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Free
Consultations |
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If your property is within
our catchment area, we can visit you
for an initial consultation free of
charge. During that visit, we will talk
through the proposals you have in mind
and can make our own recommendations
for you to consider. We will also highlight
any particular planning considerations
and construction technicalities to help
to hone your ideas. Subsequent to the
initial meeting, we will give you a
written fixed fee quotation for our
involvement, allowing you to make an
informed decision on whether you wish
to appoint us.
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Design drawings (For
residential extensions, alterations,
loft conversions or new build.)
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After production of accurate
scaled plans of your property or site
we will produce initial designs for
you. These may follow your proposals,
or ideas of our own, or a combination
of both to help you consider the best
designs to suit your individual use
of the property. Often we will begin
with a different layouts, and then refine
these following detailed discussion
to reach your ideal. As we work with
the latest AutoCAD software we can revise
and alter designs picking and choosing
your favoured elements. The result of
this work will be a final design to
your satisfaction ready for submission
to the Planning Department. |
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Planning Applications
and Pre-Application Advice
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We work regularly with
Planning Departments in London and the
Home Counties submitting Planning Applications
for all types of residential extensions,
alterations, loft conversions and new
build houses. We are not limited to
these areas however, and are equally
happy to work with other Councils further
afield. If your project is more unusual
or potentially contentious we can also
seek formal pre-application advice (via
a meeting or written response) with
submission of lesser detailed sketches
and photographs to reduce your initial
financial commitment before continuing
to a full application. (NB. For many
simple projects planning permission
may not be required although we would
always recommend we gain a Certificate
of Lawful Development to confirm this.)
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Design and Access Statements
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Where required by the
Local Authority, as part of our planning
application, we will produce Design
and Access Statements as required without
additional charge. These set out the
design rationale and provide a written
justification for the proposals to formally
submit with the application drawings.
If beneficial we will also produce these
statements even when not required by
legislation to present a stronger case
to the planners citing precedents, and
supporting evidence. |
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Construction drawings
and Building Regulations Applications
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Following on from our
own design drawings or those of your
own Architect, we can produce full construction
drawings. These set out all required
construction details and specifications
to achieve full Building Regulation
Approval and to give your chosen contractors
the details required to prepare quotations
for the works and ultimately to construct
the project. The specifications will
include all required details from foundation
depths and drainage to insulation thicknesses
and plaster finishes. As part of our
involvement we will submit a Full Plans
application to Building Control and
resolve any relevant queries or requests
for information from them in order to
leave your chosen contractor with an
approved set of drawings to work from
on site. |
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Engineering Advice
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Dependent upon the complexity
of your scheme, some structural alterations
may be required. From experience gained
over many years of previous associations
with Structural Engineers, we will be
able to provide you with a good outline
of the structural implications of the
works that you are proposing. The calculation
of the structural elements will have
to be done by a separate Engineering
Firm, but we will provide the Engineer
with all the information he needs on
our drawings, so that this can be done
as a desktop exercise to help minimise
those costs. Unless you have your own
engineering contact, once the Building
Regulation drawings have been prepared,
these will be despatched to one or two
outside Consultants in order that they
can provide you with a quotation for
their services. Once those designs have
been prepared, we will then incorporate
that information onto our drawings and
submit them on your behalf to the Local
Authority for Approval. |
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Other Matters |
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If your drains are shared
with adjacent properties, it is quite
possible that these will be classed
as Public Sewers. That being the case,
the consent of the appropriate Drainage
Authority (eg. Thames Water) is also
required over and above the Application
to the Council. We will advise you on
this at the time but if it is required,
we will deal with this application free
of charge during the design process
(except for the fee that you will pay
to the Authority direct). |
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If your property is situated
in an area that has a Residents Association
(eg. Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust)
they may also have to be consulted for
the approval of building work at the
planning stage. If this applies to your
property, then we will make any required
submissions to them without additional
charge. |
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If your extension or alteration
involves a large amount of glazing this
may be over the standard allowance in
the Building Regulations. Regularly
these fairly restrictive limitations
can be overcome by obtaining an Energy
Performance Certificate for the property
as a whole, allowing for more glazing
to be used than would normally be permitted.
Whilst the assessment is done by a separate
specialist at a fee payable directly
by yourselves, we will provide that
Company with all the information they
need without additional charge from
ourselves, in order that this can be
done as a desktop exercise to minimise
any additional expense. |
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