Not all development work will require planning permission; Some small buildings or extensions can be exempt or have deemed consent under "Permitted Development" rights. These rights vary according to the use of the building or land; they are further modified if the building is Listed or located in a Conservation Area, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or National Park. We can of course assist you and offer advice to determine if planning permission is required. Where planning permission is required there are a number of possible options available. Outline, pre-application, permitted development, full and listed building consent. There is often more than one way that you could proceed. Within our initial discussions with you we will evaluate the project, and advise on what we consider to be the most appropriate route to achieve your end goal. We will prepare the planning application and the required supporting documentation and run the application on your behalf providing clear communication throughout the process.

We undertake design work for all project types including;

• Feasibility and sketch schemes
• Extensions
• New build
• Listed buildings
• Residential
• Agricultural
• Bespoke building design
• Refurbishment
• Conversion
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Equine

Working together we will develop an initial project brief to encapsulate your requirements. A visit to site and a discussion with you will often be the best way to determine the brief, with straightforward projects a discussion and desk top analysis may be all that is required. This brief will form the basis on which we proceed. If there are existing buildings we may need to carry out a measured survey to enable us to create an accurate set of existing drawings, these will then be used as the basis for the proposed. Sketch schemes of the proposals give an idea of what can be achieved at an early stage. We have the ability to work in 2D and 3D, sometimes early concept sketches in 3D help to communicate ideas between parties.

If there is an element that we cannot do in house we work with a network of specialist consultants to ensure that we can offer a complete design solution.

Following planning approval you may require Building regulation approval. The Building Regulations set down minimum standards and apply to most aspects of construction work, including structural stability, fire safety, sound insulation, drainage, ventilation and electrical safety. The regulations also require buildings to meet ever increasing standards of thermal efficiency and energy conservation. Planning drawings tend to be relatively basic in terms of their technical content. In order to show compliance with the Building Regulations the drawings need to be developed to provide detailed construction information.

We can assist by preparing the application and the detailed construction drawings required. A full set of plans, sections and elevations with typical details and construction specification notes will be prepared and submitted. We liaise with local authorities and approved inspectors to obtain conditional and full approval on your behalf.

If you are looking to proceed with building a project we can advise on the most appropriate form of procurement for your project. It may be Design and Build or traditional procurement. You may wish to obtain a number of quotations for the work to give an element of cost certainty. We are able to produce the information required and manage this process for you. This is often in the form of detailed construction drawings above and beyond those required for Building regulations approval, a written Bill of Quantities, schedule of works and/or a written specification.

Once the information is prepared we can invite a number of contractors to tender for the work and provide you with the results, offering advice and working closely with you throughout the process. Sometimes it is necessary to value engineer the project if the tender returns are higher than the budget allows. We can talk you through where savings may be possible and redesign elements if required.

We also offer contract administration and project management services. If it is a traditional design led contract we can act as the lead consultants and have the latest software to produce NBS specifications and JCT contracts on a project by project basis. We can manage the build on site, co-ordinating and liaising with the main contractors, consultants and clients as required.

As work on site progresses the programme along with site visits are used to monitor the contractor's progress. We establish a close working relationship with contractors, consultants and clients alike so that if issues and queries arise they are identified and dealt with swiftly to help mitigate any potential delays.

Part of the contract administrator's role is to deal with interim payments to contractors, monthly progress inspections are carried out to ascertain the accuracy of valuation claims and clients are updated accordingly. Nearing completion of the works defects are identified to the client and the contractor so that they can be rectified. As contract administrators we would also co-ordinate the final account with the contractors, rectification period, release of retentions, and the issue of the final certificate on our client's behalf.