Listed Building Architectural Services

I was shocked at the speed at which the Planning Inspectorate had granted the appeal, after a planning struggle that has taken 18 months from the start until today (10 November 2020).

I most sincerely thank you for the professional expertise you have embodied, now for the second time, for what has been 2 very problematical planning issues that I have had with the North Dorset District Council planning department.

This latest planning application you took from a wholly failed application, through to a totally revised design which gave me a far better layout for my proposed requirements, whist at the same time presented an altogether better aesthetic to both the surround conservation area and listed buildings as borne out by the Planning Inspectorate report. Having read his report in detail it appears that he has almost cribbed your original application submission and one wonders what rules the NDDC planners work to.

Once again I must thank you for all the hard work that you have done on my behalf and I assure you I will always highly recommend your practice.

It’s been a pleasure working with Kim. We have a Grade II listed house and have had to apply for Planning Permission and Listed Buildings Consent for work a couple of times in the last few years. Kim has been responsive and pragmatic on each occasion, offering sound professional advice. She draws on her extensive knowledge of historic buildings-and the planning process – to deliver excellent results.

Kim is decisive and creative, sharing her expertise on a range of complex is- sues. Her experience and professionalism have ensured an excellent outcome and our home is all the better for it. We have achieved practical solutions enabling us to live comfortably in a listed building whilst still preserving the house for future generations. None of this would have been achieved without Kim’s practical support and we are really pleased with the results.

Kim was recommended to us by friends in the village after we had two planning applications for a new build project rejected, despite the expensive efforts of “so called” planning consultants. In late November we engaged Kim to submit the application on our behalf. After one site meeting Kim was able to produce the drawings and supporting documentation necessary. She submitted our application within three weeks of engagement and approval was granted in the first week the following March.

Complications on site required two subsequent Variations of Condition. In both cases, Kim only required a single email explaining the revised requirement and she amended the drawings and successfully obtained the Variations without interrupting works.

Our only regret in the project, is not hiring Kim several years sooner. Her work ethic is absolutely professional and efficient. She will not say two words when one will suffice, which was a breath of fresh air compared to the less effective planning “experts” we had dealt with previously.

We would highly recommend Kim to anyone embarking on a building project where time and money are valuable commodities. She wastes neither.

It’s been a steep learning curve. Nine months after buying my rather dilapidated Grade 2 listed cottage, I was no closer to gaining the consents I needed to carry out the necessary works, the application wasn’t even really what I wanted (or needed), I had the prospect of an enforcement order hanging over me and I was tired of constantly pushing my agent to try and keep things moving. A neighbour recommended Kim and, following an initial rather intense exchange of phone calls and e-mails, I felt confident that she had the knowledge, drive and focus to get my project back on course.

It was a completely different experience. Communication was excellent with a consistently fast response time. The application needed a complete overhaul and, this time, my requirements and ideas were taken on board. The advice I received was much clearer and more direct and I soon came to trust her opinion on deciding which proposals were realistic and achievable and which should be shelved. Her experience was absolutely invaluable in navigating the convoluted and often incomprehensible system of listed building and planning consents and her ongoing dialogue with the Council officers was remarkably productive. Crucially, she was adept at determining when to hold her ground and when to seek compromise. Needles to say, six months on I have the consents I need and work is about to begin.

Someone once said to me ‘I know a lady and if she can’t get you through planning no- body can, whether that is entirely true or not I cannot say, but what I do know is that Kim Sankey of Angel Architects worked wonders for us!

Having had our Listed Planning Application turned down a year earlier I knew we need- ed someone who not only understood the planning process inside and out but who was equally good at communicating between client and planning department.

Kim listened to our exact requirements, responding with sensitive and innovative ideas and took the reins guiding dialogue from application through to approval.

A no nonsense, hard working individual with the added bonus of offering a quotation rather than an estimate. I can’t sing Kim’s and Angel Architects praises highly enough!

We needed a Heritage Report for our emerging Neighbourhood Plan and having had a go at it ourselves realized what a mammoth task it was. Kim Sankey nobly took on the challenge and it was a delight to show her round our joint Parishes and to see things we thought we were familiar with, through a professional’s eyes. The result was a detailed, professionally written report that met the brief very well, generating a lot of interest from residents.

Kim, thank you for a report we can be proud of and a job well done.