Architectural Design and Project Management

Category Archives: planning permission

Successful Planning Application for Launton

Friday, August 12th, 2022

Members of Launton Parish Council were delighted to hear that their planning application for improvements to the Parish Hall has been granted permission by Cherwell District Council.

This gives the green light for substantial improvements to the hall to bring it up to modern standards, providing new facilities and enhancing the energy efficiency of the building. An old side extension will be demolished and replaced, to provide a new catering style kitchen. The building will be re-roofed with zinc, a tough, natural and recyclable material. PV Solar panels will generate electricity with the potential for battery storage. And replacement windows and doors will help to stop drafts and keep in the heat.

We have guided the Parish Council and Hall Working Group through the steps towards achieving planning permission, and look forward to being of further assistance when funding is available to carry out the improvements.

3D Visualisation of Improvements to Launton Parish Hall

Work Begins at Winslow Public Hall

Thursday, July 28th, 2022

Work has begun this week on a new extension and programme of improvements at Winslow Public Hall in Buckinghamshire. These will encompass a smart new entrance and lobby area, together with a modern catering kitchen, WCs and plant room. The existing large meeting hall will have enhanced public accessibility, a fresh decoration scheme and built-in storage facilities amongst other changes.

Renewable and sustainable energy solutions are always at the forefront of our thinking during the design phase. In this case, the hall will have two ranks of roof-mounted PV panels to generate electricity with battery storage to conserve the power.  As a finishing touch, the area around the new extension is a popular thoroughfare, and this will be attractively landscaped at the end of construction.

We are delighted to be working on this project on behalf of Winslow Town Council, and in conjunction with principal contractor JET Construction (Milton Keynes) Ltd.

Work begins at Winslow Public Hall
Visualisation of new extension

Play Canopy Receives Approval

Tuesday, June 7th, 2022

We were delighted recently when Greenleas School in Leighton Buzzard was granted retrospective planning permission for a play canopy on their Kestrel Way site. The large 123m2 canopy comprised of 35mm thick opal polycarbonate roof panels was installed a couple of years ago.

An oversight meant that permission had not been sought prior to construction. Our retrospective application to Central Bedfordshire Council argued that the structure is acceptable in planning policy terms: it aids children with their outdoors learning and supports delivery of the National Curriculum, it has an empathetic design that blends well with the existing school building, and also presents no harm to the neighbouring residential amenity.

Greenleas School happily now has a compliant play canopy for the children to enjoy, and the school also uses it for breakfast and after school clubs.

Play Canopy at Greenleas School, Kestrel Way

PCMS Design Shortlisted for Building Excellence Award

Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

Our team was delighted to hear last week that we have been shortlisted for a Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Central Region Building Excellence Award 2019.

We are hopeful that our new build sports hall and six classroom construction project at Henlow Academy will achieve success in the ‘Best Educational Building’ category. The project team including Central Bedfordshire Council, Henlow Academy, Cox Clifford Partnership, BSD Consulting Engineers, Marstan BDB and Borras Construction are very pleased that the project has been nominated.

This is our eighth consecutive year of being shortlisted for an Award, and we are all looking forward to attending the black tie Awards Ceremony in Milton Keynes in April. Regional category winners are put forward to the National LABC Awards.

 

 

 

New Sports & Community Pavilion Gets the Go Ahead

Monday, January 21st, 2019

Aylesbury Vale District Council has today granted planning permission for a new community pavilion building in the Buckinghamshire village of Haddenham. Located within the heart of a new residential development, the pavilion will provide both recreational and sports changing facilities for the nearby football pitches. Our design also encompasses space for other sports such as table tennis, martial arts, yoga and fitness classes, and includes a kitchen, office and plenty of storage for equipment.

This mixed use development will be of benefit to the expanding local population and also those from further afield too, when league teams visit the village. Haddenham Youth Football Club in particular are looking forward to using the pavilion.

This is a great project to be involved in as it will be a very welcome addition to village amenities!

Another Listed Building Success

Friday, January 18th, 2019

Planning and Listed Building consent has been granted by St Edmundsbury Borough Council in Suffolk for a side extension to an old water mill in the village of Kedington. The former water mill has Grade II listed status; parts of the old industrial mechanism are still visible, and the mill race, which is part of the River Stour, runs through the garden.

It was a pleasure to produce designs for what is without doubt one of the most picturesque projects that we have worked on! Planning consent has now been secured for a new rear entrance combined with a lobby and ground floor WC/ shower room. Care was taken to ensure that the new extension blends seamlessly with the existing historic building, and we produced a Heritage Statement in support of the proposal alongside other supporting statements.

We have experience of working on older listed buildings which each present with unique challenges. Do get in touch if you would like to find out more.

Planning Application Submitted for Playing Field

Thursday, January 10th, 2019

Not all of our design schemes are for buildings – we can also prepare plans for external improvement or landscaping projects.

One recent example is that of a series of enhancements to a public playing field and recreation area in a Buckinghamshire village. Working together with the local Tennis Club, Parish Council and other stakeholders we prepared plans for introducing two new mini tennis courts, an adjacent footpath for use by parents and school children and also improvements to the on-site car park and other footpaths.

Sometimes, external landscaping schemes can present interesting challenges – trees may need to be removed or cut back, for example, or underground drainage may be affected; occasionally an archaeological or environmental report is requested. With this present application, we acted as adviser and agent for the Parish Council to look after any issues raised during the planning process. We look forward to hearing the outcome of the planning application shortly.

 

Detached House Gets Permission for a Revamp

Monday, December 17th, 2018

We have heard today ahead of the determination date that home owners in Berkhamsted have been granted planning permission for improvements to their home. This is a good example of how one planning application can cover a number of different changes, in this case both to the main house itself and to other buildings and/or features within the curtilage of the dwelling.

There were three distinct proposals attached to this application: the first for new bay and dormer windows to the house, the second to convert the double garage to ancillary accommodation so that an office and gym can be created, and the third to construct a new timber framed ‘carriage house’ style garage with attached log store in the grounds.

All three of the proposed changes submitted as one  householder application have gained consent from Dacorum Borough Council just before Christmas, with no pre-commencement conditions. The family can now spend the festive season happily making plans and looking forward to making a start on their improvement projects!

 

Barn Conversion Secures Planning Consent

Friday, December 7th, 2018

In a leafy Oxfordshire village, close to the Chiltern hills, stands a barn ripe for conversion! PCMS Design worked with the homeowner to develop plans for the barn to be converted to an ancillary dwelling.

The starting point was to establish the structural integrity of the barn – and therefore its suitability for conversion. Next an ecology survey was commissioned and restrictions around when the work can be carried out were agreed with the local authority to ensure no harm comes to any potential bat roosts.

Care has been taken with the design and materials to make sure the external character and appearance of the barn is preserved, and planning permission has now been granted. When completed, the barn will have a bright and spacious open plan interior, extensive glazing with views and an external dining area.

Renewal of Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent

Thursday, November 15th, 2018

A local homeowner recently was very pleased to have planning and listed building consent (LBC) renewed by Aylesbury Vale District Council for an extension to their home. The proposal involves demolishing a conservatory at the rear, and replacing it with a more attractive two-storey extension with a glazed link corridor. A new double garage and replacement for the porch has also been granted consent.

This application was a renewal of a previously consented application to the local authority: as the three year statutory expiry of permission was approaching without work beginning, we were able to make a strong case for renewal of the planning and listed building consent.

The homeowner was very pleased to hear about the renewal of consent and commented “Great news! Thanks so much for your help with this application.” It is hoped that work will shortly begin on the home extension project.