Our associates are qualified town planners, heritage consultants, urban master planners and landscape designers.
We have expert knowledge of the planning process on all scales of development for both residential and commercial clients. We’re also experienced in listed buildings, conservation areas and complex sites.
We understand the planning process, and are experts in planning policies and national legislation.
‘Our strong relationships with local district councils help support the successful processing of our planning applications.’
Grant Cameron, CA
We can provide:
Our associates are professional members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and former district council conservation officers. Their knowledge and insights can raise considerably the probability of your project gaining planning permission successfully.
For homeowners, developers and business owners, our mutual experience helps ensure the smooth navigation of the complex UK planning system.
We have extensive experience working with historic buildings and complex heritage sites. We offer planning consultancy for all types of grade I, II*, II listed properties, and historic buildings of merit.
Our associates are professional members of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and former district council conservation officers.
For both residential and commercial projects, we can support listed building consent applications and planning applications, providing heritage statements, significance assessments and heritage impact assessments.
We can’t guarantee successful applications, but we can be close to predicting the potential likelihood of plans making the grade, working closely with clients to increase that likelihood.
Our commercial director Grant Cameron is our lead urban designer. After qualifying as an architect, he completed his master’s degree in urban design, studying the complexities of town planning and development. He has worked on many commercial sites for property developers, creating masterplans for housing and mixed-use schemes of varying scale.
He leads our expert team of architects, town planners and designers who collaborate to develop the best in commercial projects.
From habitat creation schemes and green belt projects, through to protected species mitigation and planning applications, we specialise in ecologically sensitive developments.
We work on any scale, from residential garden designs, to single- and multiple-build housing developments, community and school projects, and landscape restoration.
We provide a full bespoke garden design service, including masterplans, detail drawings and planting plans. We can provide colour plans, visualisations and even 3D images or animations, so you can see your beautiful landscape design come to life.
As part of the Construction Associates integrated team, working closely with our clients, architects and engineers, we are more easily able to provide complete, cost-effective solutions to any listed building or heritage project.
If you need advice and support for your own historic building project, our consultants are available to work with you as the need arises.
Planning permission controls the way our towns, cities and countryside develop. This includes the use of land and buildings, the appearance of buildings, landscaping considerations, highway access and the impact that the development will have on the general environment.
It also includes but is not limited to verifying that the right buildings are built in the right places, the intended use for it is a good fit for the area and that the proposal isn’t negatively affecting neighbours.
For larger developments, your planning permission should include drawings of your vision and provide evidence to demonstrate that your proposal will have a positive impact on your community.
The government gives local planning authorities (LPAs) the power to manage where people build and what they do with land. The development management teams of LPAs handle planning permission applications.
Planning permission is needed for most types of new development or changes to the use of land. Conservation areas and listed buildings also have specific requirements. It is always best to consult an architect about projects like this.
If you are in any doubt about whether your project needs planning consent, make contact with a reputable architect.
Building regulations approval (building control) are standards that apply to all buildings to make sure they are safe for people who are in or around them. The regulations are a series of approved documents covering the technical aspects of construction work.
Most building work requires building regulations approval. Examples include but are not limited to building extensions and loft conversions, converting garages into habitable rooms, carrying out structural alterations, installing cavity insulation, changing the use of a property, underpinning and drainage works.
If you are still unsure whether you need building regulations approval it is essential to discuss your proposals with experienced architects.
Very often homeowners, business owners and property developers are confused by the need to obtain two different types of approval from the council for their building work.
Planning permission and building regulations approval – also known as building control approval – applications are considered under different laws.
Planning permission assesses whether the development fits with local and national policies and whether it would cause unacceptable harm, for example, to neighbours’ quality of life.
Building control covers the structural, safety and accessibility aspects of development and progress throughout the construction.
When you make a planning application, you are seeking authorisation to enable you to carry out development. On the other hand, when you make a building regulations application, you are seeking to have the details of your development checked and approved for compliance with the standards of construction. That is the main difference.
Sometimes you may need both; sometimes one; or none at all. One never acts as approval for the other. If you are in any doubt about what you need, reach out to a qualified architect for advice.
Listed building consent is a crucial aspect of owning and maintaining a listed property. The need for listed building consent can be triggered for minor or internal alterations – anything that involves the demolition, modification, or expansion of a listed building that could impact its unique architectural or historical significance.
Listed building consent ensures that any proposed changes are sympathetic to the building’s character and do not harm its historical value.
Planning permission is not always required alongside listed building consent. Planning permission would typically be required in cases involving new construction, change of use, or alterations to the exterior appearance of a property. If the proposals are all internal, you would not usually require planning permission (unless the work constitutes a change of use).
The need for both listed building consent and planning permission often depends on the nature and scope of your project.
While listed building consent focuses on the conservation of the historic and architectural aspects of a building, planning permission addresses how your proposed changes fit into the local planning policies.
Although planning permission and listed building consent will be processed as separate cases by the local authority, you can submit a combined application and application form.
Conservation architects, historic building consultants, or planning experts can provide valuable guidance and help you navigate the application processes effectively. Choosing the right architect, with expertise in building conservation is a critical first step.
