Three Successful Case Studies

Lawful Development Certificate – Wealden District Council

We achieved a Lawful Development Certificate for the retention of a building for use as a single dwelling house separate from the main house.

Planning permission was originally granted for ancillary accommodation. Wealden District Council insisted that the applicant should move back into the Farmhouse rather than breaching the 1987 planning conditions.

We were able to address this for the client by achieving a certificate of lawful use having demonstrated that the building had been used as an independent dwelling house ‘on the balance of probabilities’ for ten consecutive years preceding the date of the application.

Retrospective Change of Use – South Somerset District Council

Permission was granted by South Somerset District Council for the retrospective change of use of an agricultural building to create stables, yard and tack room, construction of hardstanding, parking and turning, and the creation of a surfaced horse exercise area and associated timber fencing close to a  Grade II* listed building and registered Park and Garden.

We had to clearly display that the development did not affect the significance of the heritage assets as well as the overall benefits of the proposal to the site.

Permitted Development – Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Change of use of an agricultural building to flexible use via class R of Permitted Development Order 2015 was granted by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

The building had been used as a hop processing building. Since hops were no longer grown on the holding, it had been used as a store for agricultural equipment required to look after the 60-acre farm and hence met the criteria for permitted development.

Tunbridge Wells Borough council approved the application and confirmed that prior-approval was not required.