Planning Application Help - Alteration to Shopfront

[dini]

I currently run a Barbershop in East London. I make most of my money from renting out the chairs to barbers however in the last couple of years a number of rival barbershop have sprung up on the road which has impacted on footfall and my ability to attract new barbers - 2 out of my 4 barber chairs have been empty for a whole year now.

I have decided to divide the shop into 2 and open a a mobile phone / computer repair business on the other side (which like the barbershop falls within Class A1). In order to do this I will need to partition the shop and create a new access door on the side of the shopfront being used for the mobile phone shop

I have received approval from the landlord subject to me receiving planning permission. I phoned up the council and have been told to put in an application which cost £195 however they advised me to seek Pre-planning advise which cost over £2000 (which is way beyond my budget for carrying out the entire works required to the shop).

I would be very grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of any company that could advise me within a much more realistic budget.

I have had plans and elevations of the works drawn and I am wondering if it is advisable to just drop in the planning application and hope for the best.

Do you envisage any problems I may face - in fact any advise will be very much appreciated

Thanks

 

[The Byre]

I can't speak for East London, but round our way, pre-planning advice is the job of the planning authorities, as they are legally obliged to provide you with information. In other words, they can't just tell you to bog off!

Of course they cannot give you a definite yay or nay, but you can ask them if they would have any objections to such an application in principle and if there are any other auxiliary considerations, such as a need for additional staff facilities (toilets, restrooms etc.). The key question is "Would you be viewing such an application favourably?"

We built company offices and prior to putting in a formal application with drawings, etc., I went along with a rough draft and asked the planning authority's department head what she thought. Her answer was "We would view the building of the offices on the other side of the existing building more favourably!"

That told me all I needed to know and we got on with it!

In your case, if they sound vaguely positive, find a tech. draughtsman to give you a set of drawings - and untrouser the £195!

 

[Ashley_Price]

As someone who, until May, was on the town Planning Committee in Lewes, I would concur with a lot of what @The Byre says. If you speak to the Planning Officer they should be able to advise you more on what would/wouldn't be approved.

You will need to provide plans of the shop and the works to be undertaken, but again an architect should be able to help. Assuming the front of the building wasn't being extended any more on to the public right of way, then there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[dini]

Thanks @Ashley_Price and @The Byre for your swift responses

I will take my drawings to the planning department on Monday and see what they say

I will update you on their response

 

[wispafish]

2000k for pre planning advice. No chance for such a small project. Tower hamlets only charge £50 quid.