Process
One Design for Planning and Licence to Alter
Freeholder surveyors and planning officers read different packs. They should not be reading different designs.
By Hampstead Architecture and Planning4 min read
Two packs, one model
On multi-unit buildings, Licence to Alter and planning applications often run together. Freeholder surveyors want structural method and fire/acoustic detail; officers want amenity and character. If the openings differ between packs, one of them will force redesign.
The practical answer is one measured survey and one design freeze, then audience-specific sheets. See our compare guide: planning permission vs Licence to Alter.
Where this shows up first
Marylebone estate streets, Kensington and Chelsea stucco terraces, Notting Hill garden-square conversions and Battersea mansion blocks are frequent dual-track pins. Local money pages for Licence to Alter and planning applications are written for that sequencing — not for a kitchen collage without a lease review.
Technical drawings still come later
Building regulations drawings remain a separate product once principle is clear. Freeholder consent does not replace building control. Keep the technical story consistent so tender exclusions do not appear when the contractor prices a third version of the same flat.
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