Private Client

Castelnau, Barnes

Planning permission granted swiftly for Barnes Building of Townscape Merit in prominent location

A private client contacted us seeking help with his proposals after being stuck in the planning process for several months with little movement.

The prominent detached Victorian dwelling (which was in a poor state) comprised four residential flats, and our client wished to turn the property back into an impressive family dwelling house. As well as the amalgamation of residential units, the proposals included significant extensions to the property. These included a large contemporary full-width rear extension with Crittal style glazing, a 2,000-square-foot basement, and alterations to the fenestration. The property is located within a Conservation Area and is a Building of Townscape Merit.

We were able to guide our client through both the pre-application advice stage and the application process in just four months, which is record timing for both processes (especially during a pandemic). We also managed to obtain a delegated permission from officers, without any pre-commencement conditions, saving our client even more time once the consent was secured.

We worked in collaboration with our fantastic in-house Heritage team, who made a compelling case which was supported whole-heartedly by the council’s Conservation Officer.

Our client praised us for “a mammoth effort” and commented on our “tenacity and attention to detail”, stating that the project would have been much harder without our “advice, guidance, support and calm professionalism”.

Summary of achievements

  • Preparation and submission of pre-application advice request
  • Preparation and coordination of planning application
  • Preparation of Planning Statement and Heritage Statement
  • Securing a delegated consent from planning officers in record time