Planning Policy Appraisal

When you’re considering a new build, extension, or change of use — especially on sensitive sites like the Green Belt or within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty — the planning rules can feel like a maze. Our Planning Policy Appraisal is designed to give you clarity and confidence before you invest significant time and money.

We’ll help you understand whether your proposal is likely to gain planning permission, identify the key policy hurdles, and outline how best to shape your design approach to give it the strongest chance of success.

How it Works:

• Submission of a pre-application report to the council

• Professionally prepared exterior sketch to help visualise your project in its context

• Provides planners with the key information they need at this early stage

• This is a private process — neighbours will not be notified

• We interpret and guide you through the planners’ feedback, whether written or in meetings

• Only with positive feedback do we progress to full design, avoiding wasted costs

• A tailored visual summary of how your proposal fits local planning policy

• One-hour online meeting to present and discuss our findings

By clarifying the planning picture early on, you can move forward with greater certainty, understanding both the opportunities and the risks before committing to a full application.

What does it cost?

All this for £1,350. We are not currently VAT registered, so no VAT is charged. If you decide to proceed with us for the full project within three months, we will deduct the cost of the appraisal from your overall project fee.