At LTC, we offer RIBA Plan of Work ensuring our clients have the required support from initial feasibility through to final handover. We understand that each client and project require various demands, and we can offer bespoke services to accommodate your requests.

If you would like to discuss your project and want to find out more about how we can help you, please contact us to discuss any enquires.

architecture

At LTC, we offer RIBA Plan of Work ensuring our clients have the required support from initial feasibility through to final handover. We understand that each client and project require various demands, and we can offer bespoke services to accommodate your requests.

If you would like to discuss your project and want to find out more about how we can help you, please contact us to discuss any enquires.

Pre-Planning Application 

This involves initial engagement and liaison with local authorities to receive informal advice with specific feedback in relation to the project and scheme, ensuring the project is compliant with local planning regulations going forward. 

The Pre-Planning Application involves submitting a package to include; a location plan, proposed block plan, indicative scheme proposal, and a written overview to outline the project. 

Measured Survey Works

Before commencing design proposals, we conduct measured surveys to record the existing structure and site conditions to accurately produce CAD survey drawings. 

These drawings are essential to gain a clear understanding of the existing structural conditions of the building to respond appropriately within the proposed works or site. 

We can provide measured survey works and additional building surveying services within our team, using various technologies and equipment to effectively, and efficiently conduct the tasks required depending on the scope on works.

Please see Surveying for more information of our services.

Initial Design & Design Development 

Following the project brief discussions, we develop initial design concepts in response to the client requirements, through 2D and 3D formats to form discussions for refinement until final proposals and detailed resolutions.   

Planning Application 

After a mutual agreement regarding the proposed design, we will produce a final set of drawings of which will form a main requirement for the planning application documentation. 

Depending on any additional requirements, we communicate with a wide range of trusted, long standing, and competitive external consultants to provide services regarding drainage, ecology, flood risk, engineering, acousticians, landscaping, transport, conservation and heritage, agriculture, energy accessors, and more. 

In relation to the planning application requirements, we can provide a Design and Access Statement, and Heritage Statements which essentially is a written document to provide an overview of the project scope from existing conditions through to the proposed design, and its conformity to relevant planning legislation.

We formally submit the planning application documentation and maintain the application to review any comments provided by the local authority. We ensure this information is communicated effectively with clients to ensure a successful outcome.

Following approval, we can also assist in approving matters relating to conditional approval.

Please see Planning for more information of our services.

Building Regulations

After receiving planning approval we generate detailed, technical drawings ensuring compliance with UK Building Regulations standards and Approved Documents.

This service provides a drawing package to detail information a contractor requires during on site construction.

Tender/Contract

We can provide tender packages to seek competitive prices and appoint reliable contractors to take the project on site.

We maintain engagement with tendering contractors, and respond to queries until we reach a decision with our client to appoint a contractor to deliver the scheme.

Contract Administration/ On Site Works

Our services extend to provide on-site support during construction phases to completion. We ensure stakeholders have sufficient information and is coordinated in advance of works being carried out on site, and we regularly attend the site to monitor and review progress and standards, whilst also resolving any queries that may arise.

We ensure a full review of payment requests from contractors are correct, and provide appropriate payment plans in-line with the agreed tender sum.

In some cases, external specialist consultants are required on-site. If this is the case, we can coordinate engagement and appoint appropriate consultants in agreement with the client.

As-built

Once the build phase in near completion, we undertake a detailed review to log any defects and issues that require attention and resolution before final completion.

Review on completion/handover and provide as-built drawing packages.

Expert Witness (Litigation/ Court Action)

LTC can act as an Expert Witness and provide advice to legal counsel regarding property disputes.

Our experience is greatly varied to resolve disputes such as:

• Failings in design or construction
• Party wall agreements/disputes
• Valuations for litigation purposes
• Professional negligence claims

Whether the client has experienced dissatisfied results from a project, or a situation arises where mediation is required to settle a disagreement, LTC are experts to advise solicitors or legal counsel to support our clients throughout the dispute process.

Reinstatement Valuations

By acquiring a Reinstatement Valuation of a property, the property owner has ensured that any potential damaged caused by an insured risk can be financially recovered.

The reinstatement valuation provides an estimated amount for which the building should be insured, and the cost associated with its reinstatement (should the property be damaged or destroyed). The estimated cost is based on the cost associated for its reconstruction and is not the same as the market value of the property.

A reinstatement valuation is required for building insurance applications. Having an accurate valuation is vital to ensure, in the event of a claim, the client is neither under nor over-insured.

Development Monitoring

With expert knowledge of design, specification, and contract administration, LTC offer Development Monitoring to oversee projects within their construction phases to final completion, ensuring it is compliant to the required standards and regulations.

This comprises of, but is not limited to:

• Assuring the project specifications are adequate
• Monitoring project timescales
• Ensuring build quality
• Dealing with any issues or variations to the contract
• Regularly attending site and issuing progress reports throughout its development

Geomatics Land Surveys

Using the latest technologies, we can produce land surveys efficiently to undertake a variety of jobs in various settings and locations. Our experienced team can tailor services to best suit the needs of clients, from determining appropriate equipment to utilise for the task, and advising the specification you need should you require advice, to finalise with issuing the required information in suitable formats.

Listed Building, Conservation and Heritage

Our experience of conducting listed and historic building surveys provides our clients with an in-depth report of the condition of the building, containing a full understanding of the building fabric, and actions to appropriately preserve it.

With our extensive knowledge of building materials, construction methods and architectural styles and history, LTC are well placed to recognise concerns and provide repair advice in line with Listed Building Consent.

Whether the client is a listed building property owner or potential buyer, we can assist them by providing an insight of:

• The building history, structure, and materials
• Any developments and changes its undergone
• Any damage for concern and the cost to repair these appropriately
• Assistance on Listed Building Consent applications.

Warranty Inspections & Reports

If constructions works are carried out, the client will most likely have a warranty for the products used. However, these often contain a clause that obliges the client to gain annual or bi-annual inspections, otherwise the warranty could be void.

As the client is required prove inspections were made, it is necessary to receive reports conducted by a Chartered Surveyor to certify the inspection.

If there are long term warranties on products used on buildings, it is strongly recommended that the client should arrange a Warranty Inspection and gain a report consisting of written and photographic evidence to support a clause, should the client need to make a claim in the future.

building surveying

Whether you require building surveying services for property investment, building works, or building legislation, Richard Lever possesses decades of experience to support clients and their needs by providing:

guidance and support to maintain a property for financial interest; the monitoring of building works to assess it is conducted professionally and appropriately to help safeguard any practical, contractual, and legal issues; and inspections and assessments to ensure building works are compliant with Building Regulation required by the Building Act 1984. 

Please view our list of services below for more information and get in touch.  

Areas of specialisms: Healthcare; Residential; Commercial; Industrial; Leisure; Retail; Community; Education; Heritage and Conservation

Party Wall

LTC provide the professional services required under The Party Wall Act 1996. This sets out a legal framework for preventing and resolving disputes when carrying out construction involving boundary concerns. 

Our services include, but is not limited to:

• Advising clients of their obligations and rights

• Resolving disputes for both parties

• Serving compliant notices and awards

• Reviewing or producing design proposals

• Preparing schedule of condition

• Providing expert advice regarding demolition

Technical Due Diligence/ Pre-Acquisition Surveys 

To understand the liabilities and opportunities of a potential property, we recommend Technical Due Diligence and Pre-Acquisition Surveys.

This provides the client with a detailed analysis of the property, to aid in the decision making of the building investment. 

The detailed analysis can include, but is not limited to:

• A Conditions Survey and Schedule of Conditions document to establish the building condition, and raise awareness of potential future repairs costs, to aid the clients negotiation and decision making. 

• Reinstatement valuations for insurance purposes.

• Suggestions for estate improvement with our expertise planning knowledge and services.

We ensure our clients receive the required information to become aware of the constraints and possibilities of a potential investment before making a final decision.

Building Pathology/ Defects Diagnostics

Our Building Pathology service involve the investigation, diagnosis, and remediation of building defects. 

This is compiled within a report to document:

• The findings from the inspection

• A description of each defect

• Proposals for remedial actions to prevent further deterioration of the building

Conditions Survey

To establish a buildings maintenance and repair condition, a Conditions Survey inspects each building element to provide information maintenance work. The client is informed of the repair works required immediately and provided with an indication of when future repairs can be approximately anticipated. 

Schedule of Conditions

A Schedule of Conditions is a report to determine the state for the repair of elements of a property.

It is recommended to carry out a report before entering a lease. This positions the client to negotiate the terms of a lease regarding the condition of the property before signing documentation. 

In addition to this, a Schedule of Conditions is highly appropriate for tenants who are required to return a property in its original state at the end of a lease. This supplies the tenant with detailed evidence the condition of the property at the start of the lease term, so the liability on the tenant can be limited at the end. 

Contract Administration/ Preparation of Tender Documents

We work closely with clients to provide responsibility for administrating construction standard contracts, following the standards set out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. As a Contract Administrator, we provide services to include:

• Managing the tendering process (from invitation, tendering, and processing tender applications).

• Preparing formal contract documents for all parties.

• Setting clear instructions of the proposed works in line with the requirements.

• Issuing any contracts variations if they arise.

• Chairing regular site meetings and client progress meetings, followed with issued progress reports. 

• Coordination and appointment of additional surveys if required.

• Collation of contractor insurances and qualifications as needed.

• Collation and issuance of projects documentation.

• Issuing certificated of any interim, and practical completion certificates. 

• Inspection of works, completions of valuations certificates/ defects schedules.

• Issuing final certificates and health and safety manuals. 

Clients appointing us for this service will benefit from our many years of experience of contract administration throughout a large variety of sectors and project scales.

Expert Witness (Litigation/ Court Action)

LTC can act as an Expert Witness and provide advice to legal counsel regarding property disputes.

Our experience is greatly varied to resolve disputes such as:

• Failings in design or construction

• Party wall agreements/disputes

• Valuations for litigation purposes

• Professional negligence claims

Whether the client has experienced dissatisfied results from a project, or a situation arises where mediation is required to settle a disagreement, LTC are experts to advise solicitors or legal counsel to support our clients throughout the dispute process.

Reinstatement Valuations

By acquiring a Reinstatement Valuation of a property, the property owner has ensured that any potential damaged caused by an insured risk can be financially recovered.

The reinstatement valuation provides an estimated amount for which the building should be insured, and the cost associated with its reinstatement (should the property be damaged or destroyed). The estimated cost is based on the cost associated for its reconstruction and is not the same as the market value of the property.

A reinstatement valuation is required for building insurance applications. Having an accurate valuation is vital to ensure, in the event of a claim, the client is neither under nor over-insured.

Development Monitoring

With expert knowledge of design, specification, and contract administration, LTC offer Development Monitoring to oversee projects within their construction phases to final completion, ensuring it is compliant to the required standards and regulations.

This comprises of, but is not limited to:

• Assuring the project specifications are adequate

• Monitoring project timescales

• Ensuring build quality

• Dealing with any issues or variations to the contract

• Regularly attending site and issuing progress reports throughout its development

Geomatics Land Surveys

Using the latest technologies, we can produce land surveys efficiently to undertake a variety of jobs in various settings and locations. Our experienced team can tailor services to best suit the needs of clients, from determining appropriate equipment to utilise for the task, and advising the specification you need should you require advice, to finalise with issuing the required information in suitable formats.

Listed Building, Conservation and Heritage

Our experience of conducting listed and historic building surveys provides our clients with an in-depth report of the condition of the building, containing a full understanding of the building fabric, and actions to appropriately preserve it.

With our extensive knowledge of building materials, construction methods and architectural styles and history, LTC are well placed to recognise concerns and provide repair advice in line with Listed Building Consent.

Whether the client is a listed building property owner or potential buyer, we can assist them by providing an insight of:

• The building history, structure, and materials

• Any developments and changes its undergone

• Any damage for concern and the cost to repair these appropriately

• Assistance on Listed Building Consent applications.

Warranty Inspections & Reports

If constructions works are carried out, the client will most likely have a warranty for the products used. However, these often contain a clause that obliges the client to gain annual or bi-annual inspections, otherwise the warranty could be void.

As the client is required prove inspections were made, it is necessary to receive reports conducted by a Chartered Surveyor to certify the inspection.

If there are long term warranties on products used on buildings, it is strongly recommended that the client should arrange a Warranty Inspection and gain a report consisting of written and photographic evidence to support a clause, should the client need to make a claim in the future.

LTC conduct measured surveys for existing structures across a broad range of sectors to provide 2D drawing packages consisting of plans, elevations, and sections.

We can also provide as-built surveys to check dimensions, areas, and prepare as-built drawing packages.

Our experienced team is trained in various surveying techniques and geosystems (technologies). We continuously undertake training in new and emerging equipment to seek better solutions for tasks and services we provide. 

Please contact us to discuss any enquires and request quotes for services.

measured surveys

LTC conduct measured surveys for existing structures across a broad range of sectors to provide 2D drawing packages consisting of plans, elevations, and sections.

We can also provide as-built surveys to check dimensions, areas, and prepare as-built drawing packages.

Our experienced team is trained in various surveying techniques and geosystems (technologies). We continuously undertake training in new and emerging equipment to seek better solutions for tasks and services we provide. 

Please contact us to discuss any enquires and request quotes for services.

We currently provide measured surveys across various sectors, ranging from small domestics to large industrial units and heritage buildings. You can find more information below regarding the scope of our services and approach. 

All works are to a standard specification as per Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for measured surveys. Upon instruction LTC will provide a scoping document to decipher accurately the detail required for your survey.

For Smaller Projects… e.g. house extensions

For smaller projects such as domestics and extensions, we can use traditional methods utilising a Leica D8 Disto, note-taking, and photography. 

We can also use additional technologies such as the SiteMaster Building CAD software which plots measured data from the disto into a rugged tablet. We then transfer this data onto our office computers to complete the drawings to standard.

For Larger Projects… e.g. commercial, mixed-use, conversions

Typically for larger projects there may be a variety of constraints such as privacy, safety, time limits, and complex environments. 

Therefore, we ideally use a Geoslam ZEB Revo RT. This is a handheld, mobile 3D laser scanner which gathers built information by firing thousands of lasers a second to detect spatial characteristics. This information is recorded within the rugged tablet to generate a 3D mass of the space which is known as a point cloud. 

Within the office, we then dissect the point cloud model to extract structural information and produce the 2D drawing packages.

For Industrial Projects… e.g. warehouses

In large, open structures such as warehouses, we will typically use Leica T7 Total Station which is a tool that measures high distance with great accuracy. The total station uses a laser to pin distances onto a rugged tablet. This provides us with accurate information to utilise in the office to generate a drawing package.

For Complex Projects… e.g. heritage buildings

For larger and older buildings more complexities are apparent within the structure, having inconsistent dimensions, characteristics, repairs, and damage etc. For these types of buildings, we typically use a static Leica RTC360 3D Laser Scanner, which provides us with a 360-degree point scan we can utilise within the office to ensure we have accurate information in one place. The 360 scan allows us to continuously pan around the screen which reflects site reality and provides us with HDR imagery to refer to alongside the point scan.

This data can also be used to document the buildings current state to be used as a historic record.

Using a combination of survey notes and the 3D scan, we can ensure the drawing package is accurately produced regardless of the constraints.

For As-builts… e.g. completed projects

For completed projects across various sectors, we can provide As-built drawing packages to provide a review of the building upon completion, checking areas and updating drawings in accordance with any adjustments varying from the original plans.

Changes made during the construction phase can be expected if there are any unforeseen circumstances on site. Therefore, it is common to request as-built drawings to reflect the outcome.

We undertake this task using a Remarkable tablet, where we mark-up plans against the building to effectively take notes in an organised manner to produce updated plans in the office.

Planning Applications & Appeals

Full range of services related to the preparation, submission, and progression to determination of planning and applications and appeals.

Site Allocations

Advice on prospects for, preparation/submission and progression of residential site allocations through the Development Plan process.

Local Plan Representations

In respect of emerging Local Planning Policies.

Planning Representations

Advice on making effective submissions responding to planning application proposals.

planning

Having decades of experience of cross professional discipline, Paul Turner offers his expertise for the realisation of development potential, utilising his extensive knowledge of the planning system and Local Authorities. 

By understanding the complexities and keeping up to date with the rapidly changing nature of planning, Paul continues to offer reliable and thorough knowledge, to provide a personal approach for client briefing, consultations, and forming bespoke designs to optimise development solutions and site values.

LTC planning services provide comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of urban and rural planning and design, from initial development, potential appraisal, to all forms of planning application and appeal service, and development plan site allocations and representations. 

Please get in touch to discuss any planning needs.

Areas of specialisms:
Heritage; Residential; Commercial; High Streets, Town and City Centres; Tourism, Leisure and Sports; Care Facilities; Student Accommodation; Restaurants and Hospitality

Feasibility Appraisals & Pre-application Submissions

Aimed at maximising prospects for positive planning outcomes, including pre-application Local Authority submissions and interpretation in the light of prevailing national policy and trends.

Planning Applications & Appeals

Full range of services related to the preparation, submission, and progression to determination of planning and applications and appeals.

Site Allocations

Advice on prospects for, preparation/submission and progression of residential site allocations through the Development Plan process.

Local Plan Representations

In respect of emerging Local Planning Policies.

Planning Representations

Advice on making effective submissions responding to planning application proposals.

Have you been served an enforcement notice or a letter requesting further details from Building Control for your current building project? 

LTC are happy to announce we now offer a retrospective application service where we can sit down with you as the client / developer / contractor and expand and explain further what this means and what your options are to move forward with your project. 

retrospective applications

Have you been served an enforcement notice or a letter requesting further details from Building Control for your current building project? 

LTC are happy to announce we now offer a retrospective application service where we can sit down with you as the client / developer / contractor and expand and explain further what this means and what your options are to move forward with your project.

Retrospective consent in relation to building regulations is known as “regularisation” and whilst the letters you receive may seem confusing, they are simply requesting more information which you may already have that’s just not quite in a format for submission. 

This is where LTC can assist you by compiling this information and submitting on your behalf. Using our wealth of expertise, we can deal with most issues in-house. If anything falls outside our areas of expertise we have a vast network of consultants who can assist.

Typical Scenarios

Property Sale – When a property is up for sale and building work has been carried out on it, the seller will need a form of certification to say that the works have been inspected and that they comply with the building regulations. If you find this is not available, we are able to assist you with providing this information. 

Project Started/Completed Without Consent – If the work has already recently started or possibly even been completed without proper consent, then a retrospective application can be made using a Regularisation form from your Local Authority (LA). LTC can provide a one stop shop to provide all drawing works and specification to tell you how to rectify and ultimately satisfy the building regulatory requirements for your project.

contact us

contact us

unit a, the stables, weston park,
weston-under-lizard,
shropshire  TF11 8LE

01543 495717