WelshRich

Hi Helena Slow to reply but if you still need that job doing Handy Andy 07564 194363 is excellent. Really accommodating, reliable and value for money. Rich

I can endorse any recommendation for Andy. I've had him look at a few jobs for me and he's been really honest and advised I didn't need to go the full extent I imagined - saving money and stress. He's really responsive and flexible on timings that worked for me as I needed him to work around a kitchen floor fitting to do a few things and he was there before and straight after.

I can't comment on their fish, but the chippy on North Cross Road passes this northern boys high demands. I can't advise anyone to try curry sauce south of the Watford Gap, but I do dabble occasionally and can't complain

Travel Plans and Air Quality Assessments are both, amongst many many others, standard requirements for planning applications these days across London boroughs. All part of being accountable and open to scrutiny. Not to submit them would be open to alternative criticisms

Another recommendation for Aria. He came out to fix an emergency leak first thing on a Monday morning. Efficient, cheap and trustworthy. He even came back that evening to fix a couple of other jobs for me. Great service

Toffeapple - until last year I was a senior planning officer for a local authority in south west London dealing with these type of queries every day: As your property is a flat it does not benefit from Permitted Development Rights so if you propose external works that are a material alteration to the appearance planning permission would be required, and yes this does extend to replacing your front door. It is a matter of 'fact and degree' how different a change you propose as to whether the Council would require you to submit a planning application. The fact you are in a Conservation Area is a further consideration which can influence how important Southwark may view your proposed changes, they do not change the need for p.p. for external works to a flat. From experience changing from wooden to upvc is not only sufficient to warrant planning permission but something that may be of concern in a Conservation Area - in saying that you should check individual histories online for property's who you know have changed windows. Southwark may have approved them in exactly the same scenario. Often is the case that people have changed them through innocent ignorance without p.p. and no one's complained to the Council about it.(hence why you may encounter hesitancy from the planning officer at Southwark). At the end of the day the risk is yours to take. For what it's worth I have just bought a flat with metal framed windows and propose to install traditional wooden sash. I won?t be applying, trusting my judgment the Council would accept them anyway and decide it would not be expedient to pursue if they ever found out. Good luck!

Hi - I'm a long time stalker of this thread in particular as I've been waiting 5 months for my flat purchase to go through before I make the move from Battersea to ED. I'm particularly up for joining in on your Wednesday footie sesh's - hopefully perfect for a recovering from permanent injury 30 something... That's if you need anymore players?? Rich