There are certain types of development, changes of use and minor works that can be carried out without the need to apply for planning permission. These types of work/development are known as “Permitted Development”.
Whether you need to apply for planning permission will depend on a number of factors. These include:
- what you want to do
- where you want to do it
- the constraints on and around the site / property
- planning history at the site / property
You can use The Planning Portal to get advice on your permitted development rights and common projects for residential properties, such as extensions or loft conversions.
Restrictions to permitted development
Sometimes permitted development rights are more restricted or removed. This means you will need to apply for planning permission for certain types of work where you may not need to in other situations. These include:
- listed buildings - if your property is a listed building you will require listed building consent before carrying out any type of work, internally or externally, even if your proposals are considered to be permitted development for the purposes of planning permission
- conservation areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - there may be greater restrictions on what is permitted development if you live within a Conservation Area or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- removal of permitted development rights - permitted development rights may have been withdrawn either: by conditions on previous planning permissions or by an article 4 direction. This will mean that you may have to submit a planning application for work that you want to carry out
Our householder permitted development service
Further to the Planning Portal, we offer an informal process which can be completed online to tell you whether or not you will need planning permission.
Costs for this service
Permitted development enquiries for householder proposals (e.g. extensions, garages, loft conversions) are £125 (including VAT).
We aim to respond within 4 weeks.
How to apply
Find out if you need planning permission
You will receive a written response, that is an informal officer opinion, that details whether you will require planning permission. If you want a legal opinion, you will need to complete a "Lawful Development Certificate" application.
If you need permission
If you believe your proposal does not meet the permitted development criteria then you will need to submit a planning application.
Alternatively you can apply for pre application advice before you submit.
Other considerations before you start work
There are a number of issues in addition to those directly connected to the planning and building control that you should consider before starting work. For further information please see the Planning Portal website.
Contact Planning
See our contact details, including our response times and the areas we cover.