Planning permission maps and plans

ellectrastar

I am putting in a retrospective planning application for a detached annexe.

The previous occupants of the property converted it from a garage into a self-contained annexe for their parents to live in, and it was subsequently used as a place for friends and family to stay. This is what we have used it for as well for but the aim is to utilise the annexe as a holiday let. 

I understand I need to supply plans and it looks like I need to purchase the site and location plans online. So first of all, the location plan - this states it should be a scale of 1:1250 or 1:2500. It says to outline the area I am requesting planning permission for in red, and show other land/property I own by outlining in blue. The biggest scale still won't show the total amount of land I own, so does this mean I just outline what is visible at this scale?

And I also need to provide elevation and floor plans - I was thinking I could do this by hand, but maybe that's naive, and considering I've read plans are one of the main reasons applications get rejected I want to make sure I get it right. Is there any free software anyone can recommend, or website where you can get these done?

davidmcn

You'll probably get a better idea just by looking at other applications - I've seen a fair number of hand-drawn plans. I suspect they won't be overly concerned about accuracy/neatness if the application is just for the change of use rather than to show what a new building will look like.

thearchitect

OS data is available in JPG, PDF, or AuotCAD DXF/DWG format from a range of online sources.  We use Promap V2 but something like planningapplicationmaps does the same thing.  Generally speaking, you would need an awful lot of property if you couldn't fit it all on an A3 1:2500 plan so perhaps check the scale (apologies if you own an estate or a farm).

Turning to the drawings, it all depends how dab a hand you are with measuring accurately and then confident about providing plans/sections/elevations as proposed.  It takes architectural graduates a few goes to become reasonably proficient so I'd exercise caution in your position.  As for cheap CAD software, you pays your money and takes your choice.  We use AutoCAD but that's not for a lay person.  I quite like Draftsight as a free package but again I'm not sure it's a consumer-level program.

Cash-Cows

You will need some sort of plan that shows the red and blue line completely. Use whatever scale this will fit. I then suggest you include a second block /site plan at a scale that will help the planners such as 1:200 assuming this shows the red line area and other what might be important neighbouring features. Sometimes and I have fallen victim to this you make your best stab at the info and the planners ask for some further information.

In terms of drawings, if it isn't a too complicated building, then hand drawn will be OK. As long as it is to scale and accurate then it should be accepted. I use graph paper as it's easy to scale. remember to put the scale on and identify which elevation it is e.g. north, south etc.

Even for a change of use there will be a need for floor plans. Again hand drawn on graph paper.

If you are doing a holiday let I trust you have a parking space for it? You should mark this on your site plan ensuring it meets the council's normal space dimensions which will be 2.4m x 4.8m or 2.5m x 5m something like that.

If not and you are relying on them using the road, then there's a strong likelihood it will be refused.