Contact →

Tag: National Planning Policy Framework

  • HPH381: What is Passivhaus Premium? – with Phil Neve

    HPH381: What is Passivhaus Premium? – with Phil Neve

    Phil Neve explains what Passivhaus Premium is and why he chose to target the standard for his own self build in Somerset. He also talks through his biggest project challenge, which was obtaining planning permission to build in open countryside.

    Interview with Phil Neve

    Phil Neve started his working life as a scientist and oceanographer. He always had a deep interest in alternative energy, and so eventually retrained as an energy consultant and Passivhaus Designer. He then spent 15 years working exclusively on low energy and Passivhaus buildings. Now retired, he is five years into his own Passivhaus Premium project, which has finally got planning permission under Paragraph 84 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

    In the last podcast we talked about Passivhaus Plus with architect Heather Johnson. In this episode we’re looking at the Passivhaus Premium certification and how it differs from the other Passivhaus classifications. We’ll also explore some of the challenges that meant this project was on the drawing board for five years!

    Renewable energy generation on a Passivhaus Premium project will produce a surplus

    While Passivhaus Classic focuses just on the energy consumption of the building, Passivhaus Plus and Passivhaus Premium bring renewable energy generation into the certification process.

    In addition to all the criteria for a Passivhaus Classic, a Passivhaus Plus project must generate as much energy as it uses over the course of a year.

    Passivhaus Premium takes this even further, so that a surplus of energy is produced. Phil explains that this is calculated according to the floor area and the potential of the piece of land.

    Typically a Passivhaus Premium project might produce two to four times the energy it uses. Whereas a Passivhaus Plus project will import energy from the grid in the winter, a Passivhaus Premium will rarely import energy. So the goal of this is to export a significant amount of energy to the grid. This also starts to affect the operational carbon calculations for the building, because you are producing zero carbon or very low carbon energy on top of what you need.

    A Passivhaus Premium project will require permission to export to the grid

    If you’re looking to export above five kilowatts to the grid, which will be a certainty on a Passivhaus Premium project, you will need approval from the District Network Operator. Another must is that you have a three-phase electricity supply.

    Solar PV is often the most practical choice of renewable

    Although any renewable can be used for a Passivhaus Premium project, as with Passivhaus Plus, generation tends to be with solar PV because it can be integrated seamlessly with the building and is generally much more accepted technology than wind turbines, etc. However, if the site has a natural resource to harness, for example being next to a watercourse, then obviously other methods of generation may be preferable.

    Phil’s horticulture project

    Getting consent to build in open countryside can be expensive and time-consuming

    Phil’s self build journey began with a piece of land he owned for a horticultural project. He had absolutely no intention of building a house, but over time things changed. Unfortunately he knew that there was probably only one way to get planning permission to build on a site like this and that was to use the Paragraph 84 exception clause (previously referred to as Paragraph 80, Paragraph 55, etc.) of the National Planning Policy Framework. This allows exceptional one-off houses to be built, where quality is essential and the proposed dwelling significantly enhances the rural setting. However, it’s a lot of work, comes with numerous costs and is all at the self-builder’s risk until consent is granted.

    A satellite view of Phil’s site

    A Paragraph 84 permission often requires consultants

    Whilst Phil felt he had an advantage with his background in construction and environmentally sound building, he was fully aware that he would still require a lot of help. He tells us that he has ended up employing around 10 consultants, sometimes two per topic, covering; architecture, planning, landscape design, ecology, highways and highway safety, and lighting! On top of that there was a design review process using an independent design panel, which was long-winded, complex and expensive. Phil knew all this was coming but it still came in at twice the budget he’d expected.

    A Paragraph 84 consent requires deep pockets

    One of Phil’s initial aims was to prove that exceptional house design under Paragraph 84 needn’t just be for mansions. Exceptional projects can be small scale and not break the bank. He admits he may have been a little naive about this but still believes he can bring the project in at a reasonable cost as a “sweat equity” self-builder.

    Phil has an unshakable belief that we can create great buildings that are efficient, comfortable and healthy. We have the skills, knowledge and materials to do it, but we’re not doing it at volume. He feels that what most people are offered when buying a new house is rubbish and it needn’t be. So, he wanted to show that it could be done better and still be affordable.

    ‘Exceptional’ in this case is pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved

    Phil wanted great performance from the building and to maximise energy generation, and so he targeted Passivhaus Premium. It also had to look good, be beautiful to at least some people, and be very low carbon, pushing the carbon budget down as far as possible. Beyond the house he wanted to improve the biodiversity and ecology of the whole site.

    The size and design evolved over time

    When Phil started the design process he was living on his own and looking at a two-bedroom house around about 120-140 square metres. As he now has a partner, the design has evolved into a more standard 3-4 bedroom family house of around 230 square metres.

    In terms of Passivhaus design, he spent a lot time considering the form (or shape) of the building. The form factor can have a big impact on the ease of construction and the cost. A good form factor is two, with a poor form factor above four. Phil’s house comes in at 3. Early modelling of the building showed that it could achieve the Passivhaus standard, and that Passivhaus Premium was within reach with a PV array on the roof of the building. The overheating risk of the final design is zero.

    “These ideas evolved into the concept of a wedge-shaped house with a single pitch roof facing south.  A very simple design which works very well.”

    A Passivhaus doesn’t have to be a boring box

    Phil explains that to achieve an interesting shape for a Passivhaus there is some compromise on efficiency. However his design will create a fantastic south-facing roof for around 22 solar PV collectors, which will allow them to achieve the renewable generation targets. Internally there will be some sloping ceilings and slightly odd shapes, although Phil believes this adds to the aesthetic.

    Minimising the overheating risk has been a priority

    During the design process there is a balance to be achieved with solar gains. While these are beneficial to keep the house warm in the winter they need to be controlled to prevent overheating in the summer. For Phil’s project there are large windows on the ground floor of the south elevation, but these will be shaded from the summer sun with a 1-metre overhang. For the east facing bedroom windows, in addition to overhangs there will be some vertical shading. Phil also intends to grow plants up that side of the building to help shade those rooms. The building then becomes a place to grow things like hops and vines, producing food as well as providing shade.

    Finding a collaborative architect was important to Phil

    Phil chose friend and architect Mark Ellerby to work with him on the design as he wanted someone independent with good design ideas, who would also be receptive to his input. He says they’ve worked through challenges and ultimately produced a design that works and has satisfied the design review panel.

    The Design Review Panel want to understand how you’ve arrived at the designs

    When a panel of experts are reviewing your design it can feel subjective, because they decide if it is outstanding architecture and suitable for Paragraph 84 permission. So Phil explains that you have to show how you got to the final design – show your workings – and justify the decisions you’ve made.

    Improving the ecology of the site has been a huge focus

    How to improve the land for biodiversity has been a top consideration for Phil, so he asked his ecologist to show him everything he could do to increase biodiversity. He was also aware that they needed to convince people that they would actually put this into practice.

    There are rules and regulations to meet as well as the requirement for biodiversity net gain calculations, which seem to conflict with what is needed for the bat populations. He has had to show that the bats won’t be disturbed by light coming from the house through light spill surveys including a 3D model of the house. This has been agreed by the county ecologist and is now with English Nature for their approval.

    “To anybody embarking on a Paragraph 84 house, you have to look at everything in detail early, predict the problems and be ready to go out and spend the money to get the answers.”

    For a Passivhaus Premium you must be able to export to the grid

    Phil had originally thought about building off-grid, but to be certifiable as Passivhaus Premium you need to be able to export energy to the grid, otherwise you are potentially wasting the excess energy you produce. He now thinks you should only be off-grid for energy and water if you absolutely have to be. All the energy you export is contributing to a low carbon energy supply, and you can access energy yourself if needed.

    Even before construction begins, Phil got a three-phase supply installed at a cost of £2000, and he will then have to run another 100 metres of cabling to the house.

    PHPP calculates the primary energy target for the renewables

    In addition to all the modelling that takes place in the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) for a Passivhaus Classic project, for Passivhaus Premium there is an extra PHPP calculation for primary energy, which helps work out the renewable energy target. It calculates it in two different ways, so there’s some flexibility as to how much you need for different buildings. Phil’s target is 22 kilowatts. Just to illustrate how significant this is, the average maximum installation in the UK (without planning permission) would be about four kilowatts!

    So there will be 100 square metres of solar PV, which will also be the roof covering. Phil will be using a small ground source heat pump in addition to the PV to provide all the heat and hot water they need. He may add batteries eventually, which with the right switching gear would provide a buffer against power loss from the grid.

    A tried-and-tested build system will make life easy

    Phil is very familiar with the PH15 system, having been part of the Passivhaus Homes team for over a decade.

    Rather than reinventing the wheel with every new design, PH15 makes it easy to achieve Passivhaus performance. It is essentially as simple as you can make a timber structure. Structural I-beams provide the physical strength and form to the building, with a layer on the outside, which is insulation and a layer on the inside which is closing the cavity. This is the racking board, the airtightness and vapour permeability layer. This creates a box, which can then be filled with processed wood insulation. 85% of the structure is insulation, it’s structurally sound, made of natural materials and is airtight.

    During the first couple of weeks of a build, all you’re doing is screwing things together. Phil describes it to clients as an Ikea flat pack house; it just comes on a truck instead of in a box! For Phil the other good thing about the PH15 system is that the internal floors are essentially hung on the inside from ledger beams. The roof is the same structure as the walls, essentially a portal frame structure, with the airtightness layer continuous on the inside of the building.

    Reducing the embodied carbon of the building was part of the design process

    Phil explains that for a typical dwelling there may be 40-50 tonnes of carbon within the concrete used in the groundworks and foundations, with another seven tonnes in the superstructure of a masonry house. Phil was keen to eliminate the use of concrete on his project.

    One option was to use ground anchors, which are like metal screws that hold the building to the ground. The building then sits on holding plates, raised above ground with a ventilated cavity. This creates a suspended timber floor instead of a concrete slab. The approach is proving expensive and complex in terms of buildability.

    A lot of people are now using a modification of a standard strip foundation, where you dig a trench, fill it with some concrete then build cavity blockwork, to allow you to pour a slab over insulation. Phil is looking at a compromise between the two, either by using low carbon cement or other materials instead of cement. Chem-free blocks and low carbon pozzolanic materials would reduce the carbon content of the concrete.

    Another option combines limecrete with foam glass insulation instead of plastics. One challenge is that with these products the costs go up and the performance comes down a bit.

    Building on a slope can mean a lot of excavation

    Phil is building on a slight slope and made the decision early on to excavate soil to create a flat site for the house. This was to drop the house into the landscape for shelter as well as the visual aesthetics. Phil says he might make a different decision if he was looking at it today as it means moving a lot of earth around, although the soil will be used on site as part of the landscaping work and to help retain water on site.

    The land sits between a wooded ridge above to the north and lower lying agricultural lands below to the south. The soil is fairly free draining and he’s aiming to reconfigure the landscape with a series of swales and two ponds to gather water before it penetrates down the site.

    Prices have shot up across the board since Covid

    Phil started the project with a working budget for the building of between £1800 – £2,000 per square metre, but prices have gone up massively since COVID. He’s now looking at over £2,500 per square metre and needs to keep it below the £3,000 mark. He is also planning to do some of the work himself to reduce the costs. Phil will be project managing the build with a small team, commissioning items from local people where possible, and avoiding bigger contractors who sub-contract things out and are therefore more expensive. He admits it’s still an unknown, until he’s got detailed costings and is actually building. He’s keeping the landscaping as a separate budget and one or two of the higher cost items, such as the 100 metre electric mains supply, that other people might not encounter. He aims to have transparent costings that can help inform others.

    A slightly longer build programme aims to take the pressure off

    Phil is setting the build programme to around 18 months, rather than a year, so that there is not too much pressure on everyone. He’s in good health, has always been active, and thinks if you have the right project that’s moving forward the time will fly by. He’s also aware that building projects often go through a hiatus somewhere in the middle, when you wonder why the hell you started and whether you’ll ever get to the end. He’s seen that in other projects, so is prepared for it and knows you just have to get on with it.

    Planning has been the biggest challenge

    Phil has a lot of sympathy for planning departments and can see that they are massively under-resourced but the result is that the system doesn’t work, especially for individuals. The big developers can throw money at it, take everything to appeal and essentially sidestep the planning process on the basis of housing supply need.

    “I’ve always said to my clients, if you’ve got planning and land, you’ve got 60% of the job done.”

    Everything Phil has done so far to get planning approval has been at his own risk. He gives an example, of having to pay an archaeologist to produce a strategy for the build and to be on site whilst holes were being dug. That money would be wasted if he didn’t get planning permission. With approval comes 22 planning conditions, four of which need to be discharged before construction can even begin. If for any reason he couldn’t go ahead with the build after approval, at least he would have a site with planning permission, which would be worth considerably more than before.

    It is all about risk prior to planning approval, so he’s had to be very patient and have deepish pockets to pay for it all!  

    Find out more

    Passivhaus Homes

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of this episode.

    Exemplar Sustainable Buildings Awards

    The winners of the Exemplar Sustainable Buildings Awards have been announced.

    This was a one-off event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Foundation. It brought together two alliance partners, the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products and the Passivhaus Trust so all of the entrants had to prove performance and demonstrate careful choice of materials and products.

    There were some wonderful projects, and it’s definitely worth taking the time to dig into the details and watch the videos.

    Please connect with us

    Subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts

    Follow Ben Adam-Smith on LinkedIn

    Follow Ben Adam-Smith on Bluesky

  • HPH306 : Building an exceptional house beyond the walled garden – with Nigel Dutt

    HPH306 : Building an exceptional house beyond the walled garden – with Nigel Dutt

    Nigel Dutt tells the self build story behind Devon Passivhaus, a Paragraph 55 build.

    Interview with Nigel Dutt

    Nigel and Eileen Dutt worked in computer software all their lives but maintained a lifelong love of architecture. Upon retiring they moved to Devon and it was always at the back of their minds that one day they would like to build their own home.

    About 10 years later it was a piece of land a stone’s throw from their house that got them wondering whether it was a potential plot. It had been overgrown with tall leylandii and used as a dumping ground but as it was cleared the site looked more and more promising. The one challenge, however, was going to be getting planning consent.

    Buying land without planning permission was risky

    At the time, Nigel and Eileen perhaps didn’t realise the uphill struggle they were about to face. They knew there had been two failed planning applications but undeterred they bought the site anyway. When they submitted a pre-application to test the waters, the planners took a negative stance and suggested the Paragraph 55 route (then Paragraph 79 and now Paragraph 80) was the way to approach it.

    Building in open countryside is normally refused

    Development is generally confined to settlement boundaries that exist around villages, towns and cities. Building outside these is virtually impossible. However, there is an exception clause in the National Planning Policy Framework that makes allowances in special circumstances.

    Although Nigel’s site sits between two other plots and might appear to a laymen as an infill site, the whole parish had been declared as open countryside.

    Nigel explains the options under Paragraph 55 (as it was back then):

    [The house must be] outstanding architecturally or innovative, raising the standard of design in rural areas, that it reflects the highest standards in architecture, and that it significantly enhances its immediate setting.

    Pinterest was a useful tool in shortlisting an architect

    Nigel and Eileen have always read architecture websites and noted down particular architects they liked. Nigel comments that the ones they particularly homed in on ‘had almost matching Pinterest boards’ of interests to their own and so McLean Quinlan were hired.

    The architecture is a response to a historic wall

    Although the cleared site was now just a patch of grass, running 70 metres down the length of the plot was a 12-foot high brick wall which had once belonged to the country estate. Two hundred years before the walled garden had played an important role supplying fruit and vegetables to the main house.

    This was clearly the anchor point for the whole project and the architects were keen to use red brick for the front facade.

    Nigel says: “They didn’t want to do a slavish imitation, a pastiche of it. So it was new bricks that matched the old bricks, but the house is altogether neater and sharper looking than a rural, walled garden wall.”

    A design review panel considers each project

    It’s not the planners who decide whether a project fulfils the exception criteria but an independent design review panel.

    This means developing the designs when there is no guarantee that the project will ever get the green light.

    The design review panel quickly came to a conclusion

    After producing a 100-page design and access statement with their architects, they gave a 30-minute presentation to the panel. The good news is that their project was deemed to meet the criteria.

    The planners chose to reject the panel’s judgement

    Amazingly the planners are not obliged to accept the findings of the design review panel.

    In this case, the planners still felt that the project did not meet the exception criteria and to build anything would detract from the site… in other words they didn’t really want another house.

    As they were not forthcoming the next step was to submit a full planning application, although the planners gave advance warning that they would recommend refusal.

    The support of a local district councillor made all the difference

    It was not quite the end of the story because the local district councillor, who was also a member of the the Development Committee of the local council, requested that they go to committee because he disagreed with the planners too. He was positive about building an eco house and his opinion was that the local district should be proud to have a Paragraph 55 build on its doorstep.

    So Nigel got the opportunity to appear in front of the development committee and speak for three minutes. The main point he made was why go to a professional Design Review Panel, if you then pick and choose whether you like what they say.

    However, he suspects that one of the main reasons it was approved was because they had their direct neighbours supporting the scheme. They had lived next to this unsightly spot and could see an exemplar house would be a massive improvement.

    The committee chairman made the point that they’re very used to people making the three minute pitches against applications, but it’s very unusual to have third parties come in and support an application.

    The scheme now had the go-ahead.

    The biodiversity of the site would be dramatically improved

    Eileen took control of the planting around the house, which would include 120 trees, 300 metres of hedging and thousands of plants.

    And they later got an opportunity to buy part of the walled garden next door (and breathe new life into it).

    A key constraint became the height of the house

    With the historic wall being such a crucial part to getting a planning consent, they did not want to build above it and that led to it being a single storey building.

    Nigel laments the fact that in order to get the space they wanted they had to dig down.

    We’ve got a partial basement, which had never crossed our mind, but to get the square footage that we wanted and also to have somewhere to put the plant room and then with a flat roofed house, somewhere to use as a attic equivalent we went down. And it to some extent spoilt our embodied carbon credentials, because by definition, you’re then building a hole, sticking a concrete box in it, etc. So we knew that was a downside and also in cost, but we bit the bullet and did that.

    They valued the input of a Passivhaus consultant

    Although the architects, builder and supplier of the SIPs system were familiar with Passivhaus principles they hadn’t worked on a certified project before so they engaged Passivhaus consultants WARM for input.

    This helped identify key areas of the architects’ design that might prevent them from achieving Passivhaus standard (in terms of airtightness, thermal bridging, etc). What’s particularly interesting here is the architect’s concept is largely intact with a few large glazed areas still in the finished design.

    The shell of the house was up in two months

    The house was built with 4wall advanced SIPs panels which were manufactured in Devon by a company called Tribus.

    They were able to complete the entire infrastructure of the house, including floors, windows and roof within two months. This also delivered all the airtightness barriers with the exception of the membrane to seal the roof which had to be done by a specialist.

    The house is all electric

    Due to their location they have a private borehole and private sewage system. This also means that their only ‘bill’ is the electric bill.

    However, with solar PV and an air source heat pump they are 40% energy positive.

    They generate roughly 10.5MW per year but only use 7.5MW. Overall this means they receive about £1000 per year (which includes a grant for using an air source heat pump).

    This is a stark contrast to their old house (which was a similar size) where they were paying £4000 – £5000 for all bills. And of course there’s a carbon benefit.

    I calculated that it’s something like 12,000 kilograms of carbon a year for running the other house. And it’s about 300 in this house, and then that, again, is offset by the fact that we contribute to the grid from our solar power, which actually, according to our certifier gives us a negative footprint to the tune of 0.5 ton – 1 ton of carbon dioxide a year.

    Copyright Jim Stephenson

    Without an external blind the 20m2 rooflight wouldn’t be viable

    As you enter the house the tiled courtyard acts as an extension of the garden. Daylight is brought in from above by a four-by-five square metre rooflight.

    It’s unusual to see a Passivhaus with such a large rooflight, because the gains with this orientation of glass are typically 5 times greater than a window on the south-facing elevation. In practice this means if it’s a sunny day the blinds must be closed.

    If it’s a reasonably sunny day, we close it from the beginning of the day. And we find that isn’t a problem because it just means you get a slightly shady interior, which is actually quite relaxing.

    Trees will eventually shade the south west elevation

    The south west facade also posed an overheating risk. It comprises a wall of glass with no shading! However, Nigel and Eileen did have a plan up their sleeve to retrofit shading should it be a problem. It hasn’t actually been an issue, with temperatures rarely getting above 25 degrees. And the long term plan is to use the foliage from several silver birch trees that they’ve planted to provide summer shading.

    The only time we get measured overheating is when we’re away and we don’t have the option to open the doors and windows. And then we’ve seen 30 or 32 for a few days in the house. But it doesn’t matter to us because we’re not there. And we find even coming back with the house like that, we can get it back down within an hour or so to something like 24, 25.

    Spending time refining your plans saves money

    Having spent a lifetime in software Nigel is well aware that fixing anything in the design stage saves money.

    There’s a rule of thumb in software that if you fix something in the design stage, it costs x. If you find the problem in the implementation phase, it costs you 10x. And if you find the problem when you ship the product, it costs you 100x. So we knew that taking time over design to look ahead and solve these problems was worth doing.

    An airtightness champion is a good idea

    If you’re tackling a project like this Nigel recommends employing someone to oversee the quality of the work. Russ Hancock from Goulden & Sons, who was the on-site project manager, became a convert to Passivhaus. Not only did he do training with WARM but he was always on site to check the work being done and make sure that everyone on site understood the goals of the project and what could jeopardise its success.

    Copyright Jim Stephenson
    Copyright Jim Stephenson

    Passivhaus does not constrain design

    Devon Passivhaus has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the UK Passivhaus Awards, and Nigel believes this validates the design review opinion and shows that Passivhaus buildings can make great architecture.

    Find out more

    Visit Nigel’s website about The Walled Garden

    Visit the website of McLean Quinlan

    Visit the website of Goulden & Sons

    Find out more about the UK Passivhaus Awards

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of this episode.

    Ben reflects on what it’s like to live in a Passivhaus

    Homebuilding & Renovating invited Ben to write an article on what it’s really like to live in a Passivhaus.

    This is what he came up with: 5 things to know about living in a Passivhaus.

    Please connect with us

    Subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts

    Like our Facebook page

    Follow Ben Adam-Smith on Bluesky

  • HPH112 : Getting planning permission for a self build – with Phill Skill

    HPH112 : Getting planning permission for a self build – with Phill Skill

    Phill Skill, Lead Business Consultant at Stroud District Council (but Head of Planning for 10 years before that), shares an overview of what you need to know about the planning process if you’re intending to self build.

    Phill 1

    Interview with Phill Skill

    Phill’s background is in building surveying. After relocating to the Cotswolds he started work as a building inspector before moving into planning, and around 10 years ago becoming Head of Planning at Stroud District Council. During that time he also appeared in the TV series, “The Planners”.

    With the four nations of the UK having their own planning systems, we’re going to be focusing on England.

     

    Local plans must comply with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

    The NPPF was introduced by the coalition government to replace hundreds of thousands of sheets of policy documents with a more streamlined and basic document of around 50 pages; the intention being to make it easier for developers and communities to understand the rules. It sets out broad, basic rules such as development should be sustainable, and each local authority should have a 5-year land supply, while leaving the detail to the local authority in its local plan of how it needs to be achieved.

    The local plan decides what can happen in which fields at a local district council level. In the big metropolitan authorities (ie Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham etc.) it’s dealt with at city council level.

    The local plan is expected to take into account local characteristics and local needs, so if there’s a large number of people saying they want to self build then the local authority should allocate a percentage of build for self-builders. They can also put limits on some of the smaller scale development, such as infill plots, which often they like to keep reserved for local builders, thus keeping the money in the local economy.

     

    It can be worth asking your local authority about land opportunities

    Phill gives an example from his local authority, where their recently completed local plan states that developers are required to reserve a certain percentage as serviced plots for self builds.

    In reality, Phill suspects that what will happen is these will be snapped up by tradespeople / one-man builders. As these plots need to be purchased from the developer, Phill thinks these people might be more clued up on the process to access finance and act faster. Essentially these are single plots being designed and built individually, albeit not necessarily for the final owner.

    Phill explains that the local plans are there to be debated and with around 50% still to be formalised, he suggests getting involved with local councillors and planning authorities to encourage them to be more specific about how the rules will apply.

     

    There are two main aspects of planning

    Use of land

    What you intend to use land for is controlled in planning. By default, all land in this country is agricultural unless it has been granted another use. If for example you wanted to extend your garden into the field beyond, you would need to apply for planning permission as it is a change of use from agricultural to domestic.

    Aesthetics

    This covers what you intend to put on the land and what it is going to look like. If you’re intending to put something quite out of place with its surroundings then planners have to consider the ‘street scene’, ie is what you are proposing going to be jarring to the eye. The exception to this is if what is being proposed could be considered an exemplar building. That is, of such high quality that if it was going to jar the eye, it should be so spectacular that you actually want to draw the eye to it. Phill cites the glass pyramid at the Louvre entrance as an example.

     

    Phill explains that small home extensions that fall within a certain scale, while still regulated by planning, are granted by right under permitted development so don’t need to go through the formality of applying and getting planning permission.

     

    Building on farmland is “nigh on impossible”!

    Phill suggests that in today’s environment it’s highly unlikely that you’d be able to go onto a farmer’s field and build a single unit.

    Greenfield development is the preserve of the volume house builders who are looking for plots for perhaps hundreds or thousands of houses.

    Phill’s recommendation for finding land is to look for garden infills in an existing settlement, ie building in back gardens or knocking a small house down on a large plot and building two or three in its place.

     

    You can apply for planning permission on land that you don’t own

    As an example, Phill says that as long as you paid the fee and notified the Queen in writing, you could put in a planning application for a gazebo at Buckingham Palace!

    On a more practical level, this can work to your advantage if you don’t want to take the risk of buying a property in the hope that you will get planning permission. Instead you could negotiate a higher price with the current vendor on a subject to planning basis (buying under option), which gives you the reassurance that if they get the planning permission they are contracted to sell to you. If permission isn’t granted then you can walk away and they have been left with the costs.

    If there is a plot that you are considering it can be worth speaking confidentially to your planning office about its chances. While their advice isn’t binding they can certainly give an idea based on previous experience.

     

    There are two main types of planning permission

    While there are a plethora of different types, and so long as you aren’t making changes to a listed building, the two most likely to be relevant to a self-builder are ‘outline’ and ‘full’.

    Outline application

    This is about the principle of development. You don’t even need to show the the size or shape of the buildings, just an ordnance survey plot plan showing how the site would be accessed. This costs around half the price of the full application and you don’t need to go the expense of paying fees to have drawings produced etc.  Once outline permission is given you would need to return with ‘reserved matters’ applications which fill in all the gaps.

    This is used commonly by solicitors looking to get the best sale price of an estate for the beneficiaries of a will. It’s also used by developers with a build process that might take several years so aren’t in a position to determine finishes at this stage.

    Full application

    This covers everything – so where the building’s going to go, what it looks like, how it will be accessed, what the landscaping will be etc. If this is approved you are then in a position to progress straight away.

    Example Plan
    Example Plan

     

    The application fees don’t cover the full cost of the application process

    The fees for planning applications are set nationally. Typically it costs around £1200 for the council to process an application, but the fee you pay to them is around £300-£400 for a single dwelling. The remainder is paid for by council tax. Phill suggests that to some extent this is right because the community has a financial say, ie they’re paying for the planning committee etc.

     

    There is an appeals process if permission is refused

    Although around 95% of applications are approved, others might be refused on the following grounds:

    Unsustainable – so if where you intend to build is extremely rural and you’re going to need to use a car to get anywhere. Phill explains that the government is trying to make us lead more urban lifestyles, an example being it is easier for social care departments to service a lot more people in densely populated urban areas.

    Landscape – the building might be ugly and detrimental to the landscape.

    Overbearing – while there’s no legal ‘right to light’ in planning, neighbours are protected in that the building can not be overshadowing or overbearing.

    Highways – your access point might be on a dangerous corner or it doesn’t allow for car parking.

     

    If you have your application refused by the local authority but still want to proceed there are two options. Firstly, there is a free re-submission so you can make a re-design and try again. Secondly, you can take your case to the planning inspectorate who will appoint an independent inspector to review the decision.

     

     

    Find out more

    Follow Phill Skill on Twitter

    Read Phill’s blog

     

    Transcript

    Download a transcript of the interview with Phill Skill.

     

    Find out more about planning permission in The Hub

    We also have a module in The Hub on planning permission. This is for you if you want to go a bit more in depth. We’ve got a case study with Kingsley Barraclough and his experience of going through the planning system and we’ve also got more from Phill in there which will help cement what you’ve learned from this podcast.

     

    Please connect with me