 We recently obtained a Certificate of Lawfulness for commercial buildings and business use on rural land in Berkshire. The client's business had gradually expanded over the years, leading to more activity and new buildings on site. We prepared a careful and detailed application with supporting evidence to demonstrate that the works and buildings had been there for the requisite period to mean they are now immune from enforcement action.
Client: private individual
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 A small but complex case. A client had removed buildings near a property in the Green Belt and put up a new building. Following complaints and investigations from the enforcement department an application was submitted to retain the building, which raised issues of Green Belt policy and other matters. Permission was granted.
Client: private householder  A project small in scale, but detailed in complexity. Planning permission had been granted for a large outbuilding to the rear of a substantial house in the Holland Park area of Kensington. Alterations were made during building to improve construction and incorporate sustainability measures, but the resulting building was differen to that approved. Enforcement action followed. The case at appeal concerned not only the differences between the approved and the as-built scheme, but analysis of what controls the Council actually had on the building, as well as the impact on the conservation area and neighbours. The appeal was allowed and the outbuilding can remain.
Client: private householder  A long-standing client of ours recently experienced neighbouring properties undertaking work without planning permission, and then making applications for further alterations to the buildlings. This led to concerns about loss of privacy, and we wrote to set out the case for permission to be refused, and investigations to be undertaken into breaches of planning control. The Council agreed with our case, refusing permission and opening enforcement investigations.
Client: private householder  We were recently involved in regularising a breach of planning control at a property in the Green Belt. Planning permission had been granted for a replacement house with a planning condition removing permitted development rights. However, an extension had been built at the property. We managed to achieve a Certificate of Lawfulness that secures the permanent retention of that extension.
Client: private householder  After long-running discussions, applications, appeals and negotiations with the local authority, we have finally managed to resolve dispute regarding commercial buildings near Chertsey Station, Surrey. The case had involved the redevelopment of dilapidated buildings where the Council had only wished to see a very limited amount of new commercial space. Over some time we managed to secure a mixed commercial and residential scheme, and then resolve disputes regarding the discharge of conditions and variation to the permission.
Client: private developer  Planning permission has been granted for the retention of three dwellings in the Green Belt, in Surrey. The client had converted three buildings to separate houses and enforcement investigations had commenced. We advised in relation to the lawfulness of the case, and then prepared a planning application to argue why permission should be granted for the retention of the dwellings. This was approved by the Planning Committee.
Client: private householder  A long-running saga has taken a step closer to being resolved. We have worked for a commercial client undertaking vehicle repairs under a lawful planning permission. We sought to extend the opening hours for the business, with new mitigation measures to ensure no noise to the neighbours. Planning permission was granted for this change, but the Council imposed conditions on the grant of permission that meant the permission was effectively useless. We appealed against the conditions and the Inspector agreed with our case, so varied the permission to be something our client can actually implement. Partial costs were awarded against the Council for them imposing unreasonable conditions.
Client: National Rescue Group  A long-running case has at last been resolved with a successful appeal against a refusal of permission by Richmond Borough Council. We had obtained planning permission for works to a property in a development of distinctive housing fronting the Thames, and had also won an appeal for works to other properties in the estate. There had been differences during the construction of the scheme and the Council decided to take action. We presented the case that the alterations to the buildings were not harmful to the setting of the Thames or the conservation area.
Client: private client  We secured a Certificate of Lawfulness to confirm the division of a property into two dwelling in a Surrey planning authority, where otherwise the client would have been faced with difficulties continuing to live in their house. The application was prepared with a comprehensive collection of supporting evidence and covered all possible aspects that might be questioned by the Council. Approval was achieved under delegated powers within the 8 weeks.
Client: private householder |
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