefit of creating extra space and allowing extra daylight to enter your home.

Planning & Design’s involvement.

In the majority of cases, it would be possible to build rear extensions under current permitted development rights. However, as in these two examples there can be exceptions. In both of these cases, Planning & Design Practice was appointed after the respective client had finalised the design with The Bespoke Orangery Ltd, and subsequently discovered that planning permission would be required. These projects required planning permission due to the fact that the new orangery extensions join onto either existing structures or previous extensions along the side of the respective building. This no longer falls under permitted development as the extension is classed as a wrap around extension that requires planning permission.

Is Planning Permission needed?

If you are considering extending your home, the size and placement of any extension are important, and you will need to check if your proposal is within permitted development rights. You can do this through a helpful guide on the planning portal website, which you can see HERE.

You will also need to check that your property has not had its permitted development rights removed. Alternatively, you can contact us for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your aspirations for your extended home and the ways in which we can help.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a multi-disciplinary team of Town Planners, Architects, Architectural Assistants and Design Professionals. We can take a project through from inception to completion, but we also offer the flexibility to engage a client’s own architects and provide a planning service, whilst our design team can also work with clients who have engaged other town planning professionals.

For a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01332 347371 or enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk

When is a fallback material?

29th November 202221st September 2021 by Gary Stringer

When is a fallback material? This is a question which has become particularly pertinent following the advent of Class Q permitted development rights.

In planning, the term “fallback” is used in when an existing consent confirms that the principle of development which can then be used as a lever to gaining full planning permission. For example, if prior approval had been obtained to carry out the conversion of an agricultural building to a residential dwelling via Class Q (agricultural to residential conversion), this then allows the existing fallback position (in this case the Class Q prior approval) to be applied to a full planning application for a similar scheme.

It is an area of planning which also attracts the interests of those people who wish to push the extent of their properties in the green belt using householder permitted development rights. Particularly in those instances when local plan policies are restrictive on the amount of extension allowed.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd recently submitted a full planning application for alterations to a Class Q scheme which had been approved. The applicants had begun works on the scheme but were keen to improve the sustainability of the building. The approved Class Q was a modern steel framed agricultural building. Class Q does not allow for any increase in the external envelope of the building which means an insulation required to provide a sustainable home was required to be provided internally. The metal frame acts as a thermal bridge which means, in order to achieve a highly thermal efficient building, the applications needed to insulate a significant amount of the internal leaf of the building which dramatically reduced the useable space particularly at head height.

In order to address this, we submitted a full application to externally insulate the building. This meant less insulation was required but also, the internal space was capable of being much more spacious and in certain places viable living spaces.

Following the refusal of planning permission by North East Derbyshire District Council we prepared and submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

The outcome was positive, and the pertinent points are quoted below;

Notwithstanding the above, the Appellant has set out that the Class Q approval and the planning permission for the change of use of the other barn to domestic garaging, provide a clear fallback position. I accept that there is a realistic prospect of the Appellant developing both the extant Class Q approval and the permission for the conversion of the other agricultural building to an ancillary garage/store. Consequently, the appeal proposal would not result in a net addition of dwellings in this location when this is taken into account. To my mind, this represents a very significant material consideration in favour of the appeal proposal.

In addition to the above, when compared to the Class Q approval, the increase in the footprint of the building would be marginal and the extent of external alterations would also be relatively minor. The submitted plans indicate that the overall form, arrangement of windows and external materials are broadly consistent with the Class Q approval. Therefore, I find that the finished building would not be any more harmful to the character of the area than would occur as a result of the Class Q approval.

I am also conscious that the proposed domestic curtilage is larger than that approved as part of the Class Q approval. However, with the inclusion of the adjacent agricultural building to be converted to ancillary residential use, together with the adjacent track (as approved), the difference between the curtilages of the appeal proposal and the extant consents, would be relatively minor and would not be harmful to the character of the countryside.
Taking all of these factors into account, in my view the conflict with the Development Plan is outweighed by the combination of the fallback position and the benefits associated with increased energy efficiency measures. This is particularly the case as the increase in building footprint and curtilage when compared to the existing permission is so small as to render it insignificant in the overall planning balance.

Here, the local plan did not support the development (as a modern agricultural building in open countryside) but the fact that the building could (and more importantly -would) be converted into a dwelling whether the application was approved or not was material to the consideration and this combined with the added benefit of thermal efficiency and a considerably more sustainable dwelling was enough to mean permission was granted.

We have vast experience of working on rural projects for homeowners, landowners and farmers in rural areas including barn conversions (both via a planning application and Class Q) and farm diversification schemes. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property.

Modern barn conversion – complete

29th November 202218th August 2021 by Gary Stringer

Set within open countryside, this recently completed modern barn conversion demonstrates the charm and potential many modern agricultural buildings offer when converted to residential use. Like many smaller farms this building was located on a holding which has dramatically reduced its farming operation over the past 20 years, which in this instance has led to a number of agricultural buildings being surplus to requirements. We were appointed by the owner to help with re-purposing these buildings, and in this instance, it was considered that this building would be best used as a new residential building.

The permitted development right to change the use of an agricultural building into a dwelling has been with us for some time now and with it the concept of changing rural, redundant barns into dwellings.

This is a building which like so many, had it not been allowed to change use to a dwelling would have sat in the landscape largely redundant except for some very light agricultural storage use.

The intention with this conversion was to retain the agricultural character of the building whilst providing a modern attractive home. Here we have used corrugated sheet metal to clad the building, a material which is common to modern agricultural buildings and inserted contemporary, glazed openings which accentuate the form the of the original building.

The Class Q permitted development rights and Local Plan policies allow us to bring back into use our redundant agricultural buildings to provide modern attractive homes which celebrate the changing nature of our countryside. They also go some way to addressing the nationwide push to build more homes, particularly in rural areas in a way that is more sustainable and architecturally provides an interesting design challenge.

We have vast experience of working on rural development projects for homeowners, landowners and farmers in rural areas including barn conversions (both via a planning application and Class Q) and farm diversification schemes. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property.

Planning success opens up family home

29th November 202217th August 2021 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design Practice Ltd were delighted to obtain planning permission for a rear single storey extension to a family home in East Staffordshire. The cumulative footprint of a previous extension and the new extension meant that the proposed extension fell just outside of the current permitted development rights for homeowners.

The strict planning policy in East Staffordshire doesn’t usually allow for extensions outside of a built framework, however we were able to obtain a modest rear extension for the family who live here, giving them their ideal home, without the hassles of relocating. The extension will give the family more open plan living accommodation away from the busy main road to the front of the dwelling and allow them to have easier access between their garden and indoor space. Part of the project was to increase light levels within the existing house to improve the quality of living space, with the design incorporating two new rooflights and a new high-level window to the existing dwelling together with a new high-level window into the former dining room. The proposals retain key features of the dwelling and appear subservient to the existing form, with a dual pitched roof in line with the centre of the existing gable and a flat roof to the side.

As the house, which was built in the 1860s, lies adjacent to a railway line, any works within 10m of the railway property will have to be passed by Network Rail, which would be done at the Building Regulations stage.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a multi-disciplinary team of Town Planners, Architects, Architectural Assistants and Design Professionals. We can take a project through from inception to completion but we also offer the flexibility to engage a client’s own architects and provide a planning service, whilst our design team can also work with clients who have engaged other town planning professionals. For a no obligation consultation to discuss unlocking the potential in your property, please contact us to find out how we can help.

Greenbelt orangery success

29th November 202228th July 2021 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design Practice Ltd were very pleased to see permission granted for a new brick-built orangery extension on a greenbelt property in Lower Hartshay, a village in Derbyshire. Originally the dwelling would have been a small semi-detached traditional cottage, however the owner had previously extended to the side.

Typically planners like to limit green belt extensions to 40% on top of the original dwelling, which the existing extension in itself achieved. This permission shows the importance of a well-established and thought-out planning argument when it comes to submitting trickier applications.

An extension of this type would ordinarily be Permitted Development, not requiring of an application, were it positioned immediately behind the original house. However because the orangery is intended to be behind a previous side extension, an application was required. Its impact though, remains limited, it will not result in significant change to the scale or character of the dwelling or its surroundings. The flexibility afforded by the Government to homeowners to extend their properties to the rear is in recognition of the fact that rear extensions tend to have minimal impact on the street scene. This proposal will similarly have a minimal impact on the street scene, being shielded by the existing side extension and will be seen in the context of a village, not an isolated property in the countryside.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a multi-disciplinary team of Town Planners, Architects, Architectural Assistants and heritage specialists. We can take a project through from inception to completion, but we also offer the flexibility to engage a client’s own architects and provide a planning service, whilst our design team can also work with clients who have engaged other town planning professionals.

We recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas and have the in-house expertise to ensure that proposals are designed sympathetically to conserve and enhance historic buildings and sites.

For a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

(More) proposed changes to Permitted Development

29th November 20228th December 2020 by Gary Stringer

On 3 December 2020, the Government published a consultation document outlining initial proposals for changes to permitted development following the introduction of the new Use Classes Order (UCO) which was brought into effect early this year which is open for comments up until 28 January.

The consultation document cites several proposed alterations and comes as a logical extension/ consolidation of permitted development rights following the new UCO. Relevant to many of our readers is that the consultation is proposing to keep many of the existing rights such as those that allow Office to Residential conversions but also to broaden these rights out to include the entirely of the new use Class E.

Class E encompasses Commercial, Business and Services and was introduced from 1 September 2020. The new Class E is much broader and covers uses previously defined in the revoked UCO as Class A1 (Shops), A2 (Financial and professional services), A3 (Food and drink), B1 (Business – including Offices, R&D and Light Industry), D1 (a-b) (Non-residential institutions Including any medical or health services and a crêche, day nursery or day centre) as well as D2 (e) (indoor sport).

The consultation is proposing to allow the change of use of any building within Class E to residential. It is not proposed that there will be any size limit on the buildings that will be allowed to change use. This will allow for either the whole building or part of the building to be converted to residential use but, in order to qualify for this PD right, the premises must have been in use within Use Class E on 1 September 2020.

As the consultation document points out, Use Class E applies everywhere in all cases, not just on the high street or in town centres. At this stage, the Government are proposing that this permitted development right will not apply in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and World Heritage Sites, as well as to buildings in Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), or which are listed buildings or within their curtilage, sites that are (or contain) scheduled monuments, or are in safety hazard areas or military explosives storage areas, as well as sites subject to an agricultural tenancy.

Interestingly, this proposed PD right would not exclude conservation areas, although there would be a requirement for prior approval of the impact of the loss of the ground floor use to residential in a conservation area.

Similar to the existing rights, there would be a range of matters requiring prior approval. In addition to flooding, transport impacts and contamination which are already assessed, additional considerations are proposed including:

the impacts of noise from existing commercial premises on the intended occupiers of the development,
fire safety (to ensure consideration and plans to mitigate risk to residents from fire)
impact on the intended occupiers from the introduction of residential use in an area the LPA considers is important for heavy industry and waste management.
Development must comply with nationally prescribed space standards

Clearly this is only a consultation at this stage, but it does show a direction of travel from the Government. It is the intention that, subject to the outcome of the consultation, the new permitted development rights will come into effect from 1 August 2021.

If you have further questions, or to discuss a specific building or site please don’t hesitate to contact us for a no obligation consultation to discuss your project.

Fore! Planning permission rides on Ryder success

30th November 202217th August 2020 by Gary Stringer

The Secretary of State (SoS) has granted planning permission for a major development within the Manchester green belt consisting of a golf resort, 1,036 homes and heritage restoration works at Hulton Park to the southwest of Bolton. However, the development can only go ahead if the site is successful in its bid to host golf’s Ryder Cup in either 2031 or 2035.

In granting planning permission, the SoS concluded that whilst the proposal did not comply with the development plan, the contribution to meeting the council’s housing land supply shortage and the very substantial economic and social benefits of the golf resort proposal (with estimates for jobs created and Gross Value Added generated being 1686 jobs and £1.1 billion (GVA) respectively). The secretary of state saw this as particularly significant in an area with high levels of deprivation and economic inactivity. He also held that the project represented the optimum viable use for the historic park in which it was proposed, in accordance with Planning Practice Guidance. It was concluded that very special circumstances which outweigh the harm to the Green Belt exist, so as to justify the grant of planning permission – but they will only exist if the Ryder Cup is held at the site.

Richard Pigott, Director at Planning & Design Practice, said: “This is a highly unusual decision given that it is by no means certain that the venue will ever win the right to host the Ryder Cup. The biennial golf competition, which pits the best American and European golfers against each other, only takes place at a European venue every four years. Much like the Olympics, it is a much sought-after event and may well go to a country in continental Europe in 2031 given that the 2027 event will be held in Ireland. Furthermore, it is not yet clear when a decision will be made about the 2031 and 2035 host venues but we will be sure to let you know when there is further news.”

If your property is located within the Green Belt and you propose something which is deemed to be ‘inappropriate development’, it will be necessary to demonstrate Very Special Circumstances (VSC). However, VSC need not be a single wholly exceptional reason such as the hosting of a major sporting event. VSC can include existing permitted development rights, a high-quality design, public benefits, energy from renewable sources and any number of other valid considerations. It’s important to remember that a collection of factors together, while not ‘special’ on their own, can combine to constitute very special circumstances.

As a practice we are highly experienced in submitting planning applications in Green Belt locations. If you have a property located in the Green Belt and would like some advice, please get in touch.

Images: Peel Holding Land and Property (UK) Limited

Briefing note: New permitted development rights and changes to the Use Classes Order

30th November 202210th August 2020 by Gary Stringer

July and August are proving to be a time of significant change for the English Planning system which has arrived on the back of changes announced at the start of the summer in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The introduction of new permitted development rights, changes to the Use Classes Order and a White Paper citing intentions to reform the decision-making process across the country have all been released within a period of a single fortnight.

This paper will look at new permitted development rights that have emerged as well as the changes to the Use Classes Order.

New Permitted Development Rights – A Summary

The changes relate to;

Demolition and Rebuild for Residential Use
Additional Storeys to Dwellinghouses
Additional Storeys to Create Dwellings
Changes to the Use Classes Order

The changes to Use Classes order provide greater flexibility for changes in uses without the need for planning permission. From the 1 September 2020 a new use Class E comes into effect which encompasses Class A1 – shops; financial and professional services; restaurants and cafes; and business. It also creates two new Use Classes, Class F1 is for learning and non-residential institutions. Specifically, any use not including residential use and Class F2 is for local community use.

The new permitted development rights represent exciting opportunities to business and homeowners alike. The opportunity for detached offices or light industrial units to be demolished and rebuilt with an apartment block that provides an additional two storeys will clearly be attractive in certain situations. Firstly the PD right provides certainty that the concept of such development is acceptable but the additional 2 floors is also likely to make schemes viable that previously weren’t.

It represents a great opportunity for small, rural commercial sites, for instance where there is a small 2 storey workshop as this could now be demolished and replaced with a 3 /4 storey home.

For the householder PD rights, the ability to provide a new storey opens up a great alternative to Dormer windows and loft conversions. The legislation has provision for the associated engineering operations and specifically cites foundations and wall strengthening as being allowed.

The right allows for the introduction of an additional story to give living accommodation providing a very large home. But perhaps the biggest advantage of the permitted development rights is for development in the Green Belt. Historically development in the Green Belt has to be limited to modest residential extensions, this right opens up some potentially enormous additions to an existing building that would normally be resisted by Local Authorities on the grounds of the harm that they would have on the openness of the Green Belt. This is a test that does not apply to permitted envelopment rights.

Use Classes Order (UCO)

The Government has announced fundamental changes to Town Centre Use Classes, which will provide greater flexibility for changes in uses without the need for planning permission.

From the 1 September 2020 a new use Class E will replace the following existing use classes:

Class A1 – shops;
Class A2 – financial and professional services;
Class A3 – restaurants and cafes; and
Class B1 – business.

This will mean that land or buildings utilised for the above uses will not need to obtain planning permission for changes within this use class.

There will also be a new Class F1 and F2, which will provide for change of use within each class.

Class F1 is for learning and non-residential institutions. Specifically, any use not including residential use:

(a) for the provision of education;
(b) for the display of works of art (otherwise than for sale or hire),
(c) as a museum,
(d) as a public library or public reading room,
(e) as a public hall or exhibition hall,
(f) for, or in connection with, public worship or religious instruction,
(g) as a law court.

Class F2 is for local community use. Specifically, any use as:

(a) a shop mostly selling essential goods, including food, to visiting members of the public in circumstances where—
(i) the shop’s premises cover an area not more than 280 metres square, and
(ii) there is no other such facility within 1000 metre radius of the shop’s location,
(b) a hall or meeting place for the principal use of the local community,
(c) an area or place for outdoor sport or recreation, not involving motorised vehicles or firearms,
(d) an indoor or outdoor swimming pool or skating rink.

Cinemas, concert halls pubs, wine bars and takeaways will become a sui generis use with no permitted changes.

Changes to the General Permitted Development Order

There are several new permitted development rights that have emerged, all of which relate to building upwards.

Demolition and Rebuild for Residential Use
Additional Storeys to Dwellinghouses
Additional Storeys to Create Dwellings

Demolition and Rebuild for Residential Use

Demolition of vacant and redundant free-standing buildings that fell within use class B1 and C3 on 12 March 2020, and their replacement with residential development. The rights apply to purpose-built residential blocks of flats only, and therefore do not apply to terraced buildings, detached dwellings or mixed-use buildings.

The rights only apply to buildings constructed prior to 1 January 1990 that have been entirely vacant for at least 6 months prior to the application for prior approval. The development, consisting of both demolition and replacement build, must be completed within three years of the date of the grant of prior approval.

There are various limits placed on the scale of the development permitted, including that it must be within the footprint of the original building with a footprint of up to 1,000 m2 and with a maximum height of 18m. This is subject to prior approval application in relation to the following criteria;

transport and highway impacts of the development,
contamination,
flooding risks,
impact of noise from other premises on the future residents,
design and external appearance of the new building,
adequacy of natural light in all habitable rooms of each new dwelling,
impact of the introduction of residential use into an area,
impact of the development on the amenity of the new building and of neighbouring premises,
impacts of noise from commercial premises,
impact on surrounding businesses, impact on heritage and archaeology,
method of demolition,
plans for landscaping and the impact on air traffic and defence.

The rights will not apply in Conservation Areas or to listed buildings or scheduled monuments.

Additional Storeys to Dwellinghouses

The new permitted development rights to allow existing houses to be extended by way of an additional 2 storeys. The rights apply to existing houses which are detached, semi-detached or in a terrace. They are subject to a maximum height limit of 18m, and where the house is in a terrace its height cannot be more than 3.5m higher than the next tallest house in the terrace.

The rights only apply to houses built between 1 July 1948 and 28 October 2018 and do not apply in Conservation Areas.

There is a requirement to obtain prior approval in relation to;

impact on the amenity of neighbouring premises,
external appearance,
impacts a taller building may have on air traffic and defence assets.

Additional Storeys to Create Dwellings

From 1 September the construction of up to 2 additional storeys on free standing blocks and on buildings in a terrace that are in certain commercial uses (including A1, A2, A3 and B1(a)), and in mixed uses with an element of housing, to create additional self-contained homes. The rights are subject to a maximum height limit of 30m for detached buildings and 18m for terraces.

A new Class AC and AD to Part 20 to the General Permitted Development Order will allow up to 2 additional storeys to be constructed on existing houses which are detached or in a terrace to create new self-contained homes. The rights are subject to a maximum height limit for the newly extended building of 18m and it cannot be more than 3.5m higher than the next tallest house in the terrace.

These rights apply to houses and buildings built between 1 July 1948 and 5 March 2018 and they have to have been in one of the relevant uses or mixed uses on 5 March 2018. The rights will not apply in Conservation Areas or to listed buildings or scheduled monuments.

There is a requirement to obtain prior approval in relation to the following;

transport and highway impacts of the development,
contamination and
flooding risks,
external appearance,
impact on amenity,
provision of adequate natural light in all habitable rooms of the new homes,
noise impact from existing commercial uses,
impact on surrounding businesses
impact on air traffic and defence assets.

Comprising town planners, architects and architectural assistants our staff bring a wealth of experience from a range of backgrounds and various parts of the UK. Our planners have worked in the public & private sectors, and have excellent working relations with Local Planning Authorities.

For further information and clarification on these new permitted development rights, and changes to the Use Classes Order please don’t hesitate to contact us for a no obligation consultation to discuss your project.

New lease of life for two retail units in Macclesfield

5th December 202231st March 2020 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design Practice have successfully secured consent for the change of use of a building in a mixed A1/C3 use to four dwellings at a site on the edge of Macclesfield Town Centre. The property, 1 Pinfold Street and 9 Chester Road, is part two storey and part three storey, consisting of two A1 retail units on the ground floor and three separate flats on the first and second floors. It is unusual in that, whilst originally two separate buildings (probably two dwellings), the site is now one interconnected building as the first-floor bedsit above 1 Pinfold Street (the hairdressers) and the second floor flat above the bed shop (9 Chester Road) share the same staircase.

The General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) sets out the forms of development that benefit from the general grant of permission without requiring express permission. Class M of Part 3 of Schedule 2 is titled ‘Retail, takeaways and specified sui generis uses to dwellinghouses’. This allows a change of use of a building to use as a dwellinghouse together with building operations reasonably necessary to convert the building to this use.

Given its unusual layout, we had to carefully assess the proposal against the various criteria under Class M of the GPDO to ensure it met all those criteria. We then had to prepare the internal and external designs to ensure the renovated building could function as 4 separate dwellings and make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area. Cheshire East Council agreed with our assessment and prior approval was duly granted. We look forward to seeing the building converted and thriving in this up and coming part of Macclesfield.

If you are looking to secure planning permission for a change of use on a property or business please call us. We provide a no obligation initial consultation and can help you make the right decision.