Retrospective planning
Drawings and applications for work that has already been built without permission.
Put it right, with accurate drawings.
We survey what has been built, draw it accurately and prepare the application to regularise it.
Work sometimes gets built without permission, or not quite as approved. It often comes to light when a neighbour complains, the council writes to you, or you come to sell.
A retrospective application is assessed in the same way as any other. We give you an honest view of the chances before you apply, and prepare drawings that show exactly what is there.
What you get
- A measured survey of what has been built
- As-built plans and elevations
- Site location and block plans
- The application, prepared and submitted
- Advice on the realistic options
We aim to reply within one working day.
Situations we can help with.
Extensions built without permission
Drawings and an application for an extension that needed permission and did not have it.
Not built to the approved plans
Applications to vary or regularise work that differs from the approval.
Outbuildings and garden rooms
Buildings that turned out to be over the permitted development limits.
Changes of use
Applications where a building is being used differently from its permitted use.
Enforcement letters
Drawings and applications in response to contact from the council.
Selling a property
Paperwork to satisfy a buyer and their solicitor.
An honest view before you apply.
There is no point applying for something that will be refused. We look at what has been built against local policy and tell you where you stand.
- Accurate drawings of the work as built
- A realistic view of the likely outcome
- Options if changes are needed
- Building regulations regularisation where required
Three steps to finished drawings.
Talk it through
Tell us what has been built and what has prompted the application.
Survey and drawings
We measure the building and draw it as it stands.
Application
We prepare and submit the retrospective application.
Will I be fined for building without permission?
Building without permission is not usually an offence in itself, but ignoring an enforcement notice is. Applying retrospectively is the normal way to resolve it.
Is a retrospective application more likely to be refused?
It is judged on the same planning grounds as any other application. The fact that the work is built should not count for or against it.
What if it is refused?
You can appeal, or change the building so that it is acceptable. We advise on which is more realistic.
Does building control need to be involved?
If the work also lacked building regulations approval, you may need a regularisation certificate. We can help with the drawings.
You might also need.
Let's talk it through.
Tell us about the property and what you want to do. We’ll come back with a fixed quote and the best route to approval.