Excellent Planning Decision

An excellent planning result by Havant Borough Council today. My client has been granted permission to build an annexe to their existing house that will enable them to move into the annexe and then allow their grand-daughter and her family move into the main house.

This allows my client to enjoy the garden they have spent so many years cultivating and be in the safe care of their family. So much better than going into a care home, and these financially austere times; a important decision that harks back to the days when families looked after one another.

A combination of a clear scheme and working with the planners to achieve a mutual aim of what is right has given my client what they need for the future.

www.gbs-designs.co.uk

Diamond Jubilee

Just a short posting this time and with this being the Diamond Jubilee weekend I thought a good topic would be the differences between now and 60 years ago.

Firstly, I should state that I am third generation in the construction and built environment; both my grandfathers were involved in the construction industry (one a builder and the other a plumber) and both of my parents were engineers. And having discussed with them the various changes over the years; the overriding difference they notice/noticed between now and 60 years ago is/was the contradictory, overly elaborate and amount of red-tape involved with even the most simple of projects.

Back in their day (I love it when elder craftspeople or professionals say such things) both planning and building regulations made sense. The rules were less complicated and easier to follow, and it is not like the buildings of the past were any worse than the ones of today. In fact, in many cases they are better. A loft conversion in an older house is often much easier than in a modern one; especially when it already has flooring joists in place and the roof was hand-cut. Plus, there used to be rules like the third bedroom in a house had to be at least 70 square feet/6.5 square metres; these days that can be the size of the second bedroom in a modern house.

So, there we are; perhaps things were better in the good-old-days.

Happy Jubilee to you all.

www.gbs-designs.co.uk

Armed Forces & Emergency Services

The title of this blog posting might seem a little odd, especially as I usually use this blog to comment on an issue or recent piece of news within the construction industry. However, recently a very dear friend was deployed to and then returned from Afghanistan and then more recently I attended a service at the chapel in the grounds of the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh at which the names of firefighters who had lost their lives in the line of duty were read out. These two events made me think about what we as a practice could do for these people - the armed forces and emergency services personnel who do difficult and often dangerous jobs on our behalf.

Since both Ian and I have armed forces and emergency services backgrounds we decided that from now on all serving or former armed forces or emergency services personnel will enjoy preferential rates on our architectural services. See HERE for more details

Discounted rates available, but not exclusively, to:

• Royal Navy and Royal Marines (including reserves)
• British Army (including TA)
• Royal Air Force (including reserves)
• Police (including Special Constables, PCSO’s and support staff)
• Fire & Rescue Service (including retained firefighters and support staff)
• Ambulance Service (including emergency response and support staff)
• Coastguard (including auxiliary)
• RNLI
• Merchant Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary

So, if you are or someone you know is serving or has served in one or more of the above services and this thinking of improving their home; get in contact with us.

GBS Designs - Architectural Services & Technicians

The Localism Act - Planning Reforms

There is a good deal of talk in the professional journals, press and general media about the Localism Act and how the Act seeks to hand planning powers back to local councils and local communities. Obviously it is too early to say how it will actually work and the next few months should be an interesting time for applicants, their agents and planners.

As said above, the act seeks to hand back planning powers to those who really know a community rather than conforming to national government and regional bodies who often do not have any real understanding of a community and/or the needs and feelings of those living in a community.

One thing I would like to see removed are the shackles that currently force educated and knowledgeable planning professionals, such as planners, into complying with often unclear and contradictory development plans written by bureaucrats rather than qualified and experienced built environment professionals in conjunction with those living in the local community affected by the development plan.

A planner's lot is not an easy one and it is not an easy job. It can likened to a police officer's in that nobody is ever happy to see them. For most people their home is their most valuable possession and having decided to extend it in some way they may need to ask for planning permission. If permission is granted; then the planners were just doing their job. If permission is denied; they are the villains. This immediately makes the planner's job one of the least envied in the construction industry and I hope the Localism Act helps break the manacles on planners and bring back the 'good-ol-days' when professionals such as designers, engineers and surveyors could sit down with the client and the planners to thrash out a solution in a full a frank exchange of ideas.

GBS Designs - Architectural Services & Technicians

Building Control / Regulations

In a recent article in the Chartered Institute of Building's journal, Construction Manager, an article appeared regarding the general satisfaction from designers and contractors with the level of service from Building Control/Regulations departments and professional. The full article can be read HERE.

My experience also concurs with this view, especially when using the Building Notice route. Nestling at the bottom of the A3 on the border of Hampshire and West Sussex, I deal with a good number of local authorities including Havant Borough Council, East Hants District Council (now in partnership with the Southdowns National Park Authority, Portsmouth City Council, Fareham Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council, Chichester District Council and others. Without exception my experience with these councils has been very good from both a design point of view and from the builder's when constructing the extension, conversion or other project.

Television programmes and the media in general can show building inspectors in a poor and often adversarial light, and in my opinion this is unjustified, especially with the Building Notice route where often the designer, builder and other professionals find building inspectors to be a useful sounding board for ideas with alternatives often coming back.

GBS Designs - Architectural Services and Technicians in Waterlooville

What’s the difference between a Chartered Building Engineer and an Architect, an Engineer or a Surveyor?

This is a question we often get asked. The answer we give is that there are many different types of architects, engineers and surveyors specialising in a wide range of areas within the construction industry, so we cannot give a definition for them.

What we can say is that chartered building engineers are qualified construction professionals who take projects such as an extension through each stage of the design process and more. Chartered building engineers' training and strengths are in design (such as aesthetics and appearance), building technology, construction science and architectural technology.

For more information about building engineers in Waterlooville and Havant see www.cbuilde.com or our website www.gbs-designs.co.uk