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Nick has worked within the UK planning system since 1996, gaining experience in both the public and private sectors. His work ranges from domestic extensions and alterations to more complex residential, commercial, retail and public-sector developments.
For Log Cabin Home, Nick contributes specialist planning knowledge to our guides and articles covering residential annexes, garden buildings and the planning issues homeowners need to consider before adding accommodation to their property.
Residential annexes can raise planning questions that are quite different from those surrounding an ordinary garden building.
How an annexe will be used, its relationship with the main house, its location and design, and whether it constitutes development can all affect the planning route available. Other considerations may include permitted development rights, Certificates of Lawfulness, Green Belt restrictions and, in some circumstances, whether a structure satisfies the legal definition of a caravan.
Nick's practice at Inception Planning has direct experience of these issues and provides planning advice specifically for residential and garden annexes.
This has included successfully obtaining planning permission for a substantial detached annexe within the Surrey Green Belt. The application required a detailed Supporting Planning Statement demonstrating how the proposed development could comply with relevant planning policies, including Green Belt policy.
Inception Planning has also successfully obtained a Certificate of Lawfulness for annexe accommodation in Hertfordshire where the structure satisfied the legal requirements for treatment as a caravan. This involved demonstrating matters including the building's construction, dimensions and physical ability to be moved.
This practical experience is particularly valuable because there is no single planning answer that applies to every annexe. The appropriate route depends upon the building, the site, its intended use and the planning constraints affecting the property.
An annexe is often being considered because a family's circumstances are changing.
It may provide accommodation for an older relative, give another family member greater independence while allowing them to remain close to home, or provide flexible additional accommodation as a household's needs evolve.
The planning rules behind that apparently straightforward objective can be considerably more complicated.
Nick's role is to turn those technical planning requirements into clear, practical advice so that homeowners can understand what is likely to be possible, what permissions may be required and how best to approach their local planning authority.
His experience includes planning applications, pre-application advice, permitted development, Certificates of Lawfulness, planning appeals and planning strategy, as well as advising on residential projects affected by more restrictive planning policies.
Nick has worked in planning in both the public and private sectors since 1996.
He founded Inception Planning, which was established in 2008 and provides planning consultancy services across residential, public, commercial and industrial development.
That broader experience gives Nick an important perspective when considering residential annexes. Planning decisions do not take place in isolation: local planning policy, national policy, previous development at a property, the surrounding area and the planning history of a site can all influence what is achievable.
His work therefore extends beyond simply preparing planning applications. It includes assessing development potential, identifying the most appropriate planning route and presenting the planning case in support of a proposal.
Nick is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI) and is a Chartered Town Planner.
He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Town and Country Planning, an Honours Degree in Environmental Science and a Higher National Diploma in Land Administration.
These qualifications, combined with his experience within both public and private-sector planning, underpin the practical planning advice he provides.
Nick contributes to and provides expert planning input for Log Cabin Home's articles covering annexes and related planning matters.
His role is to help ensure that planning information is based on a proper understanding of the UK planning system and reflects the practical issues that can arise when homeowners consider adding an annexe to their property.
Topics include planning permission for annexes, permitted development, Certificates of Lawfulness, Green Belt considerations, the distinction between garden buildings and residential accommodation, and circumstances in which caravan legislation may be relevant.
Because planning circumstances vary between individual properties and local planning authorities, our articles are intended to explain the principles involved rather than replace planning advice based upon a particular site.
Every guide and article on this site covering annexes and planning matters is reviewed by Nick at the point of publication. Where we make substantive updates to reflect changes in planning policy or practice, the article is sent back to Nick for review before the update goes live – shown by the "last updated" date at the top of each page. Nick's review does not replace the need to seek planning advice specific to your own property and circumstances.
Professional profiles: Inception Planning | Nick Griffin on LinkedIn
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