Before you think about design, it helps to know what's actually possible. We help self-builders, landowners and small developers across Milton Keynes and the surrounding area understand what their site can support, then turn that into a plan that works.
Before design begins, a new dwelling has to clear several checks: planning policy, access, amenity, overlooking, ecology, drainage, and — where relevant — heritage or Green Belt restrictions. Whether your project replaces an existing house or sits on a plot that's never been built on changes which policy tests actually apply. Getting this wrong after committing to drawings is the most common way new-build projects stall.
Long description. A new dwelling is proposed. If it replaces an existing house on the same plot, it is assessed against replacement dwelling policy, which considers proportionality to the original building. If it does not replace an existing house, it is assessed against general housing policy instead, including Green Belt and countryside restrictions where relevant.
Every site is different, so the first step is understanding what yours can support.
Rather than starting with detailed drawings, we begin with a feasibility review — establishing what the site can support, what planning route applies, and where structural or Building Regulations issues are likely to arise. Design and technical coordination happen alongside each other, not one after the other, so nothing discovered late forces a redesign.
Once feasibility is established, here's exactly what happens next.
Understanding your objectives, the site and any known constraints before discussing the most appropriate route forward.
Typically 1–2 weeks — establishing what the site can support and which planning route applies before any detailed drawings begin.
Initial ideas are refined into a coordinated proposal that responds to the site, planning requirements and your brief.
A full planning application, normally subject to an eight-week statutory determination period for non-major development, or 13 weeks for schemes classed as major development.
Building Regulations drawings and structural coordination, prepared so construction can proceed with confidence.
Where required, we continue supporting the project during construction, helping resolve design queries as they arise.
With the process clear, here are the questions we're asked most often.
Yes — new dwellings almost always need a full planning application; Permitted Development rarely applies to a brand-new house in the way it can to an extension or loft conversion. Local authorities normally aim to determine a validated application within eight weeks for non-major development, or 13 weeks for schemes classed as major development, though further information, negotiation or an agreed extension of time can make the process longer. We assess your site's policy position before you commit to detailed drawings, so there are no surprises partway through.
A Design and Access Statement explains how a proposal responds to its site, setting, layout and access. It's required for major development, listed building consent applications, and certain proposals within conservation areas or World Heritage Sites — for other new homes, the local authority's validation requirements determine what supporting design statement is needed. Where one is required, we prepare it alongside the drawings, not as a bolt-on afterthought, since it's often what determines whether a planning officer understands the reasoning behind the design.
It means the same full design, planning and Building Regulations support as any client — self-build describes who owns and commissions the project, not how much of the process you're expected to manage yourself. We coordinate structural engineers and other consultants alongside the design work either way.
A replacement dwelling — demolishing an existing house to build a new one — is assessed against different policy tests than an empty plot, usually based on proportionality to the building it replaces. Confirming which category your project falls into is one of the first things we check, since it changes what's realistically achievable.
Yes — every new dwelling must meet Building Regulations in full, covering structure, insulation, fire safety, ventilation and drainage, generally to a higher standard than an extension. We prepare these drawings alongside the design work so structural and energy-performance decisions are coordinated from the start, not fitted around a finished design.
If a project like this looks familiar, here's what it can look like once it's built.
Planning consultancy for a new-build house, currently under consideration by the local planning authority.
See our current work
Project details will be published once the work reaches a suitable stage and client approval allows it.
Every one of these started with the same feasibility-first conversation.
A feasibility review is the fastest way to know what your land can support, before you commit to anything else.
Feasibility reviews are focused on understanding your land and identifying the most realistic route forward.
