Making the Right Submission – Stage 3: Coordinating Consultants, Reports, and Ticking All the Boxes
Getting a successful Stage 3 submission over the line is about much more than just good design. It’s about coordination, compliance, and making sure everything is in place to satisfy planning authorities. While we handle the heavy lifting, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen.
What We Do: More Than Just Drawings
At this stage, we’re at the heart of the process—working closely with consultants, to assure we are providing all the evidence needed across a multitude of areas to satisfy the Local Planning Authority. We often liaise with planning officers and consultants to ensure our designs meet local requirements, and then pull together a compelling case for planning approval. It’s a balancing act of creativity, technical understanding, and ticking all the right boxes.
A Barefoot home in Portishead, designed in a different style to its surroundings
What Else is Required?
A strong submission isn’t just about great architecture—it needs to be backed by technical assessments and expert input. While there are steps being taken to deregulate the planning process, there are still a number of requirements that projects may need to address. The following are some common consultants that we routinely need to work with, but it is by no means an exhaustive list, and is heavily dependent on the specific needs of the project:
• Heritage consultants are often needed when developments are within urban conservation areas, to demonstrate that the design will not negatively impact on the local built heritage.
• Flood risk assessments are required for projects near or within flood zones, to demonstrate the project will not be at significant risk of flooding, or increase the flood risk of the surroundings.
• Ecological Assessments may be necessary if there are biodiversity concerns for the site or its surroundings. The most common scenario where a PEA (Preliminary Ecological Assessment) is needed is work that affects an existing roof.
• Transport consultants may be required if there are concerns about parking or vehicle access, especially where this may impact on existing roads or the surrounding neighbourhood.
• Pre-application consultations with local planning officers are advisable for projects that are potentially contentious or unconventional. These consultations usually provide a clearer picture of what evidence will be needed as part of the planning application as well.
Beyond planning requirements, it’s often beneficial to bring in other specialists early. A structural engineer will almost always be needed at a later stage, but engaging one early ensures better feasibility and alignment with our design aspirations. A mechanical & electrical (M&E) engineer can advise on heating and energy systems on projects that may be attempting something more bespoke (such as Passivhaus or implementing ground-source heat pumps). Ensuring early coordination of technical elements before full planning submission. While much of their work happens post-planning, their early involvement can smooth the entire process.
Para 84 homes have much stricter planning requirements to be meet
What to Expect: Challenges & Benefits
In the majority of cases the need to engage a consultant is due to a planning requirement. This can present certain challenges if the outcome of those assessments are not favourable to the construction the client wishes to carry out. This is one of the many scenarios in which the expertise of an architect, to modify and adapt the design to appease planning concerns, can be invaluable. It also exemplifies one of the key benefits of engaging consultants at an early stage, which is that it provides the client with a much clearer picture of the challenges facing the project near the start of the process, which allows us as designers to plan for them fully. For this reason engaging consultants can often lead to fewer costly surprises down the road.
Final Thoughts
Stage 3 isn’t just about submitting drawings—it’s about presenting a fully thought-out, coordinated proposal that stands up to scrutiny. By integrating technical, environmental, and legal considerations early, we increase the chances of approval and keep projects moving forward. If you need expert guidance for a particularly tricky project, Barefoot Architects are here to help.
Corten House, Bristol