Should I use a local architect to get planning permission?

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

We have a derelict cottage we would like to sell with planning permission for a house, so we need to hire an architect to do plans to get planning permission.

DH's best friend is a good (established practice and wins prizes) architect and has offered to do it for us much more cheaply than the local ones have quoted, but he lives at the other end of the country so though he has been to visit and knows the site, he doesn't have any contacts among the local planners.

Can anyone advise me as to how important it is to use a local architect who knows the local planners and what kind of things they are likely to approve? Or is it all much of a muchness no matter what area you're in, with all relevant information available in local policies etc?

It's a slightly sensitive site as it's next to our house, which is listed, though it's not a conservation area.

Go with your friend, but only if your local planners don't have a reputation of only approving the architects they know. Your council website should have information of current and recently completed applications you can look at. See if the architects submitting are all local or not.

Thanks very much, Whathefox. That's very helpful. I would never have thought of checking to see who is submitting!

Yep go with your friend. I have done little work in my local area but have won planning permission all over the country, mostly in difficult areas (I seem to attract clients who like to complicate things). My current projects are all over the country.
Local knowledge has some value but knowing your architect is good is just as valuable.

I wouldn't use a friend for something as big and important as this, especially if he's doing it at mates rates.

What if planning gets rejected or you don't like his work or he is slow because his proper paid work takes priority? You could spoil a good friendship over it. Is the price difference worth the risk?

These are very important points RunRabbit, I agree.

Luckily time isn't too much of the essence for us so if it takes a long time it will be ok. We've given it some thought and I think we have enough history that we'd be able to talk issues through so I don't think there's much risk of it destroying the friendship if it went wrong. Though I agree, there is much that can go wrong and the friendship would need to be able to cope.

For something like this I don't think it's as much of a problem. If you were building a house for yourself then I absolutely wouldn't use a friend. I wouldn't say it's a problem using an architect out of the area.

That was our thinking too Whatsthat. All the plan has to do is get through planning permission. It's not such a big risk as getting him to do plans that we then have to build from and live with, as well as being a smaller job so less money at stake.

It will be a pain for whoever buys it as they may want to use the architect who designed the house, or make changes to the plans. A local well respected firm may be more attractive to purchasers..

You don't need a local architect, it makes no odds to the planner who submits it. You only need to use a local architect if you're going to need a lot of meetings or site visits.

Just make sure that your friend is familiar with the policies of the Council to which the application will be submitted. That is far more important. Working as a local authority planner I used to get very bored of the same schemes coming in from the 'usual suspects'. Someone new was always interesting. Ultimately though it made no difference to the final decision which was made on planning grounds - obviously!!