Plans and drawings – floors
Floor plans show the relationship between rooms, space and other features such as walls, windows and doors in each storey of a building.
Existing and proposed floor plans are both needed for replacement or altered buildings unless the proposed development would not change the floor plan – for example, re-roofing or replacement windows.
On floor plans:
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the scale – usually 1:100 or 1:50 – must be shown clearly, both in text and as a scale bar
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each page must have a unique plan number – for example, 01, 02, EX101
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a north arrow must be shown if the floor plan in a drawing layout has been rotated from its true orientation
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any new storey or existing storeys affected by the proposal must be shown clearly on both existing and proposed floor plans, with names such as "ground floor", "first floor" and so on
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if the proposed development is on a row of terraced or semi-detached houses, or is on or very near a boundary with another property, the ground floor plan must include the walls and closest windows of affected neighbouring properties
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finished floor levels, usually relative to a fixed reference point, must be shown
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the total area of an extension, outbuilding or any additional floors should be shown
An indicative furniture layout maybe required for certain types of projects, such as subdivision, and for most new developments.
Proposed changes can also be shown by overlaying the proposed footprint on the top of the existing floor plans, or vice versa. This can help a planning officer or client to understand the changes more effectively than two separate drawings.