Planning Approval UK

New simple to follow through Specification Clauses to support your Building Regulations application...

"Puts hundreds of building clauses at your finger tips specifically related to residential domestic buildings & extensions. Use this document to support your own drawings through the UK Building Regulations application process. Use it to provide a framework for engaging your builder.

Order your 'digital specification manual' today ready for editing within any word processor. Don't let your drawings be defective in content.

Comment:-

The Building Regulations have now got very technical & gone are the days when the compliance wording could be accommodated within the normal drawings. Separate specification manuals are now required in most cases to support the drawn details that you may be able to provide.

If you don't have access to these clauses your scheme will most probably not receive an Approval under the Building Regulations. A badly presented scheme to the Building Control Department by the Novice home owner can lead to an Automatic Rejection due to insufficient information.

Did you know...

FACT 1 - Many DIY plans submitted by homeowners or other types of 'kitchen work-top ruler & pencil designers', into the Building Regulations are rejected due to 'insufficient information' being supplied.

FACT 2 - If you do not obtain an approval under the Full Plans method or Building Notice Method of Building Regulations Approval then you are at serious risk of not being able to sell on your home in the future.

WHY? Because no one can establish that your building works has ben completed to an accepted minimum standard a minimum. You home or building is now a potential liability & danger to Health & Safety. Most applications submitted for Building Regulations approval are submitted by qualified & experienced Building designers such as Architects, Technicians, Surveyors etc. who know their stuff.

Most people who employ a Building Design Agent are usually charged around 2 to 10% of a projects value just to have the services of an Agent to help them design & prepare a scheme for The Building Regulations. This is often a normal 'follow-on' process once they have obtained Planning Approval for you. That can equate to Many hundreds or several thousand of pounds for even a medium sized project. In most cases this fee is normally well justified.

However, many schemes are pretty much 'run of the mill' that may not justify employing an experienced Building Designer to prepare construction drawings and specifications on their behalf. Therefore, the enthusiastic DIY householder' who has a rudimentary skill of preparing scaled drawings is often tempted to compile there own designs which are often inadequate.

Every Local Building Control Authority has has a set of 'Approved Documents' which most building elements of your construction are compared against under 'deemed to satisfy' criteria. Our Specification clauses are specifically aimed at satisfying these Approved Documents.

However, Most Local Authorities have a degree of flexibility & will accept alternative solutions provided they generally comply with the aims & requirements of the Building Control Legislation. They are even able to accept dispensations if they are correctly presented & backed up with alternative or compensatory measures or works etc.

This is where the ordinary householder often fails to appreciate the importance & relevance of such matters that is so obvious to the trained eye of the professional Building Design Agent (Architect, Technician, Surveyor).

Although we would always recommend employing the services of a qualified Building Design Agent, many people still want to save money & tackle the scheme themselves for obtaining Local Authority Building Regulations Consent. For whatever reason, you still need to be advised.

After 25 years in the business of providing these specialised Professional Services for my own clients & continually coming across upset & disenchanted householders who had already tried the Building Control system for themselves & failed, I decided that a bit of affordable 'self help' was in order for those people who insist on doing it themselves no matter what. Customer feed back from our purchasers of our Planning Guide also requested the need for a technical document that would assist them in obtaining Building Regulations Approval.

First, let me tell what the Specification Manual (SM) is NOT!

SM DOES NOT guarantee obtaining Building Regulations approval for your site or scheme. There will always be a number of site specific issues that need further discussions with the Case Building Inspector. It will allow you to describe the majority of building elements that will comply with the Regulations in order for you to receive a minimal query schedule from the Inspector (this is quite normal - we all get queries).
SM IS NOT a 'one size fits all' solution to every residential development scheme. There will always be new or unusual situations that will deviate from generic accepted principals.
SM IS NOT your only source of advice & guidance on building elements & material selection. It is always recommended to obtain second opinions & confirm any thoughts or guidance with other local professional advice before setting on a course of action.
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Here Is How Easy it is to use our Specification Manual

"What every builder wants is a concise set of drawings & a specification Manual. Poor quality plans & deficient written information will always lead to claims of 'extras' when works or materials have been missed from the documents at the initial pricing or tender stage. If the householder can be 'precise & concise' with their documentation right from the start, then the chances are it will be built to the price quoted & on time. A good specification manual can certainly assist you in obtaining these objectives. Drawings alone are no longer a viable solution......"

Your Local Authority Building Control Officer is never your enemy (unless you are taking short cuts in the construction process). He is there to ensure that the construction is built to a a minimum standard for Health & Safety. However, his remit does not normally extend to finishes or quality of workmanship. A well defined specification Manual covering these additional areas outside of Building Control issues, can ensure that the home owner obtains a standard of workmanship & finish for the project in hand. Rogue Builders do not come with a flashing warning light attached to their heads so it is important that the written documentation is in place to ensure that you still have control of your site. When the Building Inspector is armed with a concise set of Drawings & Specifications, he is more likely to control & approve the works to a higher degree of quality purely because he has the 'ammunition' to do it.

The 'Specification Manual' covers the following sections:-

Preliminaries
General drawing notes
Various types of foundations
Various types of ground floors
Various types of external walls
Various types of internal partitions
Lintels & beams
Fireplace & stack
Ventilation
External windows & doors
Various types of first floors
Various types of flat roofs
Various types of pitched roofs
Roof lights
Making good

Leadwork
Various fixings & straps
Stairs
Fire precautions
Kitchen furniture
Bathrooms & WC's
Drainage & Inspection chambers
Waste Plumbing
Rain water
Heating & Plumbing
Electrics
Decorating
External works
Miscellaneous items
General Notes
Tender return form
And much more.....

All the above headings are explained in general detail suitable for editing by yourself, printing off & attaching to your own drawings & Building Regulations application.

If you are completing your own drawings but lack the specification knowledge then we offer a 'specification manual' that will cover most elements to support your DIY drawings submission to the Building Control Dept.

You simply edit the text document (mainly cutting out the parts that do not apply) within your own word processor & print off. You then simply denote the specification heading reference numbers onto your drawings to save re-printing the sections on the drawings.

The Specification Clauses will suit most aspects of traditional build for residential extensions or any new build work. It also includes a preliminaries section giving basic requirements for your builder such as insurances, payment terms etc.

FAQ's

"But I am already employing the services of a Building Design Agent, why would I also need your Specification Manual?"

You don't quite frankly if you trust them. However, wouldn't it be nice to speak on the same wavelength, to understand some of the jargon & the issues that he/she will be dealing with - keep them on their toes - an informed client always gets better service from a professional Agent. 'Clued up' clients are also very good to work with - you seem to have a healthier respect for them for fear of making a mistake that they will spot!

"I have a builder already lined up who says he can do my work on a Building Notice & that we don't need all these plans & specifications. Why would I need your Specification Manual?"

Such a common mistake! The majority of Building Disputes all seem to have this element & mind set as a common theme. Firstly, the Building Notice arrangement with the Local Authority is only really suitable for very minor works such as installing a new window or door way within an existing wall.

Secondly, unless you have a sound framework of agreeing beforehand exactly what the builder is providing in work & materials, how do you know that his expectations match your own. You are seriously leaving yourself open to being exploited or having to accept inferior quality work. Even if the builder is a long term friend, if you want to retain his friendship, then get a specification.

"£50 sounds like a lot of money to invest in my extension or redevelopment project, why would I need your Specification Manual?"

You are about to invest several thousands if not hundreds of thousands of pounds in your biggest & most valuable asset. How does that £50 slot into your overall budget? I bet that's now broken the bank & you will have to abort your project? If you are even close to having a mind set like this then hit the close button & leave this site now - we are both wasting each others time. Most people that are worried about risking small sums of this nature before they have even started on site are normally dreamers who haven't got the budget or finances to carry their project through to completion in any case & these DIY''ers deserve to fail or obtain inferior work from their builder. There, that's sorted out the men from the boys (to coin of phrase).

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Here is what you will receive when YOU order
our Specification Manual.

	Simple ready to Use digital written information - Specifically worded in plain English to avoid 'jargon'. - Once we have received email confirmation of your online payment via PayPal or we have received your paper order form & cheque in the post, we will send you an email that will have a link to our secure download area where you will be able to download our Specification Manual yourself or we will send the documents via our own email with attachment. We log on every day for receipt emails so please allow 24 hours before we are able to deliver your Specification Manual. Postal orders may take longer so please allow 7 days for delivery.
	Choice of files supplied - one as a Word document & the other as a plain text file in case your do not have MS Word as a processor. Simply edit the document within your own word processor to suit your particular scheme.
	Option to purchase our sister product - Maximum Build Planning Guide at a discounted rate - A useful guide in assessing your sites development potential through the Planning process. Risk assessments & how best to present your scheme.
	Email back-up. We hold an online 'surgery' to help resolve any site specific queries you may have in your first 6 months relating to Building Regulation issues relevant to your first project. These online consultations normally cost £20 per enquiry - you will have access to 3 FREE consultations - that's £100's worth of advice thrown in for FREE.
	The ability to set the terms & control your builder - This document will form part of your contract with the builder. You can use this manual on several projects over the years (subject to updates).

Once I have been informed by PayPal that your credit card payment has been approved, I will send you our ebook by return as an email attachment.

There you have it, everything I have to say about my 'Specification Manual' . Ok, I know I am biased, but in my honest opinion, I really do believe this Specification Manual is going to change many people's perception of just what is required to obtain a good Building Regulations Approval .

All I ask is that you seriously take a look at what this Specification Manual can do for you. If you think it can help you in your building project, then get it. If not, then I wish you the best of success .

Regards,

Martin S Meeks

For Planning-Approval.co.uk

INFORMATIVE WARNING & DISCLAIMER (Specification Manual)

Any 'Lay person' attempting Building Design as part of their DIY project or engaging tradesmen or a main contractor direct on their own account without the aid of their own local Agent is at additional risk (financial, health & safety) of completing or engaging works that may be deficient in standard, detail & description unless they engage a suitably qualified Building Design Agent to act advise on their behalf based upon site specific knowledge. This 'specification manual' will NOT take the place of a Building Design Agent. The performance of how the 'specification manual' works in conjunction with the applicants own drawings is very much dependent upon their own editing procedures of the 'specification manual' & their interpretation of how certain sections may apply to their particular project.

All of the material in this 'specification manual' is for information only. It does not constitute & must not be treated as advice on the merits purchasing, selling or developing land or buildings. Viewers of this 'specification manual' must not place any reliance on material included in any investment or development that they make or refrain from making. While reasonable care is taken in the compilation of material for this 'specification manual', the author makes no warranty or representation on the accuracy or completeness of any material this 'specification manual'. The author does not accept any liability whatsoever including liability for negligence for any losses or damage (whether direct, indirect, reasonably foreseeable or otherwise) resulting from this 'specification manual'. This 'specification manual' ONLY deals with general construction issues for traditional building works to residential extensions & the like & some of the areas scheduled will require other consents such as Planning Approval, Party Wall Act approval etc. which do not form part of this 'specification manual'.

By purchasing & reading this 'specification manual', you have agreed to the following:-

1. Indemnify the author against any claim from yourself or any third parties for any loss whatsoever.

2. Any purchaser must decide for themselves the value of any specifications, schedules, statements etc. & how they may be applied &/or adapted for your particular application.

3. Every 'specification manual' user is advised to consult with their own Planning Consultant or Building Design Agent to review & discuss the merits of the 'specification manual' before implementation of any sections to reduce the risk of abortive fees, risk to health & safety, possible fines & time etc.

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Obtaining Planning Permission for residential development in either extending your property or redeveloping the site for new dwellings needs careful presentation & a risk assessment prior to submitting for Planning Consent. A badly presented scheme to the Planning Department by the Novice home owner can lead to an Automatic Rejection & a Planning Refusal that could be hard to overturn. Our MAXIMUM BUILD Guide will assist you in assessing your sites potential & what areas you can exploit prior to submitting your scheme for Planning Permission.

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OPTIONS: Your can order and purchase your copy now for full unrestricted use of the Planning Guide ebook straight away or you can choose to download a test version for a short restricted viewing and make your mind up later at any time.

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FAQ's