A New Year and the Planning Applications keep rolling on!

Well this is the Olympic year - it will be interesting to see how hosting the Olympics will affect the country. Last year when we had time off for the Royal Wedding the country ground to a halt!

We have finished the loft conversion and single storey extension in London. The client is very excited and happy so well done team.  We undertook the scheme design, planning, building control and construction works for this particular project.  We have uploaded photos of the scheme to our main site - click the link http://www.agrarian-uk.com/single-storey-extension-case-study2.html and please have a look. We welcome all comments and thoughts regarding the finished project.

January has brought some good news on the planning approvals front; we have gained approval for some flat conversions, new dwellings, stables & barns to name a few. Let us hope the planners look favourably on our schemes in the future as well.

The winter weather has not hit yet and still fairly mild which is good news as work on a new site is due to start next week.  This is for structural alterations and remodelling of a dwelling.  Agrarian Architecture has undertaken the design and building control approvals, whilst Agrarian Construction is set to undertake the construction works.  We are tasked with knocking down walls, inserting steel beams, new studwork and removal of chimney breasts, leaving the shell which the client wants to fit out themselves.  We are basically doing the messy demolition and structural works.  I will keep you posted on this project as it progresses.  It’s another project where the clients are great - long may it last.

As always we are currently in discussions with planners at numerous planning departments negotiating favourable outcomes for our clients, one of which is in connection with a shopping centre near Birmingham. 

Ecobuild Exhibition is in March. I am looking forward to this as there are lots of new products on and coming to market.  One I am particularly interested in is photovoltaic paint, which means instead of having the panels on your roof, you just have to paint your roof with this special paint! Brilliant (if it works!!)

Submitting Planning Applications and Building Control Applications Before Christmas !!

The final week before Christmas and we are all busy trying to get as many of the current planning and building control applications compiled and finalised before the Christmas holidays.  So it’s currently all hands to the pumps !!

The Christmas tree and decorations are up. I had the traditional battle with the lights with one set completely refusing to work.  I spent about an hour until finally losing the will to carry on and decided a trip to B&Q was in order for a new set. They look lovely -  much, much better than those old ones (mainly because they work!!).  The shopping has been done on line, no hustle and bustle just “click click” and a cup of tea.

Work on the building sites is continuing despite the poor weather. The main site in London is due for completion at the end of the week and talking to the site manager this morning, he is confident that it will be. I’m off to visit that site tomorrow to go through the snagging items to ensure a first class job is finished off perfectly.

We are currently in discussions with planners in numerous planning departments negotiating suitable and favourable outcomes for our clients. 

I’ve just ordered our tickets for the Ecobuild Exhibition in March. This is a three day event held at the Excel in London.  There are many great stands and it is well worth looking around to update the practice with the current thinking on this very important area.  It is amazing how this sector has moved and expanded over the last ten years.  Eco thinking has moved from being almost a ‘fad’ to a much needed way of design.  A typical example - we have just designed an extension for a client who wanted down lighters in one room, 25 of them!  I explained that by using LED down lighters (which work using 4 watts of power) they could run all 25 of them off the same power as an old fashioned 100watt bulb!  So multiply that up over time and that’s a great saving. Wise design can save clients money.

Have a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year everyone, and, above all, take care.

Ménages and Stables

November is drawing to a close, the Christmas songs are now on the radio-great for the first week but after that the novelty wears thin - Bah Humbug!!!

Over the last week we have been very busy, compiling quite a few planning applications ranging from two ménages and two sets of stables, (one in Lambourn and the other near Blackpool) which confirms that distance is no object. We have also compiled many extensions to both homes and factories.

The construction team are progressing very well in London, The extension is water-tight with some areas plastered out and drying very well.  The kitchen, bathroom and some very special radiators are enroute for delivery next week.  Without “blowing our own trumpet”, I really do think that the finished project will be stunning.  This will be immensely satisfying as the client is simply one of the kindest and nicest clients we have had over the last ten years.  She has spoilt the lads with biscuits and all sorts of goodies, and they weren’t just any biscuits, they were M&S biscuits (as the advert goes).

We also gained planning approval for schemes from London to Stratford-On-Avon.  The London scheme is for our client based in Italy. Now that planning has been approved we will progress onto the Building Control compilation and submission.  Meanwhile we are obtaining competitive quotations for the construction works.

Works are also progressing well on the conversion of a barn into a dwelling; we poured the floor slab last week with some six lorry loads all pumped into place in the space of a morning - great work chaps.

It’s amazing how different planning departments deal with applications, some being very proactive and helpful, whilst others are just simply dire.  I think the Government should have a name and shame list, I know we have one in the offices!  I can only see the problems with some of them getting worse as the cuts increase. 


 Oh well onwards and upwards, I’m off for a mince pie and cup of tea! 

Planning and Building Regulations for Extensions

November is now upon us. It is Bonfire Night and the children are very excited. It is really noticeable how early it now gets dark. 

The veterinary practice/clinic refurbishment has finished and they are currently open for business. All of the staff have confirmed that the finished building is ‘… simply beautiful’ and that they ‘…love it’ so a big pat on the back to all those involved especially the builders who performed admirably. Well done chaps.

Works are progressing well at another site in London. The builders managed to get the loft conversion watertight before the rains came and the ground floor extension should be watertight by the end of next week, ‘fingers crossed’.  At this stage there should not be any “surprises” and the reinstatement and extension works should progress well.  The client seems very excited as they begin to see the works taking shape.  All projects have milestones, and now that we have created the shell the client can start to visualise the size and shape of the proposed extensions.

Further planning applications were submitted this month ranging from new dwellings to extensions. All are very welcome and we look forward to securing the best solution for our clients.

We also had a great recommendation from our clients in Spain. We secured planning permission for a small flat development for them in the UK which they have just sold netting a respectable profit, so congratulation to all.

Last week I had a telephone call from a client who I had not heard from for over a year, I was stunned when he told me that his partner had died of cancer in that period. She was only 41, simply tragic.  I suppose if there is anything to learn/take from this it is that life is short, be kind to all and if you can help someone, then do so.

The rugby’s finished. England suitably underperformed (but not as badly as the cricket team last month!). We will have to wait and see if the England management setup gets changed. 

Planning, Building Regulations and Building at Agrarian - We Love It!

Wow, it’s the end of September and it was 28 degrees in London -  it was beautiful, I know people moan “oh it’s too hot, it’s too cold, it’s too wet”, but just deal with it folks. There’s a lot of places around the world where they have really bad weather, tornados, hurricanes etc. 

 

One of the sites I visited was the veterinary practice/clinic refurbishment which is having the final touches from the decorators.  Below are some photos (at long last) of the ‘almost finished article’ showing the extension of the existing vet premises into the adjacent retail space previously used as a newsagents. 

External view prior to project start

External view on completion

New Consulting Room  and  New Kennel Area

The feedback from the client and the staff was "…it’s brilliant" and "…we simply love it" so well done to all concerned with that one.

The main construction team from this project have now started on another site for me but this time it’s a residential site.  The deadline is Christmas. We have had initial issues as with most refurbishment and extension projects.  On “Day Two” they opened up and removed plasterboard from some existing internal openings only to reveal decaying timber joists instead of steel beams!!  As each project has full building control approval prior to starting we had already asked our Structural Engineer “Don -  what beams should we find behind this plasterboard ? ” so due to this careful planning we were able to order new steel beams immediately whilst temporarily placing some props under the offending timber joists.

We have also passed our CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks for the staff that come into contact with the general public.  Good news that we passed!! However, joking aside, we consider having these checks as a progression and development for the company.  We really want to provide confidence to all our clients that they are dealing with friendly, reliable and honest people. In this day and age we think this is important.

Some more planning applications were submitted this month.  We have noticed that although the “Planning Portal” provides a “one stop shop” for the submission, it is amazing the different criteria each of the planning authorities have e.g some only take electronic drawings in A3 sizes whereas others take the larger A1. Come on chaps, surely there should be a standard! It is a Government body after all!!!

The rugby - well Scotland didn’t do themselves or England any favours last weekend. The match between the pair of them should be a hard one and I’m really looking forward to that this weekend.  The timing of the matches hasn’t been too bad either. I’m able to sit there with a large mug of tea and a bacon roll (or two!!!) (oh, brown sauce by the way) and watch the rugby as a great start to the day.

Planning Portal Making Planning Approval Greener

It's now half way through September and the children have gone back to school much to everyone’s relief!  Even our children I think were glad to return to school.  And I’ve just started noticing signs and offers for Christmas as well.

 Thankfully September 11^th passed without any noticeable disasters which is a great relief to all. Surely everyone must be growing weary of the continual conflicts.  As our mothers would say "just bang their heads together". Mmm if only!

The veterinary practice construction works have come to an end. The contractor is undertaking the final "snagging" and the client will be in this week.  I will visit site later this week and take some final photographs.  As that project finishes so another starts, which is a 12 week program so we are looking for the builder to finish that one by Christmas.  It's a residential project (loft conversion and ground floor extension) so it must be finished for Christmas. We don’t want the client having a "chicken pot noodle" for her Christmas dinner because she hasn’t got a kitchen.

Also "pat on the back time". We have secured recognition from the government for minimising our carbon emissions during the planning application process. We have altered our processes to ensure that we use electronic means of communication as much as possible especially when making planning applications. This is saving money for our clients whilst saving the planet.  Our carbon footprint is dropping, so well done to everyone here.

 

The scheme for the student accommodation has gathered pace and should be due for submission to the Local Authority shortly.  As I reflected upon the design, I was left thinking that ‘gosh these students are very lucky’ - ensuites, crash-out areas, large plasma screens - it's more like a hotel, a far cry from the student houses of my university days! They were more like "The Young Ones" with one bathroom between six students. A kitchen with an electric cooker having only three rings working (with the smallest the only one fully functioning) so it took an hour to boil a pan of water for pasta. "Oh happy days !" (and the oven was just used for dry storage !).

Our clients in Italy are happy that their planning application has been submitted so let’s hope for the right result. 

 

The rugby world cup is beginning to gather momentum. The first two matches for England do not fill me with confidence, but hopefully they can build on it.  And a very well done to Ireland (oops - the Australians won’t like that one). The only thing that could have been worse for the Australians was  if it was England that had beaten them!

Converting Offices To Student Accommodation

August comes to a close and it’s been and eventful month, I was reminded yesterday that ‘Christmas was just around the corner’ which filled me with some sadness! Where has the summer gone? 

We have secured more work over the month, both residential and commercial which is always good news.  But what a month! Riots, mmm that was totally shocking and I must admit it made me mad and sad at the same time.  Mad due to such blatant disregard for both people and property and sad that if this is what the current generation is like what will the next one be like?

I am not going to tar this whole generation with the one brush, there are so many positive things that they achieve.  For example they all can’t be that bad which is reinforced by the fact that the GCSE and A Level results were so high.  Why can’t people try and follow a simple philosophy of helping where they can ?

Anyway before I go off babbling on and on about the subject I shall move on.

The works on the vet’s practice are moving on at quite a pace and we should be finished there shortly, I will get some photographs and post them on either the blog or the web site.  The builders are performing well as expected, whilst trying to work around a lot of difficult issues.

More planning submissions made this month. We have been using the ‘Planning Portal’ to make the process more efficient, however we are finding that the Government’s Planning Portal may be efficient but the interface with the different planning authorities doesn’t seem to be too great.  We may go back to the old fashioned method of printing off drawings and forms and posting them via ‘snail’ mail’!  Nevertheless we shall keep persevering.

We surveyed an old office building this week with a view to changing it into student accommodation. Our client has been informed that there is a considerable shortfall in student accommodation for the forthcoming academic years, which I think is positive in two ways - more work for us chaps and also more of the youth going through further education – “Win Win”.

As a continuation of our ‘working with Europe theme’ we were appointed to undertake a project in London for a client based in Italy.  After the initial meetings we have kept a beneficial dialogue via emails etc. Again the power of modern technology has meant that we can really be global, and that both clients and companies should embrace this. There is no real reason why both clients and consultants can’t work anywhere.

I reported in my first instalment about working with two generation of the same family. Well as an update, team mother and father have only altered their scheme twice but team daughter and son-in-law have altered five times.  I’m really enjoying working with them both, as I think the schemes are progressing well and we are creating designs that the clients are both involved with. This client participation is actively encouraged at Agrarian and in reality, as we say to clients; it’s easier to move walls on paper than when they are half built!

I aim to write the next instalment within a couple of weeks, always grateful for any feedback or comments.