Your Property- File Builder

In addition to preparing drawings; architects’ responsibilities encompass questions of ownership, land law and compliance with the wide range of legislation relating to land and buildings. Like other professionals with responsibility for different forms of compliance, the biggest part of many architectural service tasks is “building the file” of relevant facts and information about a property. This takes a lot of work and time, and comprises a large part of the cost of many architectural services. However a lot of the required data is freely available using online sources, and much of this work can be done by anyone with general IT skills.

Visiting the right websites and collating all available information is a crucial step. For our design clients we build up our file over the many weeks of a design process. However extensive consultation with official records can also be necessary to answer seemingly straightforward compliance questions for one- off services like: design consultations, inspections, daylight analysis consultancy, planning submissions and other reports.

This page is provided to guide clients for small standalone architectural tasks through the process of compiling relevant property records and providing them to your architect in a concise and consistent way. By compiling information in this way, it makes it quicker and more cost effective for us to offer high level professional opinions and advice. You also get your desired outcomes faster.

See notes on each field with directions on how to find the relevant information.

Build Your Property File- Step by Step

– Step 1 of 5

Your Name *

First

Last

Please provide your name, or the name of a main contact for businesses and companies.

Address of Property to which Query Relates *

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State / Province / Region

Postal Code

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Client Email for Reference *

Email

Confirm Email

Please assist us by using a consistent email address for all queries relating to your project.

Online Resources Checklist- Please Indicate Which Resources Have Been Consulted

• Historic aerial photography available through Ordiance Survey website.
• Local authority drainage survey drawings (public record drainage sheet)
• Ordinance survey mapping service for latest licensed map for the area. Recommend 1:1000 for urban areas
• Local authority planning records (for the target property and similar properties in the locality)
• Land Registry
• Local Authority Register of Protected Structures
• Local Authority Planning and Building Control Enforcement Records
• Residential property price index (for homes)
• Google maps or similar for aerial views and street views.
• Commercial property websites
• Local Authority Rates valuation websites for commercial spaces in urban areas (usually accessed through local athority websites)
• Local Authority List of Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs)
• Local Authority Derelict Sites Register

We recommend that checks be conducted for the relevant address or location, on all of these online resources. While some relevant records may exist as physical archives, such as historic maps and planning records from before the year 2000, most of these sources are online have a facility to search by map or address. Compile any records available for download, make notes of key values, take screenshots of the records for the property and (subject to any copyright restrictions) create screen grabs of maps or graphical information. Upload all files collected at the end of this form.

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Planning History

Planning Applications History

Please describe details of any known planning applications for this address in the past. This is important as precedent is a key factor in deciding all planning applications. Please state: date of previous applications, planning reference number, description of developent, examples of any drawings which may be available, decision which was received, and summary of any interactions with An Bord Pleanala.

Please State Your Interest in the Relevant Property

• Legal Owner
• Leaseholder
• Other Tenant
• Prospective Purchaser

This may be required as part of various searches relating to the property. It is also a specific requirement of the planning application form.

Date of Purchase by Current Owner

The year of purchase is usually sufficient for most purposes, please provide the exact date if known.

Does the Property Appear on the Register of Protected Structures?

• Yes
• No

The register of protected structures is a list of buildings of historic, artistic or cultural importance. “Protected Structures” do not enjoy the same planning exemptions as other buildings with the same use, the planning process is slightly different and effectively any works to them are subject to planning approval or a special certificate of exemption. The list is maintained by each local authority. Each property on the list should have a reference number. If your property appears on the register of protected structures, it is advisable to seek a planning precedent for a very similar property and study it in detail. The applications documents, specialist reports and decision will provide critical guidance on the how your property may be treated in the planning process.

Does the Property Appeal on the Local Authority Derelict Sites Register

• Yes
• No

See information at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/buildings_and_structures/derelict_sites.html

Date Property First Appeared on Local Authority Derelict Sites Register

Date

Time

Is the Property Located in an Architectural Conservation Area

• Yes
• No

There is a list of architectural conservation areas, if present, for each local authority. There will typically be maps on the local authority website or lists of streets where these special planning rules apply. Please provide any available information about the special character of the ACA, as this will be important for design purposes.

History of Flooding

• Site has history of flooding based on official records
• Site has history of flooding based on personal knowledge, media reports, or verbal reports
• Site has no history of flooding

You may consult records of flooding through the local authority or other online searches. Upload any available records or references.

Date of Latest Flooding Event

Please state date of latest flooding event if known.

Planning Precedent

Do you know of any property in the vicinity which has received planning approval for a development similar to your goals. Please provide address, planning registry reference number, date/ year of permission, general description of the development and images if possible.

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Existing Structures Onsite and Exempt Developments

Existing Extensions Built After Original Structure

Please describe any existing extensions to the structure, including height, floor area, garden length and width, number of stories, types of construction, locations of windows or doors. Provide any drawings you may have, or create sketches or annotated photographs. Even basic drawings and dimensions are helpful.

Year of Construction of Existing Extension

Approximate year of construction is essential to proceed with further research. However it may be necessary to demonstrate or prove the date of construction for compliance reasons. Conserve any documents or records indicating date of construction, such as official correspondence or historic aerial photography.

Describe any Outbuildings or Temporary Structures

Please describe any existing structures onsite not attached to the main building; including: height, number of stories, types of construction, locations of windows or doors.

Year of Construction of Existing Outbuildings or Temporary Structures

Approximate year of construction is essential to proceed with further research. However it may be necessary to demonstrate or prove the date of construction for compliance reasons. Conserve any documents or records indicating date of construction, such as official correspondence or historic aerial photography.

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Obvious Rights of Way or other Easements

• Windows directly overlooking the property, particularly within 1 meter of the boundary
• Shared sewers on site
• Shared parking onsite
• Shared utilities connections, such as cable TV or data services
• Power grid infrastructure on the property such as transformer boxes, transmission poles, etc.
• Overhead power cables
• Overhead telecoms cables
• Land drainage ditches, culverts or minor waterways onsite; serving adjacent properties
• Shared driveways, access roads, or traditional rights of way
• Gateways or paths leading from the site onto/from other private land, rather than the public road or street.

Are any of the following apparent on your property? It may be helpful to provide/ describe any written records of correspondence relating to wayleaves, and photographs, and to check the land registry with specific reference to this issue.

Describe Known Wayleaves or Other Easements

Wayleaves are also known as “rights of way” and may be shown as yellow on property deed maps or planning records. It is important to describe the use of the right of way, when it commenced and if it’s still in use. Wayleaves and easements may not be recorded on official documents, but may be established by a pattern of use. Consider shared services pipes and wires passing through the property, shared parking arrangements and windows from adjacent properties in very close proximity to the property or site.

Describe Site Boundaries Onsite: Fences, Walls, Gates, Hedges Etc.

• Boundary walls clearly in place since original construction/ enclosure of the property
• Newer boundary walls
• Semi permanent fence or modular wall
• Post and wire of other semi- permanent fence in state of disrepair
• Traditional hedgerow
• Stream, embankment or other non- linear geographical feature
• Boundary line is obscured by hedges/ undergrowth
• Fences have been positioned by an adjoining landowner alongside the boundary
• Boundary structures clearly do not conform to site outline on property map
• Boundary structures have disappeared completely
• An adjoining property owner has built a building/ other structure on my side of the boundary
• There’s a gap or “no man’s land” between the property and the neighbour’s property

A key step in trading or working on a property is to define the extent and boundaries of the physical land properly. Check the official OS maps data, but be prepared to hire a professional surveyor for a measured survey as significant discrepancies often arise. This list helps highlight potential problem areas.

Boundary Disputes

Please describe any disputes or obvious issues to be addressed on the property regarding fence locations, locations of property ownership boundaries and party (shared ownership) structures.

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File Upload

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

Use this upload facility to attach scanned copies of any relevant documents. It can be useful to also compile screen grabs and downloads from online searches, or visits to relevant websites as listed above.

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