Building a new House in the countryside - Pre-Application Advice

The situation

A couple approached us wanting to purchase a plot of land next to their existing home and build a new dwelling. The site sat within the countryside, and critically within the Green Belt, bringing a range of planning constraints that would need careful navigation before any application stood a realistic chance of success.

What we did

We started with site visits to properly understand the plot, its context, and how it related to the surrounding countryside and the couple's existing home. From there, we talked them through the relevant planning policies, including the particular sensitivities around Green Belt development, and identified the areas most likely to raise concern with the local authority.

Rather than pushing straight to a full application, we advised a pre-application approach: identifying any potential harm early and working through how it could be addressed or mitigated before significant time and cost were committed. We drafted a detailed pre-application planning statement, setting out the proposal and the case for it, and submitted this to the council on their behalf.

The outcome

The pre-application response from the local authority officer gave the couple clear, specific feedback on the council's concerns; feedback we were then able to work through and address directly, rather than the couple discovering issues for the first time at full application stage. This meant the subsequent full planning application was drafted and submitted with a much stronger understanding of what the council needed to see, giving the couple the best possible footing to bring their plans to life.

Book an initial consultation with the team to see how we can help you with your planning application!