Planning advice, architectural drawings and application management for businesses, property owners and developers.
From adapting business premises to a new commercial or mixed-use development, we help you understand the planning route and prepare the information your application needs. Our Chartered Town Planners work alongside our architectural team, from assessing feasibility through to submission and the council’s decision.
The need for an application depends on the proposed work, existing permissions and site constraints. Business ownership alone does not determine the planning route.
Send us the site address, your proposal and any existing drawings so we can assess the next step.
Changing how a property is used may require full planning permission, prior approval or no planning application, depending on the circumstances. Commercial properties can have permitted development rights, subject to the relevant conditions and limits.
We check the existing lawful use, proposed use and any restrictions before advising on the route.
Planning advice focused on your site.
Architects and planners working together.
Commercial project support across the UK.
Know what your quotation includes.
A commercial planning application asks the local planning authority to assess a proposed development involving business premises or commercial land. The application may cover a new building, an extension, external alterations or a material change of use. The correct route depends on the proposal and location.
Shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels, hot-food takeaways, drive-throughs and garden centres, including changes of use and alterations to premises.
Office buildings, co-working space, extensions and schemes combining commercial and residential uses. Different parts of a proposal may need different planning considerations.
Manufacturing premises, workshops, warehouses and distribution facilities, with attention to access, servicing and the surrounding area.
Gyms, padel centres, medical clinics, spas, cinemas and indoor recreation, including the adaptation of existing commercial buildings.
For proposals requiring a detailed planning application, we prepare the agreed drawings and supporting case for the development and its intended operation.
Some commercial works or changes of use can qualify for permitted development. Prior approval is required for certain routes; eligibility and all relevant conditions must be checked before proceeding.
For suitable developments, outline permission can establish the principle, with specified details submitted later through reserved matters applications.
Existing permissions may need conditions discharged or varied. Advertisement consent or listed building consent may also be relevant, depending on the site and works.
Use classes and permitted development rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We assess the rules that apply to your site.
Understand the planning risks before committing to a purchase, lease, fit-out or construction programme.
Identify the consents needed before starting work or operating a new use, reducing the risk of avoidable enforcement problems.
Consider layout, access, servicing and the relationship with neighbouring properties as part of the proposal.
Establish whether transport, noise, heritage, ecology, drainage or other specialist evidence may be needed.
Allow time for surveys, design revisions, validation and council assessment alongside your commercial deadlines.
Review conditions and the steps needed after permission, including requirements that may apply before work or occupation.
A clear process from feasibility to the decision and what follows.
We assess feasibility, the likely application route, constraints and information requirements. You receive a quotation setting out the agreed services and any separate costs.
Our architectural team prepares the required plans. Our town planners develop the supporting planning case and identify any specialist reports needed for the application.
You review the drawings and documents before we submit. We prepare the relevant forms and certificates, submit the application and explain the application fee arrangements.
We liaise with the planning authority and respond to queries within the agreed scope. Where revisions or additional reports are needed, we discuss these with you before proceeding.
We send you the decision and explain its implications. We can discuss separately scoped help with conditions, a revised application or an appeal where appropriate.
The agreed set may include existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, sections, roof plans, block plans and a site location plan.
The planning statement, design and access statement and other agreed supporting information relevant to your application.
Preparation of the relevant application forms, ownership certificates and CIL forms where applicable, using the information you provide.
Submission with your approval, liaison with the planning authority and communication of the decision, within the agreed scope.
A clear scope before you proceed.
Your quotation identifies the services included. Statutory fees, specialist surveys and reports, and post-decision work should be confirmed separately.
Before commissioning a full application, understand whether your proposal is feasible, which route is appropriate and what information will be required. A Planning Appraisal considers the site, planning history and relevant constraints. Formal council pre-application advice is a separate step that may be useful for more complex projects.
Planning Appraisal effectively becomes FREE if you proceed with any further Planning By Design service.
The appraisal fee is deducted from your quote/invoice, including if you proceed with drawings only.
Preparation: ideally allow four weeks or more before your intended submission date. The programme depends on the design, revisions, available information and any specialist reports.
Council assessment: in England, the usual statutory periods are eight weeks for non-major applications, 13 weeks for major development and 16 weeks for applications subject to Environmental Impact Assessment, from validation. Agreed extensions and council delays can lengthen the process.
Need to move quickly? Ask about fast-track preparation. This does not guarantee a faster council decision.
Fees depend on the project’s scale, application route, drawings and supporting evidence. Following a Planning Appraisal, we provide a fixed-fee quotation for the agreed work.
Council application fees and any submission charges are separate from our professional fees. Specialist reports and additional services will be identified in the scope.
Price Match Guarantee: we will beat a genuine like-for-like quote for the commercial planning service.
Our Cost Calculator provides estimates for supported project types. For a commercial scheme not covered by the calculator, contact us for a tailored quotation.
No. A well-prepared application can address relevant policies and project constraints, but the decision rests with the planning authority or relevant decision-maker.
We help you understand the risks and develop a supported proposal before submission.
We review the refusal reasons and discuss whether amendments, a new application or an appeal may be appropriate. The best next step depends on the reasons and the evidence available.
Further work, fees and any applicable deadlines are discussed before proceeding.
Explore the existing application example for a change of use from a motorcycle testing centre to a cricket coaching centre. The document illustrates the drawings and supporting information for a specific commercial project.
The proposal adapts an industrial building for six padel courts, with changing facilities and a mezzanine office and viewing area.
Following a Planning Appraisal, our team prepared architectural drawings, a Design and Access Statement and a Transport Statement for submission with a full planning application.
Our Chartered Town Planners assess the planning context and prepare a case tailored to your site and proposal.
Architects and planners work together to coordinate the drawings, application strategy and supporting information.
Support for a range of business premises, changes of use and larger commercial developments.
Understand what information is needed, what stage your application has reached and what happens next.
Explore our portfolio to see drawings, supporting documents and examples of the projects we handle.
An agreed scope and quotation, with our Price Match Guarantee on genuine like-for-like commercial planning quotes.
It is an application concerning commercial development, such as business premises, extensions or a material change of use. The application route depends on the proposal, existing permissions and site constraints.
No. Some works may not constitute development, and some can qualify for permitted development. We assess your proposal and any existing restrictions before advising whether an application or another consent is needed.
In England, a change between uses within the same use class generally does not require planning permission for the change of use itself. Existing planning conditions, associated building works and separate consents still need checking. Class E rules should not be applied to sites elsewhere in the UK.
No. Prior approval is a procedure attached to certain permitted development rights. Your proposal must meet the relevant eligibility requirements and conditions. We assess whether that route is available or whether a full planning application is needed.
Allow time for preparation and validation before the council’s determination period starts. In England, the usual statutory periods are eight weeks for non-major applications, 13 weeks for major development and 16 weeks for EIA applications. Extensions and delays are possible; the timetable for your site and application type needs to be confirmed.
The total depends on our agreed professional services, the applicable council fee and any surveys, reports or submission charges. We explain these separately. Contact us for a commercial quotation rather than relying on a generic fee figure.
We can discuss fast-track support for work we control before submission, subject to the scope and information available. Council validation, consultation and decision times are outside our control.
Yes. Send us your drawings and any council correspondence. We can assess what is usable and identify any revisions or additional information needed before agreeing the scope.
No. Planning and Building Regulations serve different purposes. Depending on the project, technical drawings, structural calculations and other approvals may also be required.
Send the site address, the existing and proposed use, a description of the works, photographs, any drawings and previous planning correspondence. Include your intended opening or construction date so we can discuss the programme.
Planning updates, guidance and answers from Planning By Design.
Tell us about your premises, proposed development and timescale. We will help you understand the planning support and next steps suited to your project.
