Under “The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015” developers are able to give planning authorities “Prior Notification” of certain changes of use rather than applying for full planning permission. These changes of use include:
- Change of use of a building from business to residential
- Change of use of a building to a school
- Change of use from an agricultural building to another use
In addition, is the so called “right to rise”, where an additional 2 storeys can be added to a block of flats to accommodate further residential housing.
The process requires a developer to make an application to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether prior approval will be required as to the transport and highway impacts, flooding risk and contamination risk; and the structural design may also require geotechnical information.
Here at Geo-Integrity we have completed many investigations to examine the existing foundations and ground conditions where a “right to rise” development is occurring. This involves exposing the existing foundations, putting down boreholes adjacent to them and testing the soil profile.
In addition, changes in land use, for example from office to residential or industrial to office, introduce more sensitive end users to the site. This is particularly important if the development site has had a potentially contaminative past land use as there may be increased risks to those living or working on the site from land contamination. In line with the National Planning Policy Framework, where a site is affected by contamination, responsibility for securing safe development and ensuring that the site is suitable for use rests with the developer and/or landowner.
If you are considering a Permitted Development give us a call on 01280 816409 or email us to see if we can help you.
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