Best order of proceedure with C.O?

[jess marley]

Dear all,
I think I really need to speak to a bloody good conservation architect about our house. I am EXTREMELY wary of making mistakes to do with lay-out, materials etc which may cost a fortune in time and money to undo later on.
I know my c.o, lovely though he is is, not there to hand out free advice while I dither and fanny around not making decisions. Is it alright to get an architect to consult with and prepare proposals which I then submit for l.b.c? Would that seem aggressive? Or just organised? Or should I get the c.o involved earlier?
Help!
And where do I get a good consevation architect willing to get involved with a mainly self-build type project with a very un-glamorous budget?

 

[Jocelyn]

Yes of course it is alright to get a Conservation Architect to advise and draw up plans for changes that you want to make. If they take the whole project through the planning proceedures it can save time, because a good local Architect will have an idea of what makes your Planning Department tick

To find one, try searching the 'seeking specialist' section of this website, ask around where you live for a personal recommendation, check out the fees for their service etc. Ask to see some of their work.

 

[Nemesis]

Try asking SPAB too.

 

[DaveBrigg]

We got the C.O. involved very early on, since we had very liitle idea of what needed to be done. He was wary of telling us what to do, but was very helpful in answering questions, and mentioning possibilities that we could think about. If you ask now, the worst thing that could happen is they might say no.