Obtaining planning permission for new homes has become more challenging in the last few years. It’s never been more important to work with a consultant who understands the constraints of your specific project and the local planning process.

The main reason gaining planning permission has become more complicated is the increase in legislation in many areas of property development.

New biodiversity laws, for example, ask a homeowner to understand their site’s ecology and demonstrate an uplift in biodiversity. Water neutrality has also become a top concern. For sites within a conservation area or area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), planners are more closely scrutinising the impact of development.

All this results in a minefield to navigate. Creating a comprehensive planning application can require working with three or four different consultants – ecologists, highways consultants, arboriculturalists to name a few.

It’s important to have reports from all necessary consultants prepared in advance of submitting a planning application. Increasingly, planners refuse applications that don’t have adequate supporting evidence. A resubmission then takes both time and money.

Even when planning permission is granted, the journey doesn’t stop there. Often, approval comes with an increasing list of conditions that must be discharged. Again, this may require the support of experts in that area.

The answer is to work with an architect who understands the planning system. TAS Architects has gathered a network of expert consultants who know how to produce the reports planners are seeking. We also understand the intricacies of designated areas, such as AONBs or conservation areas.

Recently our plans were approved to renovate and extend a stone barn in Yorkshire, in the heart of the Howardian Hills AONB. The process involved two pre-applications, as well as the backing from reports such as a protected species survey and a landscape visual impact assessment.

Our designs to create Long Barn in Hertfordshire had to consider the site’s location in the curtilage of a Grade II listed Lutyens building. We successfully gained planning permission and have created a highly sustainable new home.

The planning system is showing no signs of becoming less complicated, despite the need for new homes across the UK. To boost your chances of success as much as possible, the right preparation is essential.