A design and access statement costs from £235 at Fixed Fee Plans, written from the drawings you already have. It is the short document that explains why a scheme looks the way it does and how people reach it, and for many householder applications the law does not require one, which we tell you before you pay.
That honesty matters here, because statements get sold to people who do not need them. An ordinary extension to a house outside a conservation area needs none. A change of use needs none. The ones who do need one are listed building consent applicants, conservation area projects above a size threshold, and anything classed as major development.
Do I need a design and access statement?
Probably not for an extension to your own house, unless it is listed or sits in a conservation area and adds enough floor space. Article 9 of the Development Management Procedure Order says a statement is needed for major development, or, where any part of the development is in a designated area, for one or more new dwellinghouses or for buildings where the floor space created is 100 square metres or more. A designated area means a conservation area or a World Heritage Site.
Two cases are excluded. A material change of use does not need one, and neither does a section 73 application to vary conditions. The planning practice guidance adds that applications for listed building consent must be accompanied by one, which is separate from the planning rule. So a rear extension of 30m² in a conservation area needs no statement for the planning application, and the same extension to a listed house does for the listed building consent application.
What does the statement have to say?
Five things, set out in article 9(3). It has to explain the design principles and concepts applied, demonstrate the steps taken to appraise the context and how the design takes that context into account, explain the policy adopted on access and how local policies were considered, state any consultation on access and its outcome, and explain how specific access issues were addressed.
For a house, that is rarely long. The practice guidance says the level of detail should be proportionate to the complexity of the application and should not be long. We write to the five headings, in plain English, with the street and the neighbours described accurately. A three-page statement that deals with each heading is better than ten pages that read as filler, and a planning officer has read both.
What do you need from me?
Your drawings, a few sentences about the project, and the application type. We read the plans, look at the street and the neighbouring houses, and note anything about the site that the council will care about: a conservation area, a listed neighbour, a protected tree. If the statement needs a heritage section, our heritage statement is the sensible companion, because the two share their research.
We do not design the scheme from the statement: it describes the design the drawings already show. If you have no drawings yet, our complete planning drawing service at £645 drawings + £150 survey (£795 total) produces them with the statement, forms and submission. The application pack covers the forms and location plan if you already have drawings and a statement.
What does it cost?
Our fee is from £235, and it is a floor: a larger scheme, a listed building or a site with many constraints is quoted in writing. The council charges nothing for the statement; the planning application pays the usual fee, £548 for a householder extension. Before you commission anything, our permitted development checker shows whether your project needs an application at all, because an extension that does not need one needs no statement either.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a design and access statement for a householder extension?
Usually not. You need one if the house is in a conservation area and the development adds 100m² of floor space or more, if it is major development, or if the application is for listed building consent.
Do I need one for a change of use?
No. Article 9(4) of the Development Management Procedure Order excludes a material change of use. Other documents may still be asked for by your council's validation list.
How long should a design and access statement be?
As long as the scheme needs, and no longer. The planning practice guidance says the detail should be proportionate to the application's complexity and should not be long.
Does the council charge for the statement?
No. The only council charge is the planning application fee. Our fee covers writing the statement from your drawings.