Permission to build

You are not just going to build a house you are going to build an impressive amount of paperwork - but don’t be daunted - the system is far more userfriendly than it used to be.

PLANNING PERMISSION and building warrants are a fact of life for the self-builder.

If you go ahead and buy a plot of land without securing permission then all you own is a very expensive place to have a picnic. If you can find a plot with planning permission then you are one step ahead of the game but remember that if this is detailed planning permission, then you might have to reapply for some, if not all, aspects of your plans: the plot has permission for someone else’s dream home. If you see a plot without planning permission, then make sure that it can get planning permission - permission for the house that you want to build. Be realistic: if the plot has permission for a two-bedroom bungalow will you really be able to prove that it could contain a four-bedroom house with a media room and a double garage? Planning permission is needed if you are building from new, carrying out major renovations like adding rooms or raising the roof level; changing the use of a building, perhaps an old shop in a town or an old farm building in the countryside into a home. Permission is also needed if the plot or property is in a conservation area or has listed building consent. National parks also have a say on planning permission. Every Scottish council has its own development plan, with zones for housing or industry or areas of natural beauty that it wants to protect and communities it wants to see grow or areas where it would like to encourage more tourism. This doesn’t just show you where you can and cannot build; it also shows you where and what other people can and cannot build. Planning permission takes care of how your self-build will look; its size, shape, how it fits in with the surrounding landscape and buildings. You will also need to apply for a building warrant. This is about how your new home will meet building standards. No one wants to build a home which is un-safe and unsound so look on the building warrant as a way of keeping you right as the project moves towards completion. As work progresses you can get work approved by ‘approved certifiers’ and this can form part of your application for the property’s building warrant which you file with the local council. An approved certifier for design can give you a certificate of design for structures along with a certificate of design for energy; an approved certifier for construction can carry out building work for you, and certify that their work meets building regulations. Their work includes the electrics, drains, heating and plumbing. It makes sense to have people involved in your self-build project who are approved certifiers. Applying for planning permission today is a far smoother, less stressful part of the self-build project than it used to be. Much of the application can be done on line. Another fantastic piece of support now offered is the pre-planning application service offered by councils. At Argyll and Bute the planners will give you ‘a clear and timely view’ on the merit of the proposed development and tell you the information required to accompany a formal planning application. This service is currently free for developments of fewer than five houses but the council is in the process of setting its budget for 2018-19 so this might change. At Highland Council expect to pay a fee of 30 per cent of the cost of your planning application, plus the planning application fee. But as Argyll and Bute points out: ‘pre application advice provided by the planning authority cannot pre-empt the democratic decision making process or a particular outcome, in the event of a formal planning application being submitted’. Highland Council agrees: ‘Any pre-application advice issued does not constitute formal consent and does not therefore guarantee that any future statutory application will be successful; nor does it provide consent for a development to commence.’ Both councils stress that their pre application decision will be based on the quantity and quality of the information you provide, so the more you can tell them the better.