Verified Company
Very disappointing experience – poor communication and unexpected additional costs
I used Planning By Design for my loft conversion and, unfortunately, the experience has been far more frustrating and expensive than I expected.
At the outset, I was quoted a specific amount and was given the impression that this would cover the service, with no further charges unless something additional was specifically required. However, I was subsequently charged £100 for alterations to the drawings on multiple occasions.
My main issue with this was that designs were regularly drawn up and sent to me for consideration without first discussing my requirements, preferences or proposed changes with me. Naturally, when I then wanted amendments because the design didn’t reflect what I wanted for my loft, I was charged another £100 for the changes. In my view, this could have been avoided with better communication and a more collaborative approach before producing the drawings.
The process also took far longer than I expected. Planning By Design had been working with me since January, and the application was submitted to the council in April. By July, I still hadn’t received a response. During this period I was repeatedly assured that the council was being chased weekly. Because of the length of the delay, I contacted the council myself and received a response within two days. This left me questioning whether the application had actually been chased as regularly as I had been told.
To make matters worse, once the relevant certification had eventually been granted, Planning By Design did not contact me to let me know. I only became aware that it had been granted because I contacted/received confirmation directly from the council myself.
Overall, I found the communication and customer service disappointing. I expected a professional service where my requirements were properly discussed before drawings were produced, where additional costs were clearly explained upfront, and where I would be kept informed about the progress and outcome of my application.
Based on my experience, I would not use Planning By Design again and would recommend that anyone considering their services gets all costs, revision charges, communication arrangements and responsibilities for following up with the council clearly confirmed in writing before proceeding
