PDF Document Combination Tool – Combine 2 PDF
I needed a simple tool that I can use at home to combine PDF (and some other file types) and then pump this out as a single PDF. This was…
Good Practice in Wall Construction
I was thinking about building a garden wall and did some investigations as to a solid construction. Here's a diagram I put together with some notes on the composition. Note…
Decoding Architectural Drawing Abbreviations: A Quick Guide for Planning Applications
When dealing with plans everyday its useful to have a basic understanding of some of the acronyms that architects regularly use. Councils also regularly get approached by new home owners…
What Happens After Planning Permission is Granted in the UK?
A guide to non-material amendments, conditions discharge, and planning obligations Gaining planning permission is a major milestone, but it doesn’t mean the Planning work is finished. Across the UK, most…
Building Regulations Approval: What Happens After Consent?
So although strictly speaking this is not planning related if you are working in planning the building warrant process acts in parallel with planning permission and it is a good…
A Practical Framework for Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is often described as a destination — a point at which an organisation becomes “fully digital.” In reality, it’s not a destination at all. It’s a continuous journey…
When is a Non-Material Variation Application required on planning permission in Scotland?
When you’ve secured planning permission for a new house (or development), the last thing you really want is to get bogged down in paperwork for small design tweaks. But frequently…
Judging Marginal Infringements on Permitted Development for Advertisements in Scotland
When dealing with advertisements in the Scottish planning system, one of the trickiest questions for both officers and applicants is how to handle marginal infringements. These are the “near misses”…
Location Plan App : HTML Javascript
Location Plan App I thought it would be useful to have a simple application that could create simple location plans for more accurate site locations. Its not perfect and its…
Postgres 4 Planners : CSV Export Tool
So a sister tool to CSV Import created because I was faced with a situation where I wanted to export a view (Housing Land Audit data in this case) into…
Housing Land Audit – Data Mining Proposal Field
This is a practical example of how you can, if you are using Postgres (or any other database), use the power of SQL to speed up the analysis of information.…
Street Furniture – rundown of 20 leading UK companies
When I am on holiday I like wandering around the streets and looking at the landscaping of public spaces. We have recently (2025) been to London and Madrid and both…
Site Development – Trade by Trade Sequence
Again I wanted to have a baseline overview of the stages of a larger housing development once the development actually starts to be built - again a non-residential development would…
Procedural Overview of Permission Administration for site through to Completion (UK Planning authority focus)
Much like an order of trades for actually building out houses on a housing site there is an order of adminstration that needs to be managed when site construction really…
Scotland – Amended Application Fees Monday 09 June 2025
The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 These come into force on Monday 09 June 2025 Planning Application Fees - Detailed Post - This is…
Site Visits – Route Planner Tool
A simple tool to assist with Route Planning I've had problems before where I am trying to get to a number of different sites and I want to easily have…
Postgres 4 Planners : QGIS optimisation – SAVE database connection
Example here QGIS v3.40 Bratislava Opening projects in QGIS can result in multiple and continual requests to authenticate every database connected to a project. This gets old quickly. You will…
OS Open Network – Shortest Route Measurement
It is February 2019 and I had written about using pgrouting to display the shortest distance between 2 points on a network using Postgres and the Ordnance Survey Network on…
Prior Notification and Prior Approval
1. Prior Notification What it is: A simpler process where the developer notifies the local planning authority (LPA) of their intention to carry out certain types of permitted development. Purpose:…
Scottish Government publishes new Guidance on Housing Land Audit
Importance of the Audit The Housing Land Audit is an annual count of future housing coming forward and a record of historical completions on former site. It is a principle…
Postgres 4 Planners : Housing Land Audit Automation
Simple Question : Using automation can we get an idea of completions on Scotlands Housing Land Supply sites only from open source data? Here I use the Ordnance Survey's Open…
Postgres 4 Planners : CSV Import Tool
Requirements - psql tooling installed locally link It continues to be outrageously easy to use AI to help create tools that assist in daily tasks. Here I create a simple…
Plan App Representations – Window for Comments
After submission of a planning application householder and larger applications neighbours and interested parties have the right to comment in support, objecting to or neutrally on an application. What is…
Postgres 4 Planners : SHP File Command Import Tool
Unfortunately - the shape 2 pgsql command cannot be installed separately (easily ie without resorting to binary files) using the psql tool separate installer. So it is easier just to…
Duration of Planning Permission (Scotland)
Time limits on existing planning permissions - General Rule 3 years Section 58(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended 1st October 2022, provides that grant…
Geoserver WFS Creator 2.0.0 Tool
Its possible to limit the number of layers that are brought back from a capabilities request to a Geoserver. I have not been able to limit to an individual layer…
Residential Annexes and Ancillary Accommodation – Permitted development
The Peak District published a comprehensive policy document on the complexity of determining what is ancillary and what is not. Link below Peak District - Residential Annexes - Supplementary Planning…
Postgres 4 Planners: Dump and Restore Tool
Single Database (using command line tools & custom format *.dump) MY PREFERRED METHOD (Databases or Tables- here from Windows client) Overview (click to go straight to STEP) STEP 1 : Preparation…
Curtilage – a definition
One of the most common planning applications councils receive is for development within the grounds of a property. In order to be considered as a householder planning application those structures…
Overview Planning Application Preparation Flow Chart (Local/Major) – UK / Scotland
Prior to even submitting a planning application a significant amount of information needs to be collected. Time and money needs to be budgeted for this process. I have attempted to…