GSP has extensive experience of advising on the lawfulness of proposed forms of development. We advise on the most appropriate strategy for dealing with these matters which will often involve applying for a Certificate to confirm that a proposed use or development does not require the benefit of planning permission.
These certificates are not the same as a planning permission; they only involve consideration of matters of fact and law. They are, however, invaluable in some circumstances, and can be used, for example, to add value to land or a property in advance of it being sold, or to permit extensions or alterations, or to combine with other services offered by GSP such as an application to help justify, for example, a larger extension or replacement dwelling in the Green Belt.
GSP strongly advise our clients to obtain a Certificate of Lawfulness where they wish to carry out a building project relying on Permitted Development Rights. This is due to a number of reasons, for example, the different interpretation of national legislation by the various Councils that we deal with; the potential that certain permitted development rights may have been removed; and/or that there is a query in relation to what constitutes the ‘original’ property.
If you want to enquire about GSP assisting with the submission of a certificate of lawfulness relating to a proposed use or development, please complete our online enquiry form
For examples of applications that GSP has worked on click the button below: