Do I need planning permission?

Permitted development

Permitted development rights allow private households to make minor alterations and extensions. This can be done without formal planning permission, as long as certain requirements and restrictions are met.

Please be aware that if your house is in a Conservation Area or is a Listed Building, there may be different restrictions. You may also be limited by previous planning permissions or conditions.

For the current guidance and help on permitted development you should check the Planning Portal website.

You may still need approval under building regulations, or listed building consent. This can be the case even if planning permission is not required.

Pre-App Advice

Pre-application advice is a way of finding out whether a specific proposed development would be likely to be acceptable. It also highlights what the key issues will be before the submission of a formal application. For further information go to Pre-Application Advice.

Certificate of Proposed Lawful Use

You can get written confirmation about whether you need planning permission. This is done by applying for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC).

This certificate formally confirms that your proposed development is: 
lawful
does not need planning permission
It can be helpful when selling your property.

The application fee for an LDC is half the fee of a planning application for the same development.

The fee for this application is half the fee that a planning application for the same development would attract:

• fee for most householder applications is £206
• fee for an equivalent LDC would be £103

Because this is a statutory process, it is likely to take up to 8 weeks

Unauthorised Works

You may be forced to make changes, if you build something without getting permission.
 
This could be problematic and costly. It may even result in legal action to remove the unauthorised works through enforcement.

You can find more information on the planning enforcement page.