Planning By Design Reviews 

After receiving a refusal on my planning application, I felt completely overwhelmed. Planning by Design stepped in and made the whole appeal process so much less stressful. They were patient, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive from start to finish.
I’m very grateful for their help and would highly recommend them to others.

Planning by design is a very good company to work with. The team are very helpful, supportive, informative and quick to respond to questions. They are very open and honest, no hidden agenda.

Preplanning assessment was excellent- the advise was clear, meaning we know there is a good likelihood of ourcscheme getting planning permission. Quote was also clear and detailed.

We had an excellent experience with Planning By Design.
Their service was fast, efficient and professional.
Their advice was honest and explained thoroughly to us, we were encouraged to ask questions so didn’t feel rushed, and this was also followed up with a full feasibility report.
Would definitely use their services in the future, great value.

I had an excellent experience working with Planning by Design for a conversion of existing garage and erection of a first floor extension above the garage for a room. Their professionalism and attention to detail were evident throughout the process, and the architectural drawings were prepared to an exceptionally high standard and ultimately approved without issue.

A special mention must go to Josh, who showed remarkable patience and persistence in working with the council. He handled the back-and-forth with determination, never giving up until the approvals were secured. Alongside him, Paulina, the architect, worked tirelessly and closely with Josh to refine the drawings and ensure every detail was right. Their collaboration was outstanding and led to a brilliant outcome.

This combination of technical excellence and genuine commitment made the whole journey smooth and reassuring. I would highly recommend Planning by Design to anyone seeking reliable, high-quality architectural services backed by a brilliant team that truly cares about delivering results.

Thank you to the team, once again.

Really good experience - quick and proactive. Easy to talk with their 'expert' regarding our building project. They soon sent a detailed response to the initial questions and gave a comprehensive quote for the next steps which really helped :)

We were unsure as to how best to approach our planning application as we were doing it for the first time. Planning by Design guided us through the whole process, they responded promptly with expert advice and explanation throughout. The document submitted to the council was very professionally compiled and presented and when the council emailed Planning by Design with questions or requests their emails were quickly forwarded to us with a note setting out exactly what was required. Planning by Design delivered an excellent, personable, value for money, professional service promptly. A successful one too as we obtained our planning permission. We will certainly now use them for our building control drawings. Recommended.

My advice to anyone reading this. Just stay away. I wish I’d read the reviews before paying. Process hasn’t even finished yet and already it’s been very costly which they fail to mention to you. Want to speak to your architect? More money. Want your architect to come out to your property? More money. Submit application? More money. This has been very stressful and I haven’t even mentioned half of it. The 1 star reviews are real.

Great service , simple to deal with, got all my planning passed for my Cabin Airbnb

I found Planning by Design really friendly and helpful throughout the process. They took the time to understand my situation and gave clear, balanced advice without any pressure. Even though I didn’t go ahead with any further work, they helped me make the right decision for my circumstances and I really appreciated their honesty and guidance. Would happily recommend them for their professionalism and genuine approach.

We used Planning By Design to plan an extension (permitted development) to a domestic dwelling.

I WOULD NOT RECCOMMEND THIS COMPANY

They do not make in person visits as default and expect you to make all your own measurements. These should be done by a professional with the proper (laser) equipment - no matter how good you think you are this should be done by the person drawing the plans for accuracy and accountability.

They do not take account of building regs or drainage/foundation requirements in their initial planning stages, even though these can have a fundamental impact on the overall design.

They offer paid incentives for positive reviews (£20 amazon vouchers), when we questioned this policy they decided to "review our account" and tried to charge us an extra £200 for "design changes" - all of which were actually their errors.

In our case, we got our permitted development permission, but we are having to go through everything again with a local designer, and consider more accurate measurements, details that were missed, and things like utility requirements.

If we had just gone with a local architect/planner in the first place we could have got more accurate plans, and considered all the complicating factors as we decided what we wanted.

Even if it costs more it is better to go with a local professional who knows the area and will visit the site as default. They can ensure their plans are accurate and talk you through any potential complications.

I feel like I wasted my money and time by going with planning by design, yes I got the permissions required, but nothing was looked at properly or in detail by professionals.

I have learnt from my expensive mistake, make sure you don't make the same mistake!

I recently engaged Planning by Design to assist with the pre-application planning process for a house I was in the process of buying, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

From the very first contact, the team was professional, extremely responsive, and demonstrated a deep knowledge of the local planning landscape. Our assigned Town Planner was fantastic—they provided clear, practical, and honest guidance on the feasibility of the changes we planned for the property.

The pre-application advice report we received was thorough, easy to understand, and perfectly outlined the risks and opportunities before we committed to the purchase and a full planning application. This level of clarity significantly reduced our stress and gave us the confidence needed to move forward.

If you are buying a house and need expert clarity on its planning potential, using Planning by Design for the pre-application stage is an invaluable investment. They were efficient, knowledgeable, and delivered a high-quality service that exceeded our expectations.

Very Professional, Informative and Helpful Company to work with .
I have used Planning By Design to help me get the planning permission for my Projects, couple of times ,
In both Applications, they were wonderfully helpful and most of all , with a positive outcome!

Silas , Abigail, Cara , all of them are great people to work and get the result .
If they cannot do it nobody can .

I will definitely work with them and I can comfortably recommend Planning By Design.
Thanks a lot
Ramo
Alps Properties Ltd.

Highly recommend!

I recently considered converting a property from commercial to residential use and needed some pre-planning advice. I found this company online, and Kim, the agent I dealt with, was absolutely amazing — a real credit to the business.
The appraisal carried out by the team was thorough, well-documented, and very informative.
Although I didn’t end up purchasing the property, I’ll definitely be using this team for any future property planning needs.

We contacted Planning by Design for planning advice and were very impressed with the service throughout. The whole team was helpful, professional, and responsive at every stage. Our town planner was local and highly knowledgeable, which gave us confidence that all advice was tailored to our area and circumstances.

The process was clearly explained and well managed, allowing us to make fully informed decisions with all the relevant information at hand, and without any surprises or delays. The cost was competitive and excellent value for the quality of service provided.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking clear, expert guidance on planning matters.

Aaron and the rest of the team at Planning By Design provided an excellent service throughout the process, from the initial planning report, architect drawings, through to the submission and overseeing the planning application.
Even though the project itself is small architecturally, the location of the garage made it tricky to navigate, especially with it being next to a conservation area as well as being in flood risk zone 3.
Without Aaron's guidance, I would have pulled out of the planning application after receiving the flood risk report. Thankfully, Aaron convinced us to move ahead as planned, and we got planning approval to convert the garage into a self contained "granny" annexe.
We are delighted with this outcome. And very happy with the experience we had working with Planning by Design. I plan to use them again for any future projects that require planning approval, as well as recommend their services to friends and family.

They done everything had no stress and always helpfull if need assistance

Very good experience. Presented various options for our extension and created planning drawings very quickly and planning was approved shortly after. Highly recommended. I will be using again.

Very professional Services,
Highly Recommend Organisation

A friendly articulate firm who explained the planning process over the phone and by an extensive email. The firm looked at my individual circumstances rather than just my bank balance.