Frequently asked questions
Architecture and planning, answered.
The questions we're asked most often, on planning strategy, Paragraph 84, National Park sites, design and how to start a project. If your question isn't here, send it to us directly.
Planning
Planning questions
Do you handle both architecture and planning?
Yes. Dames A+P is an integrated practice, architecture and planning from a RIBA Chartered Architect and an RTPI Chartered Planner, under one roof. Most firms offer one or the other; we deliver both as a single coordinated team, so design and planning decisions are made together from the first site visit.
What is Paragraph 84?
Paragraph 84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (formerly Paragraph 79, and 55 before that) is the narrow exception that allows an isolated new home in the open countryside, where the design is of genuinely exceptional quality and would significantly enhance its setting. It is one of the most demanding tests in planning. We have met it at appeal, securing consent for the Water Lily House in Hampshire.
Do you work in the South Downs and New Forest National Parks?
Yes. A large part of our work sits within the South Downs and New Forest National Parks, where planning policy is especially sensitive. Holding the planning expertise in-house means we read those constraints early and design schemes that are both ambitious and consentable.
How long does a planning appeal take?
It depends on the appeal route. Written representations typically take several months from submission to decision; hearings and inquiries take longer and are scheduled further out. We advise on the realistic timetable for your case at the outset, and prepare the representations and expert evidence needed to give it the best chance.
My application was refused, is that the end of the road?
Not necessarily. A refusal is often the start of a stronger strategy, not the end of it. With the right policy analysis, and a design that has been tested against policy throughout, many difficult sites still deliver at appeal. We assess the merits honestly before recommending whether to proceed.
Can you help if I just want to know whether a site has potential?
Yes, that is exactly what a site appraisal is for. Before you commit time or money, we give an early, realistic read of what a site can support and where the risks sit. It is the fastest way to de-risk a purchase or a proposal.
Do you work with other architects or design teams?
Yes. We act on our own schemes and alongside other architects and design teams who need planning strategy, Paragraph 84 expertise or appeal representation. We can lead a project end to end, or slot into your existing team.
Architecture
Architecture questions
What types of project do you design?
New houses and replacement dwellings, extensions and renovations, outbuildings and annexes, small residential developments, and selected commercial and education work. Much of it sits on sensitive or policy-constrained sites across Hampshire and the wider South East.
Do you design contemporary or traditional homes?
Both. The right language for a house comes from its site and its context, not a house style we impose. We design contemporary and contextual homes that read as inevitable in their setting, and that carry a planning case the authority can support.
Can you take a project from first sketch through to completion?
Yes. We take a project from feasibility and design through planning to a consented, buildable scheme, coordinating the surveys and specialists each site demands along the way.
Do I need planning permission for an extension?
Sometimes not, some work falls under permitted development. We advise early on what can be done without an application and what needs one, then design accordingly. On listed buildings and in conservation areas the rules are tighter, and we factor that in from the start.
Working with us
Working with the practice
Where are you based, and where do you work?
Our studio is in Medstead, Hampshire. We work predominantly across Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, including the South Downs and New Forest National Parks.
How do I start a project with you?
Send us your site address and a short outline of your proposal through the contact page, by email or by phone. We'll come back with a clear, realistic view of the options, usually within two working days.
What does it cost to get started?
Every project is different, so we scope and quote each one individually. The best first step is a short conversation about your site and what you'd like to achieve; from there we can set out a clear, staged proposal with no obligation.
How quickly will you respond to an enquiry?
We aim to respond to new enquiries within two working days. For urgent matters, call the studio on 07921 211386.
Get in touch
Ready to clarify your site's potential?
Share your site address and a short outline of your proposal. We'll come back with a clear, realistic view of the options.