Bon dia tothom!!!!

if you have some experience renovating, please can you advise...
we need to get an architect to draw up some plans to get planning permission for some reforms, has anyone had a good experience with someone locally, I would like to find someone who speaks english, but if someone is really good, I could get by with my basic catalan, i think... (if not, I'll rely on my 7year old to translate - how embarassing).  an email addresss would be much appreciated as we are not in tortosa yet.
also, we're looking for builders as well, so if you can recommend anyone we would appreciate it.

also- several estate agents told us that you automatically get permission to extend a residential property by 20% - is this true?  is the ajuntament liberal with planning permission?  where we are now, in baix emporda, you have to promise your first born child, I think, to get permission...  and no one builds illegally - because without doubt it will be demolished.
cheers,
wendy

Thanks for that Jools, I speak passable Catalan, so I could explain to them what kind of work I wanted done.  If you have an email address, could you send it to me?
And the house is 2 km from tortosa centre - near the carrefour.  so if anyone has heard rumours of new developments in the area - please forward them (before completion of the sale!!!)
cheers.

There are plans for a big development between Carrefour and El Temple - it's shown on the big plackards by the side of the road - marked in red. I'm not sure when it is due to start but it has been talked about for the last couple of years. I'm sure you would be able to get the plans from the Ajuntament in Tortosa.

Nigel