Planning Applications Streamlined

Design & Access statements will no longer be required for most self-build planning applications
Build It expert Mike Dade
by Mike Dade
6th June 2013

The necessity to submit Design and Access Statements with planning applications for most single new house projects is to be scrapped from 25th June 2013.

D&A statements will only be needed in conservation areas and World Heritage sites for new houses or extensions of over 100 square metres.

In addition, the validation of planning applications will be simplified. Lengthy lists of reports and other supporting materials imposed by some councils must now be ‘genuinely necessary’ and material to the application.

How enthusiastically local councils embrace the changes will remain to be seen. But this is a welcome move, reducing the cost and lead in time for many applications – including those for domestic self-builds, renovations and extensions – and generally slimming the process down.

One Comment

  1. Julian Owen says:

    Excellent news Mike. D&A statements have wasted a lot of time since they were imposed, adding unnecessary paperwork for many projects. How do you write a Design and Access Statement for a new front wall in a conservation area? I was made to do one, but at least it was mercifully short.

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