Frequently Asked Questions

Our team at Situ8 offer confidential, professional planning advice and pride ourselves on the quality of our service and our excellent working relations with clients. We offer a free-of-charge initial consultation, and any services required thereafter are charged at a highly competitive rate. Our 98% success rate of dealing with a vast range of planning matters throughout Cornwall, Devon and the wider south-west region places us in a strong position to assist you to achieve planning permission. Contact Situ8 today on 01726 832132.

An agricultural tie is a planning condition restricting the occupation of a house to people employed within agriculture, horticulture or forestry. Although local authorities are often reluctant to lift agricultural ties, it is not completely out of the question.

Our experienced team have an excellent track record of assisting clients to lift agricultural ties. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Before cutting down or lopping trees, it is essential that there are no planning restrictions relating to the trees. Your actions may be restricted by Tree Preservation Orders or if your property is located within a Conservation Area. If this is the case, you will need to apply for permission; applications should give clear reasons for the works proposed and describe them in detail.

Situ8 have experience of securing permission for the removal or lopping of trees. Contact us today for more information.

The demolition of a dwelling does not generally require planning permission, unless it is located within a protected area or is a listed building. With regard to the development of the land for one or more dwellings, this will be possible subject to certain criteria, such as demonstrating that the development will respect the built form and character of the area and the local street scene.

The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development Order) 1995 details types of development that do not require planning permission. Anything that exceeds the limits set out in the Order will require a formal planning application to be submitted to the Local Authority.

As planning permission has already been achieved for the site, there is already a precedent for the development of a dwelling, meaning that there is a good chance of securing permission for a different design. It is possible to reapply to amend the scheme, but a completely new application will be required if there are significant changes. Situ8 can provide professional advice on such matters, so do not hesitate to contact us on 01726 832132.

If your property fronts a highway, then provided the extension is no more than one storey and is less than 4m in height and is no wider than half of the width of the front of the existing house, you do not need to apply for planning permission. If the proposed extension exceeds any of these restrictions, you will need planning permission for any development to the side of your property.

For more information on planning matters concerning household extensions, contact Situ8 to arrange a free consultation.

If your property is a house or a bungalow, provided the porch does not extend beyond certain limits, it would not require planning permission. This Miniguide demonstrates the maximum size a porch can be without requiring planning permission.

If the property is a flat, maisonette or is used for commercial purposes, or if it is listed or is located within a Conservation Area, other forms of consent may be required. Situ8 can provide professional pre-planning advice and can prepare detailed planning applications.

As with all proposals, the route to take in order to secure planning permission will depend on the nature of the development. Much of the allowances under the General Permitted Development Order are prevented if your property falls within a Conservation Area, meaning formal planning permission is more likely to be required.

Situ8 have a wealth of experience in securing planning permission for development within Conservation Areas. For more advice on matters concerning development in Conservation Areas, contact our team at Situ8 to arrange a free consultation.

You can appeal to the Secretary of State for the Environment within six months of the refusal. An appeal can be made through one of three different formats; selecting the appropriate procedure is crucial to ensuring the best possible opportunity of success. Approximately 1 in every 3 appeals is successful.
Situ8 can advise on the prospects of an application achieving permission on appeal and can provide a comprehensive appeals service.

It is essential that all work stops with immediate effect when a Stop Notice is served. However, Situ8 can assist in assessing whether or not there is a case for the client to claim compensation if it can be deemed that the Stop Notice was issued on flawed grounds.

Situ8 will research the planning history of the site for free to determine whether or not there is a valid case. Contact us today if you require our help.

Planning enforcement investigates alleged breaches of planning control, such as development without permission, breaches of conditions or any actions which may cause harm to safety or amenity. If you are contacted about an alleged breach of planning control you are entitled to know what the allegation is (but not who made the complaint) and you will be given an opportunity by the Local Authority to give your side of the case. There are certain time frames within which the Local Authority must take enforcement action.

If you feel the enforcement action is unfounded, you can appeal it. This useful guide published by the Planning Inspectorate gives a summary of the procedure. Contact our team on 01726 832132 for further advice about planning enforcement or to arrange a free-of-charge consultation.

Call us immediately and we will talk you through the steps you need to take. Firstly we will offer a free consultation concerning the alleged breach and whether the alleged breach is founded and will then offer a suggested way forward to rectify the situation. Please make contact prior to filling out the form.

There are currently two kinds of planning policy: national and local. National Policy sets out the overarching aims of government and is principally set out in the form of a number of different themed documents, known as Planning Policy Statements. These Planning Policy Statements can be found here.

Local Policy interprets the principles set out in National Policy with respect to local circumstances. You can find details of your Local Planning Authority - and access the relevant planning policy documents - using this search engine

The Cornwall Structure Plan is currently the key spatial planning document for the county, and covers the period to 2016. Demonstrating adherence to The Structure Plan will be of critical importance to any planning application. In the coming years, The Structure Plan is to be phased out and replaced by the Local Development Framework.
There are various local plan documents which relate to the different districts in Cornwall that still have valid policies up until the adoption of the Core Strategy (scheduled for 2013). These are the North Cornwall District Plan, the Caradon Local Plan, the Restormel Local Plan, the Carrick Local Plan , and the Penwith Local Plan.

An ecology appraisal will inform you at an early stage of any ecological issues on your site that could have a significant effect on your proposal. As part of our ecological appraisal service, Situ8 will explore possible alternatives to satisfying any highlighted concerns without the need for further ecological surveys or statements. Contact us for further information.

There is scope to generate your own electricity within the grounds of your property under the recent amendment to the General Permitted Development Order on the installation of domestic microgeneration equipment. Solar panels fall under permitted development (and therefore do not require planning permission) provided they meet certain restrictions. Micro and small wind turbines, however, are still subject to the planning process. This document sets out in detail the planning restrictions on the installation of micro-generating equipment.

A Code for Sustainable Homes Assessment is a nationally-recognised comprehensive measure of the sustainability of a new home. The purpose of a Code for Sustainable Homes Assessment is to ensure reduced carbon emissions in the construction of new homes through the promotion of high standards of sustainable design. Here is a guide to the Code for Sustainable homes

Situ8 are committed to promoting and facilitating high quality sustainable development. Our qualified assessor can provide Code for Sustainable Homes Assessments as well as Sustainability Statements to support planning applications. To find out more or to make a general enquiry, contact us today.

A Sustainability Statement is used to support a planning application. It details the sustainable credentials of the proposed development in a range of different respects, and can significantly help a proposal to achieve the granting of planning approval.

As part of our services, Situ8 can prepare detailed Sustainability Statements.