Permission in Principle Approved by Bexley for 5 to 7 Flats
Permission in Principle from the London Borough of Bexley for a residential development of five to seven flats, using the PiP route to establish the principle of development before committing to detailed surveys and technical reports.
PLANNING APPROVALSBEXLEYLONDONPERMISSION IN PRINCIPLE
Andrew Ransome
6/28/20262 min read
In 2019, the London Borough of Bexley approved a Permission in Principle application for a residential development of between five and seven flats.
The PiP route was chosen to establish the principle of development at low cost before incurring the expense of detailed technical surveys — a strategically efficient approach for a site with multiple identified complexities.
Permission in Principle in Bexley
Permission in Principle (PiP) was secured from the London Borough of Bexley for a residential development of five to seven units, approved at Planning Committee.
The project arose from an instruction on a residential development site where an initial appraisal identified several complexities that made it prudent to test the principle of development before investing in the full suite of technical reports that a conventional planning application would require.
Permission in Principle is a two-stage application route introduced to give developers — particularly SMEs — an efficient and lower-cost way to establish whether residential development is acceptable in principle on a given site, without the upfront commitment of detailed surveys and drawings.
Stage one confirms the principle;
stage two, known as Technical Details Consent, then deals with the specifics.
Critically, the Council can only consider the principle of development at stage one — it cannot refuse on technical grounds that are reserved for the second stage.
The PiP application was prepared and submitted to Bexley Council, setting out the case for the residential development of the site at a scale of five to seven units.
With PiP secured, the client can proceed to commission the necessary technical surveys and prepare the Technical Details Consent application with the benefit of a confirmed planning principle — significantly reducing the risk and cost of the overall development process.
Planning Application Advice
If you are a developer or landowner with a site that has potential but also uncertainties, the Permission in Principle route can be a cost-effective way to test the water before committing to a full application. Contact me to discuss whether PiP is the right approach for your site.
Andrew Ransome MRTPI - Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
About me
Andrew Ransome is a Planning Director and a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), with more than two decades of experience in town planning.
He specialises in delivering strategic planning solutions for complex developments across both rural and urban environments, helping clients navigate planning challenges and unlock development opportunities. Connect with Andrew on Linkedin.
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Planning Application Information
Get in touch for planning advice: Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
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