Photo Lizzie Orme
The planning process drives me mad. It is inefficient, too complicated, too slow and has too much red tape. Development plans are set by the local council, there are very strict and definitive policies and design guidelines that determine what is acceptable for a new home or modifications to an existing home. You then spend lots of money on architectural fees and submissions and all it takes is for an individual planner or someone on the planning committee to say ‘I don’t like it’ and your planning application is refused. I’ve been there so many times over the years and I’ve then had to spend even more money going to appeal to win on something that should have been granted approval in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong, we absolutely need a very good and efficient planning system in order to quality control all architectural design work in the UK, but if an urban or rural development plan has been issued and approved by the local council and what you’re proposing meets all design guidelines in your local area then it should be instantly approved. The entire system needs to be reformed and simplified certainly for small works done to domestic houses.