Building regulations drawings in Old Portsmouth

They are two separate approvals. Planning permission, decided by Portsmouth City Council, answers whether a scheme should be built at all — its size, look and impact on neighbours. Building regulations, checked by a building control body, answer whether it is built safely and efficiently — structure, fire, insulation and drainage. A Old Portsmouth project usually needs both, and even permitted-development work that skips planning still needs building control sign-off.

Yes — planning permission is not building control approval. The planning drawings show what the building looks like; building regulations drawings show how it is constructed, and no structural work in Old Portsmouth can lawfully complete without a building control sign-off. The two sets are drawn together but approved by different bodies, so having one never removes the need for the other. Portsmouth City Council is the decision-maker.

For anything structural in Old Portsmouth — a loft, an extension or removing a wall — we recommend full plans. The whole construction set is checked and approved before work starts, so a non-compliant detail is caught on paper rather than rebuilt on site. On the borough's georgian and georgian-revival town houses that certainty matters, and a building notice — which lets a surveyor judge compliance as work proceeds — risks costly rework. Banks and warranty providers also prefer the approved full-plans set that Portsmouth City Council or an approved inspector signs off.

Yes. You can use Portsmouth City Council's building control team or an independent approved inspector — both enforce the same regulations, so it comes down to price, availability and continuity. We draw the full-plans set to the same standard either way and submit it to whichever body you choose, then manage the queries and inspections through to the completion certificate. This applies to your Old Portsmouth address specifically.

Solid-walled period houses — common across Old Portsmouth, including conservation areas such as Old Portsmouth and Gunwharf — are the hardest to bring up to Part L without losing room or altering the fabric. We detail the insulation to hit the required U-values with the least intrusion, using internal or roof-level build-ups and, where a planning condition protects the exterior, methods that satisfy both the energy standard and the heritage requirement at once. Portsmouth City Council is the decision-maker.

We price each Old Portsmouth job individually, because the structural content and the size of the construction set vary from a single beam to a whole-house refurbishment, and send a fixed, no-obligation quote within one working day. It covers the full-plans drawings and structural calculations with free revisions until sign-off. The building control body's own fee is separate. Call 020 7864 7245 to start. Portsmouth City Council is the decision-maker.