Structural alterations are the works that change how a building carries its load: new openings, beams, removals and the support that replaces what was there. GS Renovation works in Potters Bar as a contractor, appointing structural engineers and building to their calculations. We coordinate the building control applications and inspections, and quotations are free with no obligation.
Which authorities you deal with in Potters Bar
Two of them, and they are not the same body. The local planning authority is Hertsmere Borough Council, whose Civic Offices are at Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1WA. Building control is delivered by Hertfordshire Building Control, a service owned by eight local authorities: Dacorum, Broxbourne, Hertsmere, East Herts, North Hertfordshire, Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield and Stevenage.
Keeping the two apart saves time. A structural alteration can need building regulations approval and no planning permission at all, or it can need both. We establish which applies before the quotation is finalised.
How the inspections are booked
By telephone or WhatsApp, and early in the day. Hertfordshire Building Control takes same day site inspection bookings by both, and its guidance says appointments are full by 9.30am. For final inspections it asks for 24 hours notice, so that its surveyors can review the relevant information before the site visit.
The certificate at the end is the point of all of it. Hertfordshire Building Control says a completion certificate will probably be required on the sale or a future sale of the property. We hold the file open until it is issued and hand it over with the rest of the paperwork.
Demolition inside a conservation area
It needs a consent of its own. Hertsmere Borough Council states that within conservation areas no building, or principal part of a building, can be demolished without first seeking conservation area consent, subject to certain exceptions. Hertsmere has designated two conservation areas in Potters Bar: Potters Bar, The Royds and Potters Bar, Darkes Lane (West). If your address is in either, that question is settled before anything comes down.
The Article 4 Directions over Potters Bar's employment sites
They remove permitted development rights on named sites. Article 4 Directions apply to the Cranborne Road and Station Close sites in Potters Bar. They cover both Class MA change of use from commercial, business and service use to residential, and Class ZA demolition and replacement with new dwelling houses. Those directions took effect on 25 May 2023 and were modified by the Secretary of State on 14 June 2023.
Hollies Way is covered by both directions as well. It is one of only three Class ZA sites outside the borough's employment areas. Class ZA permitted development rights cannot be used within 3km of an aerodrome, and much of Hertsmere lies within 3km of Elstree Aerodrome. Where a project involves a building on one of those sites, the planning route comes before any structural design.
- Temporary works, propping and needling
- Underpinning and foundation strengthening in sequenced bays
- Wall plate, joist hanger and restraint strap installation
- Crack repair, helical bar stitching and masonry restraint
- Structural surveys and engineer coordination
Why Choose GS Renovation in Potters Bar
Structural work goes wrong at the consent stage more easily than at the brickwork stage, and that is the part we carry. The planning side sits with Hertsmere Borough Council and the building control side with Hertfordshire Building Control, and we deal with both so you are not translating between them. We appoint the structural engineer and build to the calculations rather than writing them. GS Renovation Ltd is registered in England, company number 14611254, and fully insured.
- Straight advice on what is and is not worth spending money on
- A dedicated project manager from first survey to handover
- Building control inspected at foundation, steel and completion
- Free follow-up visit after completion if anything needs attention
- Load paths carried properly down to foundations
- Existing structure protected and monitored as the engineer requires