How to get planning permission for a nail bar and beauty salon

In the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of nail bars and beauty salons that have popped up on the UK’s high streets due to the huge amount of potential business. Nail bars and beauty salons have defied all expectations and seem to have dodged the downward slope that high street stores have been on in recent years. In fact, 16.5% of new business outlets are nail bars! These beauty businesses tend to have high levels of customer loyalty and satisfaction, so it’s a lucrative industry to enter into. If you’re looking to get a slice of the profits beauty business owners are enjoying but are worried about how to get planning permission, worry no longer because it’s far easier than you might initially think. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of getting planning permission to set up your own nail bar or beauty salon.

What is planning permission?

Planning permission is an agreement with your local authority that your proposed building project can begin development. Planning permission is required for either an existing building to undergo changes or for a new building to be constructed. The purpose of planning permission is to ensure that any new build projects are in the best interests of the local area, so it’s essential for you to procure planning permission before you embark on your project.

You can apply for planning permission on any piece of land in your local area, even if you don’t own it. You can apply at any time and can submit as many applications on a single site as you would like. Simply choose which one you’d like to use and make sure it is up to date. You are free to withdraw your application at any point if you need to make changes and can resubmit it without being charged.

Your local authority will decide whether to grant you planning permission or not based on their own planning policies and the policies laid out in the National Planning Policy Framework, which should take up to eight weeks.

Before you submit your application for planning permission, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your local council’s planning office for advice to see if there are any potential hurdles that might halt your application.

Where should I apply for planning permission?

The key to the success of any business is its location. When you’re looking for a location to set up your nail bar or beauty salon, make sure that you find a commercial area that is close to amenities, other shops and homes. Setting up your business in an area that has a large amount of footfall is vital to ensuring that your business remains profitable for a long period of time.

After you’ve found your ideal location and made negotiations on the lease, then you can apply for planning permission to convert the property into a nail bar or beauty salon.

What is my planning permission category?

In contrast to most commercial premises and shops, nail bars and beauty salons fall under the ‘sui generis’ use class for planning permission rather than the ‘A1’ use class, because you are providing a service. ‘Sui generis’ means that your business is of its own kind and does not fall under any other planning permission category. Other ‘sui generis’ businesses include casinos, amusement arcades and betting offices. If you are converting a space to a nail bar or beauty salon, you need to change the use category of the property.

What do I need to submit my application?

In order to submit your application for planning permission, you need to gather a number of documents. Get in touch with your planning consultant or architectural designer to obtain the following:

– Completed application form

– Design and Access statement: This is an outline of the concepts and design principles that the proposed development will have and how you have resolved any potential issues regarding access to the development.

– Location plan: This will be a map of the area of the site and its surroundings.

– Site plan: This is also known as a block plan and provides details of the proposed development.

– Ownership certificate: This must be completed and states that you own the property.

If there is any other relevant documentation that you think will be useful to help your local authority determine the status of your application, you will be allowed to submit these too. Once you’ve gathered these documents and filled in your completed application, you can then submit it to your local council’s planning office. You will also need to pay an application fee to your local council, which will be calculated based on the scale of your development.

If you are concerned that your planning permission application will be rejected by your local council, our team of experts at AC Design Solutions will be happy to help guide you through the process. As planning permission Ealing-based experts, we have a complete understanding of the timelines, regulations and permits required to successfully obtain planning permission for a nail bar or beauty salon and will use smart strategies to ensure that you get approved.

With our services, we take the hassle out of the application process for you, by assigning a senior planner to your project. We will also complete your application for you, organise the site survey and design and access statement, liaise with the council and monitor and submit your application so that you don’t have to worry about a thing. For more information, simply fill out our contact form today.