RURunnymede · Surrey
Planning and architectural services in Runnymede
Planning applications, architectural design, technical drawings, Building Regulations and structural support for projects in Runnymede, from our office in Slough.
- Authority
- Runnymede Borough Council
- Focus
- Planning / Design / Technical
- Office
- Slough
- Scope
- Residential / Commercial
01Planning applications
Planning applications in Runnymede. Complete from the start.
We prepare and submit the application. Runnymede Borough Council decides it.
Runnymede Borough Council publishes a validation checklist for householder applications and a validation document for other application types, setting out the national and local information each needs. An application cannot be decided until the council has everything it requires.
Depending on the site, that can go beyond the drawings. The council’s validation guidance asks for additional information for Green Belt proposals, such as existing and proposed cross-sections and floorspace figures, and a flood risk assessment where development is in Flood Zone 2 or 3. Its guidance for householder applications notes that a simple flood risk assessment may be needed.
SA Associates prepares the planning drawings and supporting documents, submits the application and handles queries while it is being assessed. We are an independent practice, not part of or affiliated with Runnymede Borough Council. The council decides the application, and planning permission cannot be guaranteed.
02Application information
What an application may include.
- DR
Drawings
Location and site plans, and existing and proposed plans and elevations.
SA Associates
- GB
Green Belt information
Cross-sections and floorspace figures where the site is in the Green Belt.
SA Associates
- FR
Flood risk
A flood risk assessment where the site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
Specialist input where required
- ST
Statements
Supporting statements the application type requires.
SA Associates
- DE
Decision
Assessment of the application against planning policy.
Runnymede Borough Council
03Planning permission
Does it need planning permission?
Not every project follows the same route. Some work can proceed under permitted development rights, a general permission granted nationally rather than by the council; other work needs a full planning application; and some sites need extra care before anything is drawn.
Most of the borough is Green Belt (78.63%, according to the council’s borough profile), and policy there controls new buildings, extensions and replacement dwellings more closely. Proximity to the River Thames can bring flood risk into consideration. Establishing the planning route for the specific property is usually the first step.
What can shape the planning route
- P.01Whether the work falls within permitted development
- P.02A Green Belt location
- P.03Flood zone designation
- P.04Listed buildings or conservation areas
- P.05The property’s planning history
- P.06Whether the building is a house, a flat or commercial premises
Runnymede Borough Council also offers a pre-application advice service for householders and major developments, which can identify the main constraints and relevant policies before an application is made.
Check your project04Local Plan and authority
The policy context. Runnymede Borough Council.
The Runnymede 2030 Local Plan, adopted by the council on 16 July 2020, forms part of the development plan for the borough. It sets the policies that guide the location, scale and timing of development, including its approach to the Green Belt, and is the main policy context for planning applications today.
The council is preparing a new Local Plan. Until a new plan is adopted, the 2030 Local Plan remains in place, so proposals should be checked against current policy rather than emerging drafts.
05Building Regulations
Building control in Runnymede. A separate approval.
Planning permission and Building Regulations approval are separate. A project that does not need planning permission may still need Building Regulations approval, and planning permission does not cover the technical standard of the building work.
Runnymede Building Control, the council’s service, offers building notice, full plans and regularisation applications. Its guidance describes building notices as suitable for minor works, and says full plans should be used where work affects a public sewer, fronts a private street or involves buildings subject to certain fire safety legislation. Regularisation covers unapproved work carried out since 11 November 1985.
We prepare Building Regulations drawings and full plans information from the agreed design, coordinated with structural calculations, for assessment by the building control body. We do not issue approvals or carry out inspections.
- Building Regulations drawings
- Council guidance: building control applications
06Design and structure
Behind every application. Design and engineering.
Architectural design
A clear design makes for a clear application. We develop layouts and proposals from the existing site and your brief, with planning policy considered as the design takes shape, so the drawings submitted describe a proposal that has already been tested.
Structural engineering
Extensions, new openings, loft conversions and replacement dwellings often need structural design. Our civil and structural engineers prepare the structural design and calculations alongside the architectural and Building Regulations drawings.
07Planning appeals
If permission is refused. Review the options.
A refusal is not always the end of the process. Depending on the reasons given, a revised application or an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate may be an option. We can review the decision with you and discuss the route that fits the circumstances; the outcome of an appeal rests with the Inspector.
08Residential / Commercial
Homes and premises. Different planning questions.
01
Homes
Extensions, loft conversions, alterations and replacement dwellings, where Green Belt or flood risk policy may apply.
- Extensions and alterations
- Replacement dwellings
- New homes
02
Commercial premises
Alterations, change of use and development proposals for commercial buildings and sites.
- Alterations to premises
- Change of use
- Development proposals
09Services
One practice. Each stage covered.
Architectural Design
Design proposals and drawings that form the basis of the planning application.
Planning Applications
Drawings, supporting documents and submission to Runnymede Borough Council.
Building Regulations
Full plans drawings and technical information for building control.
Structural Engineering
Structural design and calculations for extensions, openings and new buildings.
Feasibility Studies
An early look at what a site could accommodate, including Green Belt and flood constraints.
Planning Appeals
Review of a refusal and support if an appeal is pursued.
Lease Plans
Land Registry compliant lease and title plans where premises or flats are let or sold.
10Areas in Runnymede
Across the borough. One planning authority.
We work on projects in the borough’s towns and villages, all within Runnymede Borough Council’s planning area. See all the areas we cover.
- Addlestone
- Chertsey
- Egham
- Englefield Green
- Ottershaw
- Virginia Water
11Why SA Associates
Established in 1999. Planning and technical in-house.
SA Associates has worked on residential and commercial projects since 1999, from its office in Slough. Planning, architectural design, Building Regulations and structural engineering are coordinated within one practice.
Sikandar Ali BA (Hons) Architecture, MCIOB, our Principal Consultant, is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Building. About the practice · How we work with new clients
12Project Brief
Planning a project in Runnymede?
Tell us the property address, what you would like to do and anything you already know about the site, such as previous applications or decisions.
If the property is in the Green Belt or near the river, mention it. Those are among the first planning questions we will look at.
- Phone
- 01753 709 770
- Mobile
- 07748 716 893
- info@sa.associates
- Office
- Regus House, 268 Bath Road, Slough SL1 4DX