Services

Town Planning

Planning policies, rules and regulations might seem daunting to many – but they need not be. You can count on our knowledge and judgment to steer your project to a successful conclusion as we work with you to achieve all necessary consents and comply with all conditions.

Development appraisal

  • Physical analysis of what could be built
  • Analysis of the likelihood of securing planning consent
  • Financial assessment to determine viability

Planning application

  • Pre-application consultation with planning authority
  • Develop design proposals
  • Prepare presentation drawings and design statements to support full planning application
  • Negotiate with planning authority to secure consent
  • Advise over relevant legal agreements and their financial implications thereof

Planning appeals

  • Where planning consent is refused, advise on appeal procedures
  • Prepare and conduct appeals where the written representations process or an informal hearing is adopted
  • Instruct and brief a barrister if a public inquiry is held

Planning conditions and enforcement

  • Advise regarding discharging conditions
  • Appeal against inappropriate conditions
  • Review any alleged breach of planning control and mediate in connection with threatened enforcement action

Architectural

Whether it’s a new house, a few alterations or a full-scale development, we can help you create something unique. We meet with you to discuss your vision and understand exactly what you want to achieve, before preparing outline and detailed designs that set your project on the path to perfection.

Briefing

  • Assessment of client’s needs, ambitions, timescale and budget

Concept design

  • Prepare outline design proposals to demonstrate possible ways of meeting the client’s brief
  • Review outline proposals against brief, budget and planning analysis
  • Recommend and brief specialist consultants as appropriate
  • Open discussions with planning authority

Technical design

  • Recommend and brief specialist consultants and suppliers likely to be required (including likely requirement for party wall surveyor and/or health ∓ safety co-ordinator to discharge obligations under Party Wall Act or CDM Regulations)
  • Develop detailed design proposals in conjunction with specialist consultants and suppliers
  • Review detailed design against brief and budget (in conjunction with quantity surveyor where appointed)
  • Submit for Building Regulations approval and other statutory consents
  • Discharge conditions attached to planning consent
  • Prepare detailed construction drawings, schedules and specifications for tendering or negotiation of construction contracts

Tender/negotiation

  • Where no quantity surveyor is appointed, issue drawings, schedules and specification documents to contractors invited to submit tenders/quotes
  • Where a quantity surveyor is appointed, assist surveyor in the preparation of tender documentation
  • Analyse submitted tenders and quotations (in association with quantity surveyor where appointed) and advise on appointment of contractor

Construction

  • Let construction contract
  • Administer terms of construction contract
  • Carry out regular site inspections to review progress and quality of work
  • Chair regular meetings with contractor and other consultants to ensure smooth flow of information from design team to contractor
  • Report to client issues arising from site inspections or meetings
  • Certify payments due to contractor
  • Prepare ‘as-built’ drawings/schedules on completion of construction

Peter Traves

BH (Hons) MSc DipArch Registered Architect

I believe the art of good design is to fuse the practical and the inspirational, to design homes that provide the necessary accomodation, that are convenient to use, that relate to their environment and surroundings and that ultimately are uplifting places to be.

Peter qualified as an architect at Oxford in 1982 and also has a masters degree in construction project management. He established his first practice in 1988 specialising in residental design, working successfully for development companies, Housing Associations and designing high value bespoke houses for individual private clients.

Carol Evans

BSc (Hons) DipTP MRTPI Chartered Town Planner

Working with Peter through every stage of the design process, marrying good quality design with a thorough understanding of planning policy and planning law enables us to ensure the very best chance of successfully obtaining planning permission.

Carol studied City & Regional Planning at Cardiff University qualifying as a Town Planner in 2003. She has worked in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch Councils, progressing to the level of Senior Planning Officer, gaining a thorough understanding of the Local Authority decision making process. In private practice she has been extremely successful in the preparation of planning applications, negotiating planning permission, conducting planning appeals and resolving enforcement matters.