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Alida Calistru

Non-Material VS Minor Material Amendment Applications

It is sometimes necessary to amend development proposals after planning permission has been granted. There are two types of amendment applications you might need to submit: non-material and minor material. In my experience, you might not know which one to submit, which is why I’ve decided to write this blog.  

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Designing Your Home – Part 3.1: Planning and Building Control

  In my previous blogs I wrote about the creative process, the client-architect relationship and design stages. This next mini-series blog is a bit more technical and speaks about Planning Permission and Building Control. What is planning permission? Construction of new buildings and extensive changes to existing buildings usually requires consent from the local planning authority in the form of planning permission. This planning system is designed to control inappropriate development. When do I need planning permission? Anything that involves the erection…

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Designing Your Home – Part 2: The Design

Now that you’ve figured out a budget and started an idea book, you can contact a professional. They will be able to help you get the desired design in place and the approvals that come with it, saving you money and time. The first step is the consultation; here, the architect will visit the property and have a chat with you about your likes and dislikes and what your dream home should look like. They will check the walls and…

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Designing Your Home – Part 1: Introduction

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; we’re all similar to a bee hive: each individual minds their own business, but we all work together for everyone’s well being. In design, this means that everyone specialises in a specific area and it’s only natural to rely on their services and not assume that you can do it yourself. I’ve been asked on numerous occasions what services an architect or designer provides and what are the costs for these…

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Building Regulations – the bits homeowners need to know

The new Building Regulations dated 31st October 2012 are statutory requirement by which you need to comply with for your home extension or renovation project.  They impose certain functional and performance requirements and you should employ an Architect, Surveyor, and or Structural Engineer to provide drawings and structural calculations for submission or support of your building regulations application.

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