Planning Permission process

[SolarCity]

We've just won a large ground mount project which will require planning permission. We've agreed to help our client through the process but we're a little blind ourselves. Can anyone shed any light on where we should start?

Do we need an architect to do some drawings? I'm assuming we will.

 

[TedM]

You'll need some plans, definitely, but using an architect for this is probably over the top. They need to be to scale but probably don't need much detail.

Check the local council website. They will have a planning section and should include all the details you will need to provide along with the application form itself. Also you'll probably need to ring them to calculate the planning fee that will need to be paid as this will be based on the area of ground that will be covered.

You'll also need to get the planning officers opinion (in writing) as to whether the development warrants the production of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - unless it is a massive project or impacts on a heritage area then it probably won't.

 

[SolarCity]

Thanks Ted, that's really helpful.

 

[TedM]

Have a look here as well:

Planning Portal - Planning Permission

 

[Worcester]

Careful with the area covered!

One element of the fee is based on ground area, the big wind people have got it all sussed out.

You should be able to only take into account the actual area (vertically) covered by the panels - including swept if they are tracking, and NOT included the ground area between rows etc, if it it really is a 'LARGE' system these things add up. You will also need proper drawings of inverter housings (if building based) etc.

Interesting you say that you've 'won' because without planning they can't install it, so presumably you have a clause that ensures you get paid a certain amount even if planning is refused?

 

[pcollins]

You can download a plan of an address/grid ref at the common required scales for about £10 - £15 from various websites, I think our recent ground mounted system needed 1:500 scale.

We then marked the area and location of the array on this by hand. It's not been returned (yet), although permission hasn't yet come through either. But the planning dept at our local council were pretty helpful to our customer.

 

[SRE]

We've just won a large ground mount project which will require planning permission. We've agreed to help our client through the process but we're a little blind ourselves. Can anyone shed any light on where we should start?

Do we need an architect to do some drawings? I'm assuming we will.

Congratulations - looks like we're all being stretched in directions we didn't expect

 

[SolarCity]

Interesting you say that you've 'won' because without planning they can't install it, so presumably you have a clause that ensures you get paid a certain amount even if planning is refused?

Well the client is paying for all fees related to the planning process so we certainly don't mind putting some man-hours in to try and get the project off the ground. To be honest, we don't anticipate any problems but then I may well be being a little naive!