Permited Development or Planning Permission?

[Matlow]

We are hoping to have a 4 meter single rear extention built on our semi detached house. Our architect has completed all the drawings and submitted the application. Someone has mentioned to me that under a larger house extension request that falls under permitted development, we could have avoided the expense and delay of planning permission. Why would our architect not have mentioned this option? Is it an option?
Part of the initial fee of £2200 for services is £800 for "winning fee" if permission is granted. Should we have to pay that if planning permission was never needed in the first place?
I really don't want to fall out with our architect before we even get started. If anyone has any thoughts that would be great. Thanks.

You need to look at the planning portal on line to familiarise yourself with the rules around this in general and also work out if there are any local conditions.

So in theory I could build certain structures under permitted development and not need planning approval (only building approval) but I live in a conservation area meaning I do infact need to apply for both.

Yes your architect could have told you do this, but in my experience, and I'm sorry to say this to you but putting your blind belief in'experts' without knowing the rules yourself is disasterous. They do get it wrong and this can be very costly. There's tons of threads on mumsnet about this You asked him to do something, he has. Yes maybe you could have done this differently but that's up to you to know. The good news tho is that if you get your planning approved at least you know it's all good before you start work (and don't find it out afterwards that you've got to make alterations).

There are strict rules which take into account previous extensions, size, height, conservation area etc. You might still need pp. Could you call the council yourself and speak to your named officer.

I'm not trying to be harsh (sorry if I sound like I was) but I've seen so many people get screwed over by builders and architects often cos they were too trusting and 5 minutes of research on the planning portal and local authorities websites would have said much money and heartache.

I think you can raise with your architect but sounds like he proposed something to you, you agreed, he did it in good faith therefore you need to pay.

Thanks Lizs and Stopshouting. I appreciate I should have done my homework before hiring the architect. Its particularly galling as I told her that the reason we wern't using the same architect that we had on our last projects was that on our he had charged us a lot of money for drawings and hours needed to apply for planning and the planning department wrote to tell us it wasn't needed. It seems pretty disingenuous of her to go ahead and do the same thing.
She and is a friend of a friend was recommended by said friend so a bit awkward. We have had several informal meetings and we didnt think to question her proposal. I had no idea that the rules changed in 2013 regarding larger house extentions but I would have expected her to know that. Now I think I have been taken for a second time. grrrrrr.

Your architect should have definitely advised whether or not planning permission was needed and it does sound likely that your extension would fall under permitted development. Could it have been an application for a lawful development certificate rather than a full planning application? It may be best to call into the council to check facts before you accuse them of ripping you off (although that does sound like a possibility).

It's definitely full planning. I had planning officer around today to take photos and have had letter saying application has been validated. All neighbours informed too. It was actually a neighbour who questioned why we had applied for full pp. Oh well I guess we will probably have to just suck it up and pay. I don't mind so much paying for the drawings or even the time taken for preparing the application it's just the permission winners fee of £800 and the cost of the unnessarry application that stings a bit.

Of course it may turn out that there is a good explaination. I really hope so as I had intended that the architect would prepare a tender document for us and oversee the procurement and subsequent build.

We are in Somerset: guideline here is under 3 metres and a single storey its PD, over 3 meters its PP. Even if its PD, architects often get comfort letters from council concurring its PD. Just call the council and ask them. Planning depts are very adept at these questions.

A lot of houses have part, or all of their Permitted Development rights removed when the original consent for the house was given. Meaning that you have to apply for things that other people perhaps don't. If this is the only reason you have had to apply, then you wouldn't have to pay the councils planning fee - or at least that used to be the case

There are some grey areas too. We submitted for permitted development to start off with only to find out we needed to apply for planning due to the way certain things were interpreted... You could speak to planning but I wouldn't assume straight away that the architect is trying to fleece you.

It's perfectly possible there is a reason why the 6m permitted development right don't apply either in your area generally or to your house specifically. However, yes, this is first principles stuff that your architect ought to know either way. So I would just ask her.