Spyne

My neighbours house is exactly the same, his was built as a tandem plot development, but some 20 years ago. In my preplanning application the response did mention that previous local use of this type did not guarantee the policy would favour it now. This is the same neigghbour who keeps wanting to rip out our mature damsen/blackthorn/hawthorn hedges, the same ones that the planning response did mention are to be considered as important to keep (which I agree with!). To everybody that messaged on this topic, thanks for your advice, I take it all on board.

Thanks for your replies, and some insightful sanity. I have almost mastered Sketch Up but not to an technical drawing specs, but at least can scale sketches and ideas. So as a comment mentioned I could look for an architectural technologist to do some initial plans. Just got to convince the planners to let me do it and get it past the neighbours.......

Preplanning, Outline , Planning in principle (which must be new?) and full planning. I guess the added complications do help nudge prospective self builders towards using a professional planning advisor. I like your idea of sourcing plans which which already exist, rather than starting from scratch. Our main complication would be whther they accept the 4m access down the side of our house, which would involve changing a living room window so that it offered more privacy, not that a single home owner would cause too much rise in traffic!

Starting from scratch, new build. Advice please from a forum newbie, I haverebuilt houses previously but have always handed over planning to a professional, now wondered if I could do a new build planning application myself, minus the technical plan drawing. It’s a tandem build, for a SIPS new build in 30m x 17m of our back garden and the neighbour has offered a 300sqm part of their garden if I want to buy it (I had thought about 2 houses, but planning for one seems difficult enough!). Our drive is 4m wide, just. No dwelling within 5m on closest neighbour’s side, just their garage. We want to build a modest 2 bed bungalow with floor area of appx 100sqm. Did a preapp myself and although they did not say outright ‘no’ they did raise plenty of issues, including highways (its not a busy road and there would be no rise in vehicle use as our kids have left home so we are 4 cars down to 1) , overlooking (it will be a bungalow not nearer than 8m to nearest house and 20m from all others) and the conforming with surrounding buildings, which I agree with them on, and will change). Am I wasting my time and money, courting failure if I try to do the planning application myself or should I just get a pro involved right now? If I tried to do the planning application myself is an Outline Application the way to go now, or just a full application. Any advice, warnings etc appreciated.