Planning reports in London
Structural feasibility, planning statements, fire safety statements and responses to planning conditions.
About these services
Planning decisions are about design, use and impact, but structural questions arise more often than people expect. This group covers the engineering documents planning officers ask for or that strengthen an application: feasibility notes confirming a scheme can be built, structural planning statements, fire safety statements, condition discharge statements, and responses to structural objections raised during consultation. Each is written for a planning audience, with the engineering detail kept in proportion.
Architects and planning consultants are our main clients here, along with small developers and homeowners submitting their own applications. A neighbour objection claiming a basement will damage their house, a condition requiring a construction method to be approved, or a planning officer unsure whether a retained facade can stand during works all need a clear engineering answer. A short, well-reasoned statement often resolves the issue without delaying the decision.
In London, conservation areas, listed neighbours and dense terraced streets make structural feasibility part of the planning conversation. A roof extension in Southwark, a mansard in Westminster or a rear infill in Tower Hamlets can all draw questions about the existing walls. Many applications also need a fire safety statement under London planning policy. We prepare these at the right stage, so the structural thinking supports the design rather than forcing changes later.
Services in this group
- Planning-stage structural feasibility noteGCE-AP-015from £400
- Structural alteration feasibility studyGCE-AP-007from £600
- Structural planning statementGCE-AP-016from £650
- Planning fire safety statementGCE-AP-025from £350
- Planning condition discharge statement (structural)GCE-AP-023from £450
- Planning consultation response (structural)GCE-AP-024from £350
Which planning statement will your application need?
Before you submit, a planning-stage structural feasibility note confirms in a few pages that the scheme can be built and outlines how. If the alteration is ambitious, such as removing a large spine wall or adding a floor, a structural alteration feasibility study compares the options and their implications before you commit to a design. Where the council wants a fuller account, a structural planning statement sets out the approach and the risks.
After submission, a planning consultation response answers structural objections from neighbours or consultees directly. Once permission is granted with conditions, a condition discharge statement provides the information needed to clear structural conditions. Check the decision notice carefully, as some conditions must be discharged before any work starts. The planning fire safety statement can be prepared at the outset, so the application goes in complete.
Projects using these services
Frequently asked questions
Does a planning application need structural calculations?
Generally not. Planning is about whether the development is acceptable, and detailed calculations belong to the Building Regulations stage. However, councils sometimes want reassurance that a scheme can be built safely, especially for basements, upward extensions or work close to neighbours. A feasibility note or structural statement gives that reassurance without the cost of full design at an early stage.
What is a planning fire safety statement?
It is a document submitted with a planning application explaining how the scheme deals with fire safety: means of escape, the construction that limits fire spread, and access for the fire service. Requirements vary with the size and type of development, and the council's validation list will confirm what is expected. It is separate from the fire safety checks Building Control carries out later.
A neighbour has objected that my works will damage their house. What can I do?
Ask an engineer to respond. A short, factual consultation response can explain how the works will be designed and built, how the neighbour's property will be protected, and which other controls apply, such as the Building Regulations and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Planning officers welcome a clear technical answer, and it often resolves the concern.
What does discharging a planning condition involve?
Some permissions include conditions requiring further details to be approved, such as a construction method, a basement design or a drainage scheme. You submit the required information to the council, which reviews it and confirms in writing whether the condition is discharged. Some conditions must be cleared before any work starts, so build the review time into your programme.