Planning Design Matters

Design really does matter when it comes to getting planning approval. In a recent planning appeal, for a housing development in Surrey, the Inspector refused the permission due to its poor design.

In his decision, the Inspector gave ‘very substantial weight’ to the design failings, believing it to be ‘too cramped’ and that it ‘paid no attention to its surroundings’. He lambasted the lack of a coherent master plan and criticised the lack of structure to the layout which had disconnected residential blocks scattered across the existing site.

Enlightened developers understand the importance of design, but as demonstrated, sadly there are still those who don’t. To avoid jeopardising a planning application, which can be time-consuming and expensive, developers need to look to their Architects to ensure good design principles are followed and to commit to providing a well-conceived scheme.

To read more about how our team of experts can help throughout this process please visit our Planning Consultancy page on the website.