ConstructAid - FAQ
For guidance only
+ What is the difference between Planning Permission and Building Regulations and do I require both for my proposed extension or conversion?
Answer: Planning Permission relates to the acceptable design of the proposal; Building Regulations relates to the structure, safety and adequacy of a building. Both Planning and Building Regulation approval may be required - this depends on individual circumstances. Please contact ConstructAid for advice on this. Further general advice can also be obtained from Government/Local Government Departments, in particular the Planning Portal website which has lots of useful information - please visit their website from our Links Page
+ What are your fees likely to be?
Answer: This depends on the complexity of the job and quotations are available on request but can start from as low as £250.00. Price includes at least two visits, for the initial consultation and another to obtain your approval to the plans prior to submission to the Local Authority. Our fees will, in most cases, be quoted on our initial visit, but complex proposals may be on an individual cost basis. We will then provide a maximum likely cost of our fees if applicable to you. Our fees include minor amendments required by the Planning Department, but should major alterations be required by Planning, we would have to charge an additional fee for the work involved. ConstructAid would normally also include within our fee any amendments required by Building Control. Copies of the plan are provided for your builder to provide an estimate and on approval of the plans, a further plan for the builder/developer to work from. Additional plan copies are available, but we may make an additional copying charge.
+ What Council or other fees am I likely to pay?
Answer: In most cases, a Building Regulation fee is payable. The exact Building Regulation fee varies as each Authority set their own Building Regulation fees. Further advice can be obtained from ConstructAid. On submission of the plans to the local authority, a Building Regulation initial fee is payable, called the "plan fee". On commencement of the work, the Council will then invoice you directly for what is called the "inspection fee", which is usually three times the amount of the original plan fee, except some minor works where the whole fee is payable on submission of the plans. In the case of Planning, if full Planning Permission is required, the Planning fee charged is currently £172 and a Lawful Development Certificate fee is £86 However, higher fees are charged for new builds and commercial developments, details are available on request.
ConstructAid can usually prepare the structural calculations and fees quoted usually include these. In rare cases, should complex structural calculations be required, e.g. specialist foundation design, we may need to instruct a Structural Engineer. In such cases, you would be responsible for their fee. We would advise if this applies to you and discuss your options.
For larger developments, the Council may occasionally ask for additional drawings, i.e. street scene view. We would have to make an additional charge for such drawings, details on request.
New builds may also require additional drawings of plans for such matters as site layout plans and SAP Rating calculations. These can be provided by ConstructAid. If applicable, our fees can be quoted for these on an individual basis.
+ Will I have to pay Water Authority Fees for my extension and how will the change of law regarding private sewers that took place on 1st October 2011 likely to affect my proposal?
Answer: The law regarding Private sewers changed on 1st October 2011. Since that date, private sewers and private lateral drains outside the boundary of a property became adopted and within the ownership of the six Water Companies as did any shared drains within private property. It is usual for lengths of private sewer to be connected from the property to the mains. When these lengths of private sewer connect only the property to the mains, the expense of repair of this drain or sewer will fall entirely on the owner until it leaves the boundary of the property where it will become a public sewer/drain up to the boundary of the property. If there is a length of private sewer or drain used jointly with neighbouring properties, the sewer or drain will become a public sewer or drain as soon as it leaves the boundary of the first property connected to it. Under the previous system, many property owners had legal obligations (usually jointly with adjoining owners) for the upkeep of sewers and pipework beyond their property boundaries up to the connection with the main public sewer. Since the transfer of ownership on the 1st October 2011 the responsibility for maintenance and repair of these drains and sewers is now on the Water Companies. The sewers/drains which were previously in private ownership have not been mapped as it was deemed to be too costly to implement. There will obviously now be many more public sewers/drains within a property boundary and the Water Authority will require a build over agreement and compliance with building regulations if an extension is to be built within three metres of a public sewer.
ConstructAid can advise on your particular case. We have also included an article on our Blog section of the website with links to Thames Water and Anglian Water to their guidance notes on Build Over Agreements and a guide to their fees.
+ What is the Party Wall Act and does it apply to me?
Answer: This Act applies throughout England and Wales and we cannot stress how important it is for you to familiarise yourself with the requirements of the Act.
The Act provides a framework for preventing disputes in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings. Anyone intending to carry out notifiable work in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings must give adjoining owners notice of their intentions within a set timescale and prior to starting work. It is a good idea to speak to any neighbours affected by the work in order to explain the requirements and to hopefully avoid any upsets or misunderstandings at a later date. ConstructAid find a better outcome is possible in cases where an initial informal approach has been made with the affected neighbours.
The Government has recently ceased providing a copy of the Party Wall Act 1996 booklet. Please follow the link on our Blog pages where there is a direct link to the Party Wall Act Booklet. Due to the lengthy nature of the Booklet, should you require a copy of this to be sent to you, ConstructAid can provide this for a fee to cover postage and packing.
+ How do I contact you for further advice and where can I find out more?
Answer: To find out anything else on the process, just follow the Contact Us page. If you telephone us and we are out on site or visiting other clients, just leave a brief message of your contact details on our Answering Machine and we will come back to you. Alternatively, just leave a brief message on the email link and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
More general information about products of interest, services, latest news on Planning law, downloads and more can be found on our Blog which we hope will be of interest to you.
Our Links page also has links to resource information.
+ How long is the process likely to take?
Answer: Once you have instructed ConstructAid to draw the plans, we aim to complete the drawings within 2-3 weeks, dependent on the complexity of the work involved and current work levels, so we will advise you of this when we visit. On submission of the plans, if Planning Permission is required, there is a statutory 8 week period for a decision to be reached. Building Regulations approval much depends on the complexity of the proposal and also varies dependent on the Local Authority. Delays can occur, for instance, if Structural Calculations have to be approved by the Authority's Structural Engineers.
+ What areas do you work in?
Answer: ConstructAid are based in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering and our work is mostly based in a 25 mile radius. Other areas have been covered, however, over a much greater distance by arrangement.
Just contact us if you wish to discuss your requirements and we will be happy to provide an initial no obligation quotation.
+ Where can I find more general advice on new products, environmentally sustainable products and possible developments in planning legislation and other resource material?
Answer: You will hopefully find our Blog Pages a useful resource tool - Do add your comments if you find any product or service to be good or bad. We look forward to hearing from you! If you would like to see something in particular featured in our Blog, please Contact Us, we would love to hear from you.
+ What do your plans look like?
There are a few samples of our plans on the Examples pages on the website. If you would like a PDF example of a particular type of plan, please contact ConstructAid and we will be happy to assist. You can also see examples of our plans by visiting the Planning section of the London Borough of Havering website and look at the Planning application or decision search. Just enter 'ConstructAid' as the Agent and you will find a number of examples of our previously submitted plans. We can also bring some examples with us if you request this prior to a site survey.
Tags: ConstructAid FAQ FAQ's Frequently Asked Questions Party Wall Act 1996 Build Over Agreements Fees Planning fees Building Control fees
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