Planning Process

2020 Writeoff

I have recently submitted a planning application for an extension to the house. Can anyone tell me what the process is after the application is registered and validated? There doesn't seem to be much info available for after that stage on the council's website.

For example does an officer come out to inspect the site? If so what sort of inspection is it? Many thanks to anyone that can help.

looksee

Yes, the site will be inspected. My experience is that they just come when they are in the area, there doesn't seem to be much communication required to do it. Once they have looked at it that's it unless they require Further Information. Otherwise you just wait for the decision, or not. Then you have to wait another month for it to be approved and see if there are any objections.

muffler

2020 Writeoff wrote: »

I have recently submitted a planning application for an extension to the house. Can anyone tell me what the process is after the application is registered and validated? There doesn't seem to be much info available for after that stage on the council's website.

For example does an officer come out to inspect the site? If so what sort of inspection is it? Many thanks to anyone that can help.

Click the "A guide to Planning Permission" from here which will download a Word Doc with lots of info in it.

2020 Writeoff

looksee wrote: »

Yes, the site will be inspected. My experience is that they just come when they are in the area, there doesn't seem to be much communication required to do it. Once they have looked at it that's it unless they require Further Information. Otherwise you just wait for the decision, or not. Then you have to wait another month for it to be approved and see if there are any objections.

Thanks a lot for the info, any idea what is involved in the visit? As in do they measure, look for problems with the plan etc or is it more to just get a real world feeling for the plot?

muffler

2020 Writeoff wrote: »

Thanks a lot for the info, any idea what is involved in the visit? As in do they measure, look for problems with the plan etc or is it more to just get a real world feeling for the plot?

I can only relate the process here in Donegal but there wouldnt be any major variance in other parts of the country. During the 5th week of the application process the planner will visit the site. They will check / photo the site notice and if its not in compliance with the regs the application can be invalidated at that stage. They will visually compare the submitted plans and maps with the actual building and site which will also be photographed. At that stage they should have reports on the file from the likes of the roads, environment and water services departments etc so its pretty much an "on-site" familiarisation of the proposals.

For house extensions I have never heard of any planner entering the actual house and its only on rare occasions that they will enter onto the actual site.

looksee

Yes the accuracy of the site notice got our last application invalidated - there was a slight discrepancy between what the architect put on the application but very slightly abbreviated on the site notice. It seemed a bit nit picking, it didn't change the address or make it ambiguous.

2020 Writeoff

looksee wrote: »

Yes the accuracy of the site notice got our last application invalidated - there was a slight discrepancy between what the architect put on the application but very slightly abbreviated on the site notice. It seemed a bit nit picking, it didn't change the address or make it ambiguous.

Wow that sounds crazy, you would think that if it conveys the exact same message it would make absolutely no difference. I better compare the one I have up to the submitted version as I had to replace the origin due to water damage. Thanks for the heads up!

2020 Writeoff

muffler wrote: »

I can only relate the process here in Donegal but there wouldnt be any major variance in other parts of the country. During the 5th week of the application process the planner will visit the site. They will check / photo the site notice and if its not in compliance with the regs the application can be invalidated at that stage. They will visually compare the submitted plans and maps with the actual building and site which will also be photographed. At that stage they should have reports on the file from the likes of the roads, environment and water services departments etc so its pretty much an "on-site" familiarisation of the proposals.

For house extensions I have never heard of any planner entering the actual house and its only on rare occasions that they will enter onto the actual site.

I had a feeling they wouldn't be organising detailed site inspections for each and every basic 25sq m extension! I've never heard of a visit like that for any similarly scaled projects before either. Makes sense that they just check the site notice and prepare a site notice report. Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Gumbo

looksee wrote: »

Yes the accuracy of the site notice got our last application invalidated - there was a slight discrepancy between what the architect put on the application but very slightly abbreviated on the site notice. It seemed a bit nit picking, it didn't change the address or make it ambiguous.

2020 Writeoff wrote: »

Wow that sounds crazy, you would think that if it conveys the exact same message it would make absolutely no difference. I better compare the one I have up to the submitted version as I had to replace the origin due to water damage. Thanks for the heads up!

No, it has to match word for word. It’s part of the process.

Gumbo

2020 Writeoff wrote: »

I have recently submitted a planning application for an extension to the house. Can anyone tell me what the process is after the application is registered and validated? There doesn't seem to be much info available for after that stage on the council's website.

For example does an officer come out to inspect the site? If so what sort of inspection is it? Many thanks to anyone that can help.

Did your agent not explain the process?

Generally we get a phone call prior to the site inspection, especially now with C19.

Site notice inspected. Site inspected and photographed and compared to plans submitted.

2020 Writeoff

Gumbo wrote: »

Did your agent not explain the process?

Generally we get a phone call prior to the site inspection, especially now with C19.

Site notice inspected. Site inspected and photographed and compared to plans submitted.

I haven't got an agent, did the plans myself, straight forward enough for what we wanted to do really, took a bit of a steep learning curve but got there in the end, I was just confused as to whether or not they actually visited the house or not to physically see the site or if it was done purely on papers and didn't want to be pissing off the planning department a few days before Christmas, ye know yourself.