Associated reports for PP and expected costs

[flanagaj]

We were hoping to use the same consultants who did the reports for the original PP, but I have tried contacting them, and they are not responding.  Does anyone have any advice oh how much I can expect to pay for these reports, eg, Tree Report, Bio Diversity ...

Thanks

[Russell griffiths]

I didn’t think you had any trees, I thought you just removed them. 

[flanagaj]

17 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

I didn’t think you had any trees, I thought you just removed them. 

We still have one Cherry tree.

[Russell griffiths]

3 hours ago, flanagaj said:

We still have one Cherry tree.

You won’t need a report, you just draw it on your plans and state the species and say it’s being retained. 
then do a landscaping plan showing all new planting and hard landscaping. 

Edited Saturday at 11:17 by Russell griffiths

[saveasteading]

Let the planners ask for any additional information.

But do show cherry tree ( wild, for fruit, ornamental) and the height.

Simply say 'grass area to be retained, or whatever.

They should not need any more.

If you have or plan any wildlife areas then say so.

[flanagaj]

Thanks all.  It's the Architect who is stating that we need to have these reports submitted with the application.  Seems a perverse waste of money to get revised reports for a what is simple a different design to that of the original planning application, especially considering nothing is changing in that regard.  So can I just push back and tell them to submit the application?

Edited Saturday at 12:22 by flanagaj

[joe90]

10 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

So can I just push back and tell them to submit the application?

Yes

10 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Seems a perverse waste of money

Yes

i was told I needed an aborist report about an old hedge near my  build by the planners but I contacted the councils own arborist and told him about the hedge and that I proposed an exclusion zone to machinery with sheep fencing and posts and he agreed it was sufficient, the planners didn’t like it but after I told them their own aborist agreed it they could not argue.

 

money for old rope springs to mind 

[saveasteading]

47 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

can I just push back and tell them to submit the application?

yes. Politely. ask him if he has shown the tree and description on the plan. you can explain that you don't see any need for other consultants on such a simple matter, unless he is reducing his fee accordingly.

 

Some Architects do seem to suggest outside reports  a lot. This may be because they don't know a lot, or simply for their ease and convenience.

 

I inherited one project with about 10 reports submitted along with the design. All expensive and had already taken many £1,000  out of the construction budget.

If I had done it from scratch then I might have had input on bats but the rest I could have done myself.

It is reasonable that they don't dabble in things they don't have expertise in, but there is a limit.

 

In most cases the planners are content with the design submission  and don't need any more. They will ask if they want more, but it may be that you can do it yourself...or ask on BH.

 

 

 

[flanagaj]

I think I'll drop the planning department an email explaining that we are submitting a revised application and can the biodiversity report/tree reports be referenced from the original application.  As the site is now fully cleared, there are no buildings, so not bat survey should be required and the trees are all gone, except one at the far end of the garden, which will not be affected by construction.

[saveasteading]

29 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

there are no buildings, so not bat survey should be required and the trees are all gone,

that's a good idea to tell them.   It might avoid the planners asking consultants if they should be involved: they invariably say they should as it is an earner.

 

I think it is worth remembering that the planning officers are individuals with a busy job, often up against robust developers. If you provide them with an easy to read overview, then it helps them. You can , if you want, give  a little tick list of why it is simple. 

There is only one  little tree, no outbuildings, no archaeology or whatever.    a couple of photos perhaps.

[mjc55]

6 hours ago, flanagaj said:

I think I'll drop the planning department an email explaining that we are submitting a revised application and can the biodiversity report/tree reports be referenced from the original application.  As the site is now fully cleared, there are no buildings, so not bat survey should be required and the trees are all gone, except one at the far end of the garden, which will not be affected by construction.

I.m not 100% sure that the lack of buildings means that a bat survey should not be required!

 

On our site, where there never have been any buildings, a biodiversity report (including the possibility of bat roosts in trees and flight paths) was required.

[DevilDamo]

11 hours ago, flanagaj said:

can the biodiversity report/tree reports be referenced from the original application.

No as the previous application has been finalised/closed. If anything, you would just re-submit those previous reports with the new application. But even then, I don’t know how that would work as the proposals and the description of the works are different.

 

You need to refer to the LPA’s validation list to see what is the trigger point for needing such reports.

[kandgmitchell]

On 24/11/2024 at 04:58, DevilDamo said:

You need to refer to the LPA’s validation list to see what is the trigger point for needing such reports.

Ditto, most requests for various repirts are driven by the Council's validation lists for applications. That becomes a tick box exercise in most cases with admin officers not registering the application without the appropriate specialist reports being supplied. You can try arguing these aren't needed again but usually their resistance just wears you down. By all means try but don't be surprised if "the computer says no".

[Daniel H]

If you want a 😬story, you're welcome to our list. Some background: we're in a Conservation Area in a National Park with a Listed Building nearby. Planning on the hardest setting. There's a derelict building on site which we'd like to remove and put up a two-storey detached building. There is a lovely old house ("non-listed heritage asset") immediately to the north (so we have an impact on their light). Ready?

Planning Consultant £3000 - the National Park has a LOT of policies and they love rejecting applications as far as we can see and we will automatically be referred to the Planning Committee and probably go to appeal so we thought it best to invest early - if going to appeal, inspectors can only go on what was submitted in the planning application, so we wanted to ensure we were properly ready for that.
Heritage Consultant £3500 - the number one reason we'll get refused is on heritage grounds, so we are opting for a very tight argument here and I see this as money well spent.
Ecologist £1575 - I think we were scheduling this at the busiest time of year so paid more than perhaps we would have if we had planned it in earlier. Who required a...
Bat survey £1300 - as above, but we did shop around for this.
Daylighting Assessment £1700 - we assume the neighbours will object on daylight grounds so we have opted to do all the calculations up front (we got a 50% discount on this).
Ground Investigation £3175 - we're on a hill and we know there will be questions around party walls etc. Hope to make this back in appropriately-engineered foundations!

So yeah, it's been eye watering to get this far. Don't forget to add VAT! It's a labour of love and while we might not get PP, we're doing everything we can to tip the scales in our favour. I know there will be plenty of folks here who are in an easier planning context and for that reason probably can do a lot themselves, but we're not in that fortunate position and so some professional help was needed. Hoping to apply for PP this side of Christmas. Will report back.

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, kandgmitchell said:

the appropriate specialist reports being supplied. 

If you can present the case yourself then try it.

Eg archaeology...I have pointed out that the design cannot affect anything that is there, with drawings etc.  The planner asked the archaeologist who reluctantly accepted.

Ditto newts. Designed on the assumption that newts are present...no need to do a survey

Trees ditto.....

It doesn't work with every subject or project but you can try.

Most projects do not need these types of reports.

[flanagaj]

So the biodiversity report quote has come in and it’s £2000.  Seriously considering scrapping the revised planning application and simply seeing what revisions could be done to the original application.

 

I’m ranting now, but it’s an utter xxxxx joke that the LPA can request these reports when you’ve already provided them for an approved application, and nothing has changed.

 

Unless, the bats have introduced a new flight schedule in the area.  Sigh.

[Russell griffiths]

Don’t be a plonker. 
you will end up with something you don’t want. 
take the purchase price, add on £12000 and pretend it has planning for exactly what you want. 
 

happy now or still pissed off. 
the system is shit, but so are most things in England. 
 

all my reports and fighting cost  me £14600 I know the figure to the penny. 
felt like giving up a few times. 
if it was easy all the gutless dreamers would be doing it. 

[saveasteading]

4 hours ago, flanagaj said:

that the LPA can request these reports when you’ve already provided them for an approved application, and nothing has changed.

You can speak to your local councillor. They get direct access to officers.

 

Can you demostrste that nothing has changed?

[Daniel H]

13 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Unless, the bats have introduced a new flight schedule in the area.  Sigh.

 

If you already have a report they usually say they last 2 years so you might not need a new one. And if you don't get the right reports or it looks like you're not playing the game, the LPA Conservation Officer will start digging more, I suspect. But do shop around. Also this is a bad time of year for this kind of report as things start to hibernate so you might need to hold off til May, or ask for it to be a planning condition that you get a report in the season. There are costs and you will need to pay them, I'm afraid - key question is how much.