Anne's blog: From the architect's notebook

Architects, co-workers or informed clients of the future? Last Friday I had the privilege of being an ambassador – and potentially a recruiter - for my profession. I was at Shiplake College, near Henley-on-Thames, taking part in a Careers Fair for Year 12 (sixth form) students. It’s always interesting to be questioned by young people about what I do. The fresh perspective, curiosity and enthusiasm of the Shiplake students helped me see my job through new eyes and reminded me how architects are often perceived, both in good and bad ways! This was a very well-organised careers fair, with students circulating between stands in groups. The Head of Careers was keen that students expand their horizons by meeting a broad range of employers and informing themselves, instead of only targeting careers that they already knew about or were keen on. So I talked to a mix of students, some of whom were working towards a role in architecture and some who certainly were not, but were keen to k...

What is Permitted Development? Permitted development is a specific part of Planning Law. Under certain circumstances, it allows construction work to be undertaken without an application for planning permission. Certain categories of minor or insignificant development are granted an automatic planning permission by law. If your project is one of these, you can cut out a sometimes lengthy and costly planning application and approval process. What sort of projects does it cover? Permitted Development applies to some things that you might not even think need anyone’s approval – like putting up a television aerial. Most commonly, it affects people who want to do building work at their own house. That often means an extension, but also garage conversions and even changing the external appearance of a house, perhaps with new windows or render. That sounds quite straightforward… isn’t it? Sadly, it’s not. The concept of permitted development was introduced when Planning Permission w...