Work already carried out in March without the right permission isn’t automatically a lost cause, but it needs handling properly and honestly, since the council assesses it on exactly the same planning merits as anything submitted beforehand, refusal genuinely carries enforcement risk.
Get StartedA retrospective planning application in March is assessed exactly as if the work hadn’t been built yet, the same policies, the same design standards, the same weight given to neighbour impact. Having already done the work carries no advantage and, in practice, sometimes adds pressure since the council can see precisely what’s been built rather than a proposal on paper.
This is genuinely different from a certificate of lawfulness, which isn’t discretionary at all, it simply confirms a legal fact once enough time has passed without enforcement action. Retrospective permission has no such time-based shortcut, and refusal carries real enforcement risk, up to and including a requirement to reverse the work.
Every March enquiry gets checked against both real routes, retrospective permission and, where the timing genuinely fits, a certificate of lawfulness, before anything’s recommended.
A realistic read on your chances
Reduced by acting properly now
Prepared to the same standard
Applications moved along quickly
Every March case starts with an honest look at what’s actually been built and how it measures up against current planning policy, no assumptions made either way.
From there, we prepare an application addressing exactly what March’s planning team will assess, built to the same standard as any fresh submission.
Given the genuine stakes involved, we stay engaged with March’s planning team throughout, right up to a final decision.
Every March case gets assessed properly against current policy, since telling someone the truth upfront matters more here than almost anywhere else.
We’d rather point a March client toward the more certain route, where it genuinely exists, than default to retrospective permission out of habit.
Whatever’s actually been built in March, we handle the situation properly, honest assessment first, then a genuinely well-prepared application.
Whether it’s a loft conversion planning permission scheme in March or something else entirely, the retrospective process works the same way. If you need help with a retrospective planning application, give us a call on 0330 133 5316 or fill in the form below.
A certificate of lawfulness in March confirms a legal fact once enough time’s passed without enforcement, it’s not discretionary. Retrospective permission is genuinely assessed on planning merits and can be refused.
It’s a real risk in March, refusal doesn’t just mean starting over, it can trigger enforcement action against work that’s already been carried out.
No, March’s council treats a retrospective case the same as a fresh one, already-built work carries no automatic weight either way.
No discount, March retrospective applications are charged the same fee as a standard application, sometimes with additional scrutiny depending on the circumstances.
Typically 8 weeks from validation for straightforward March cases, though genuinely contested applications can take longer.
Nothing, understanding your March situation honestly, including whether a certificate of lawfulness might apply instead, comes before any fee discussion.