Services
Planning Applications
Applications prepared, submitted and managed through to decision, for homeowners and developers across Dorset and Hampshire.
LUSO Architecture prepares and submits planning applications as part of a full design service or on their own. We act as your agent: we produce the drawings and statements, submit the application, deal with the case officer and respond to consultees until a decision is issued. Our approval rate across the practice's applications is 98%.
That rate comes from what happens before submission. We read the local plan and the planning history of the site, take pre-application advice where it will help, and design a scheme the authority has grounds to approve. Our two studios sit among four planning authorities: BCP Council, Dorset Council, New Forest District Council and the New Forest National Park Authority, each with its own policies and its own way of working.
What the service covers
- Planning appraisal
- A review of the site's constraints, designations and planning history, and a plain view of what is likely to be supported.
- Pre-application advice
- Where a scheme is sensitive or unusual, a formal pre-application enquiry to test it with the authority before committing to a full submission.
- Drawings and statements
- Existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections, the design and access statement, and co-ordination of surveys and specialist reports.
- Submission and management
- Validation, correspondence with the case officer and consultees, and amendments where they are asked for, through to the decision.
- After the decision
- Discharge of planning conditions, non-material and minor amendments, and advice on appeal if an application is refused.
Schemes taken through design by LUSO
Martello Road, Canford Cliffs
A carefully considered collection of luxury contemporary homes, this development has been designed to create a refined architectural identity that…
Toft Mansion, Manor Road
This project explores the comprehensive redevelopment potential of a prominent clifftop site on Bournemouth’s East Cliff, occupying a highly…
Spur Hill Avenue, Canford Cliffs
This project comprises an exclusive two-dwelling development located on Spur Hill Avenue, Poole, carefully designed to deliver a pair of luxury…
Kariba House, New Forest
A one-off luxury residence set within the landscape of the New Forest, this contemporary home has been carefully designed to sit quietly within its…
Planning Applications: common questions
- How long does a planning application take?
- The statutory period is eight weeks for householder and most minor applications and thirteen weeks for major applications, counted from the date the application is validated. Authorities can agree extensions of time, and many applications take longer where consultees raise questions.
- Which council will decide my application?
- It depends on where the property is. Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch are decided by BCP Council, the rest of Dorset by Dorset Council, and Ringwood and the surrounding area by New Forest District Council, unless the site is inside the National Park boundary, where the New Forest National Park Authority decides.
- What is pre-application advice and is it worth having?
- It is a paid service in which the planning authority gives a written view on a proposal before an application is made. It is not binding, but it shows what officers are likely to support and what they will want changed. It tends to be most useful for new dwellings, sensitive sites and larger schemes, and is seldom needed for a straightforward extension.
- Can you help if my application has already been refused?
- Yes. We read the decision notice and the officer's report, and advise whether the better route is an appeal or a revised scheme that answers the reasons for refusal. A revised application is often quicker.
Where we work, and further reading
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Whether you are planning a new build, a renovation, or a development, we would love to hear about it.