Using a planning consultant – is it worth the fees?
If I had a Pound for every person that rushed down to their local planning
offices with some of our plans and drawings and ask a local planning officer
to give them advice and an opinion there and then on the prospects of
building one of our kits, I would be a richer man!! Can you guess how many
people get a positive answers by doing this?
Firstly, the planning officer cannot give you an answer, other than tell you
to put in a planning application. Alternatively, he/she will say, ‘thats looks very
interesting’ or ‘thats very nice’ or ‘I would love one of those myself’.
What he/she will not say is this,’ I can so reason why you shouldn’t go
straight ahead and build it’.
They may however ask you a myriad of questions and you may give the wrong
answer or an answer that may prejudice your chances of getting it approved
and you may not even know you have done it!
Secondly, Planning officers know that when a member of the public walks in
with their plans and pictures in their hot little hands its means mostly one
thing, time spent giving a 10 minute potted education session on the
planning rules.
So the best road to take is not the one to the local planners’ office but the
road to a planning consultant.
6 reasons why the planning consultant fees are worthwhile…
- They are experts.
- They already know all the local planning officers - in fact many consultants were planning officers!
- They will be able to present your information in a way that brings you
the best result. - Your local planning office will be happy that you are taking it seriously
enough to employ someone who knows the rules already. - You have a much better chance of getting the planning sorted by using
a planning consultant. - They they may be able to sort out your issue without the need for full planning!
