Lawful Development Certificates
Lawful Development Certificates can be either for proposed works or existing works and are based on law and not planning policy.
A proposed Lawful Development Certificate requests confirmation from the Council that certain works, or a use, is lawful without requiring a planning application. Usually, applicants use this type of application to ensure planning permission is not required prior to spending money on the new development.
An existing Lawful Development Certificate seeks confirmation from the Local Planning Authority that an existing development is lawful. Usually, this is following a period of time when development, which would normally require planning permission, is immune from planning enforcement due to the passage of time.
Lawful Development Certificates can be extremely valuable however it is important to establish the facts and, where appropriate, the evidence prior to the application. Well prepared Lawful Development Certificates should be approved as a matter of course but poor submissions can cause immediate enforcement problems after the decision.
At Patrick Durr Associates, we understand the requirements and value of Lawful Development Certificates. If a development is lawful, we will prove it!
Contact us today to find out how we can help with your Lawful Development Certificate.