Planning permission

"Planning a loft conversion felt like a huge project, not to mention a big investment. At first, I had no idea whether I needed to apply for planning permission and was worried about asking an architect to draw up plans or talk to builders until I knew.

I consulted with an architect, who drew up plans and submitted them to my local authority on my behalf. I tracked my application online through the Portal and found out my application had been refused before my architect had been sent the letter!"

"Although my first application was turned down, I now knew enough about the planning process to understand the reasons that were given. My plans were altered according to the recommendations made by my local planning authority and re-submitted.

My application was approved, with conditions, the second time around."

Building regulations

"When I applied for planning permission, I had no idea I would need to know about Building Regulations as well. I had assumed that this was something the builders would deal with.

Although my architect provided detailed drawings which would help make sure my loft room complied with Building Regulations, I checked up on the Portal about my own responsibilities before any building work began."