First Permission in Principle in the London Borough of Sutton Secured for 9 Flats
McLoughlin Planning is pleased to have helped a property owner secure Permission in Principle (PiP) with the London Borough of Sutton for an upward extension (airspace) development for 9 new flats. This is the first approved Permission in Principle granted by this London Borough.
Due to the significant number of reports and plans required through validation for full planning permissions, we have been approached by SME developers to find a means of managing development risk and to ensure the principle of their aspirations is something which can be agreed with the Council before investing in the technical work required. This is particularly applicable to constrained inner-city urban development sites where upward extensions for airspace development can be met with resistance.
Following previous success in London in using Permission in Principle, we worked with the landowner to develop a scheme which could be presented through a PiP to secure the principle of airspace development for the property. As this application type considers only the location, land use and amount of development, the level of supporting information is a fraction of a full planning permission. Whilst it does not remove the considerations and risks of subsequent technical considerations, it does provide an opportunity to agree with the Council whether the amount (i.e. number of residential flats) and location of the airspace development is acceptable. As PiP’s are limited to up to 9 residential units, this type of proposal is ideally suited for smaller development proposals in urban areas.
Following submission, McLoughlin Planning worked closely with the Council and case officer to ensure the proposal was being determined correctly and to agree with the officer on the appropriate amount of development which would be realistic to approve for further technical consent.
We are so pleased to have helped provide the landowner with reassurance through the PiP of their property’s development potential and to secure another first with a London Borough.
📞 If you would like a FREE initial consultation call to explore whether your property could benefit from PiP, then please get in touch!