Ranshaw Group · Lincolnshire
Planning & BuildingControl Managementin Lincoln & Lincolnshire
Keep approval requirements connected to the construction plan, with planning applications and building control managed where your project needs them.
Get a Free QuoteFree site visit · No obligation · 18-month workmanship guarantee
40+ years
Combined team experience
£10m
Public liability insurance
18 months
Workmanship guarantee
Free
Initial site visit & quote
Your project
Planning & Building Control Management,
from the ground up
Planning and building control are separate parts of preparing a construction project. Planning generally considers the proposed development and use in its context, while building regulations address applicable standards for building work. A project can need one, both or a different approval route depending on its circumstances. Understanding that distinction helps avoid an important mistake: treating a planning decision as if it automatically confirms every construction detail or removes the need for building-control checks.
Ranshaw Group manages planning applications and building control where a construction project requires them, including HMO conversions. This sits alongside our full design-and-build capability from groundworks to completion across Lincolnshire. We are a family-run company with over 40 years of combined team experience across construction trades. Your initial site visit and project quotation are free and carry no obligation. The precise management scope is agreed for the actual project rather than presented as a universal approval package.
This service is relevant when an extension, conversion, new building or another agreed construction project needs its design, submissions and site stages coordinated. You may be starting with a new brief or have existing drawings and decisions to review. Professional management helps identify the information still needed and the relationship between approval requirements and the construction programme. It does not transfer an authority's decision to the contractor: permission, conditions and statutory inspection requirements remain matters for the relevant bodies and the specific proposal.
Before work begins
Avoid the problems
that cost twice
Starting work on the assumption that permission is unnecessary can create a problem that is harder to resolve after construction has begun. Permitted-development rules are conditional, property restrictions vary and a change in use may raise separate questions. Existing approval documents may not cover a revised design. Check the actual proposal rather than relying on an example from a neighbouring property or an informal assurance. A clear approval route gives the construction scope a more reliable basis without promising that every application will succeed.
Building-control requirements also need to be connected to site progress. If relevant work is covered before an inspection or required information is available, demonstrating what has been done can become more difficult. Other common mistakes are leaving conditions unread, confusing planning drawings with construction details and assuming specialist reports are included without agreement. These issues can create revised submissions, programme uncertainty or additional work. Identify responsibilities and outstanding information early so the next construction stage is not based on a misunderstood decision.
Our process
A clear route from first visit to sign-off
Project & existing-record review
Share the proposed work, site address and any drawings, decisions or previous approval records. The free initial visit and discussion help establish the starting point and identify missing information. Existing permission should be checked against the current proposal, rather than assumed to authorise every later change or related piece of construction.
Approval route & responsibilities
The project needs its relevant planning and building-control route identified. Some proposals may involve additional permissions or specialist information. Agree what we will manage and who provides each supporting item. This is a scope decision for the actual project; we do not claim to act as the planning authority, building-control approver or every specialist adviser.
Design information & submissions
The information supporting an application needs to match the proposed work. Planning drawings and construction details serve different purposes, and further technical input may be needed. Discuss submissions, fees and specialist reports within the project agreement rather than assuming every associated cost is included because management is part of the construction service.
Decisions, conditions & site stages
Relevant authority responses and conditions must be considered before the construction sequence is treated as ready. Building-control inspection stages need coordinating with the work so relevant elements can be checked before concealment. Timings depend on the proposal and authority process; we do not publish a guaranteed decision date or promise an application outcome.
Completion records & sign-off
At completion, discuss the approval records and documents relevant to the agreed work. Keep them with the drawings and product information for future reference. Our 18-month workmanship guarantee applies to the construction works, with manufacturer warranties matched; it is not a guarantee of permission, a substitute for authority decisions or a promise that later alterations are automatically covered.
Built around your priorities
What a coordinated project gives you
Separate requirements made clearer
Distinguishing planning from building control gives each part of the project its proper role. That helps prevent a permission decision being misread as approval of every technical detail, or a building-control discussion being treated as permission for the proposed development.
Approvals connected to the build
Management alongside design and construction helps keep submission requirements, authority responses and site stages in the same project discussion. The value is clearer coordination, not an unsupported claim that approvals will be faster or that conditions cannot affect the programme.
Responsibilities agreed early
A defined scope identifies who provides drawings, specialist information and supporting records. It is more useful than a broad assurance that everything is included, particularly where separate reports or permissions are required for a specific site or use.
Records retained for the property
Keeping relevant decisions and completion information together supports future reference when the property is maintained, altered or reviewed. It does not promise a particular sale outcome, but helps avoid treating important project documents as incidental paperwork after construction is complete.
The details that matter
Methods, materials & site requirements
Planning applications & permitted development
The need for an application depends on the proposal, property and relevant local restrictions. Some householder or agricultural development may fall within conditional rights, but these should be checked rather than assumed. Use changes and site-specific constraints can create different requirements. The service manages applications where required and agreed; it does not guarantee permission or certify that every proposal is permitted without the appropriate assessment and authority information.
Building regulations & construction details
Building-control requirements depend on the work and apply separately from planning. Structural information, drainage, thermal performance and other technical details may need to be considered within the design. Materials and methods must match the applicable requirements and specification, rather than being selected solely because they appear on a planning drawing. Agree responsibilities for any specialist technical input and coordinate the relevant checks with construction progress before work is covered.
Fees, specialist input & changes
Authority fees, surveys and specialist reports need clear treatment in the project scope. No standard management fee or inclusive approval package has been supplied. A revised design may require further review or updated information, so changes should be discussed before construction proceeds on them. For an HMO, licensing is another separate matter and should not be assumed to be resolved by planning or building control alone.
General guidance: GOV.UK: building regulations approval. Requirements are checked for the individual site and proposal.
Your questions answered
Before you book planning & building control management
How much does planning & building control management cost in Lincoln?
Every project is quoted individually after we understand the site and the work required. There is no published fixed price or square-metre rate to substitute for that assessment. Access, ground conditions, existing services, specification and any necessary approvals can all change the scope. Your initial site visit and quotation are free and carry no obligation. Tell us the location, your aims and any available drawings so the discussion starts with the actual project rather than an assumed budget.
How long will the work take?
A standard completion time has not been provided. The programme depends on the agreed scope, design information, approvals, material availability, site access and any work that must happen before construction starts. We discuss these dependencies when reviewing your project, rather than promising the same timescale for every property. If you have a proposed move-in date, business opening or other deadline, mention it during the initial enquiry so its implications can be considered before you commit to a start date.
What happens at the free site visit?
The initial visit is an opportunity to explain the result you want, show us the site and identify the information needed for a meaningful quotation. Bring drawings, photographs, known constraints and details of any previous work where available. We discuss the proposed scope and the stages that may need further design or approval. A free visit is not a substitute for specialist surveys or a formal approval; where more investigation is needed, that requirement should be clear before the construction scope is finalised.
What guarantee and insurance do you provide?
Ranshaw Group provides an 18-month workmanship guarantee on all works and matches manufacturer product warranties. We hold £10,000,000 public liability insurance. A workmanship guarantee and a product warranty cover different things, so ask about the terms relevant to your chosen specification when reviewing the quotation. These are not promises of a fixed service lifespan or a replacement for routine maintenance. We do not hold trade-body accreditations and do not present membership badges or review scores that have not been supplied.
How are payments arranged?
For standard domestic projects, the payment schedule is a 10% deposit upon booking, 40% payable two weeks before the scheduled start date, 45% staged throughout the project and the final 5% upon sign-off. Commercial staged payments may be adapted for development loans or direct lender schedules. Each job is quoted individually, so review the written scope and payment stages together. Discuss any lender requirements at the outset rather than assuming they can be fitted around a construction programme after work has already been booked.
Do you cover Lincolnshire, and can you attend an emergency?
We cover Lincoln, Grantham, Boston and Sleaford, along with the other Lincolnshire locations listed on our website. Contact us with the site address so we can discuss your project. Our published hours are Monday–Saturday, 6am–6pm, and Sunday, 8am–6pm. An emergency or out-of-hours response service has not been provided, and we do not promise a response time. Call 07960 180466 to discuss availability; for an immediate danger, use the appropriate emergency service rather than waiting for a building quotation.
Can you guarantee planning approval in Lincoln?
No. Decisions are made by the relevant authority against the proposal and applicable requirements. We manage planning applications and building control where required, but do not promise permission, a decision date or an exemption from conditions. Share existing records and the current proposed work so the scope can be discussed properly. A contractor's quotation is not an authority decision, and work should not rely on an approval that has not been confirmed.
Do approvals expire, and does the workmanship guarantee cover them?
Approval documents can contain conditions and time-related requirements, so read the actual decision and check the applicable position with the relevant authority. No single validity period is quoted for every approval route. Our 18-month workmanship guarantee covers construction workmanship, not permission decisions or the lifespan of an approval. Keep the relevant records and seek clarification before changing the design or assuming an older decision still covers the proposed work.
Free site visit · No obligation
Give your planning & building control management project a clear starting point
Tell us about your site and the result you want. We’ll discuss the work required and arrange a free initial visit, with an individual quotation for your project.
£10m public liability insurance · 18-month workmanship guarantee