Environment and Planning >> Planning

Planning - Do I Need Planning Permission?

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Introduction

You do not always need to make a planning application for if you are going to alter or improve your home.  The following guide explains the cases where you might not need to make a planning application.  However, you are strongly advised to study carefully the Important Notes at the end of this area, and to seek written confirmation before starting work.

This advice is based on the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development ) (Amendment) (No.2) (England) Order 2008 which includes significant changes to the legislation that was previously in force.

The Planning Portal has an interactive guide for householders.

If you own an industrial building or warehouse you can also make some changes without the need to make a planning application.  The Planning Portal has guides on extending or altering industrial buildings and warehouses and also new industrial buildings or warehouses.

For further information please refer to our leaflets page.

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Extensions

If you live in a single family house (not a purpose built or converted flat or a shop or a commercial property) you may be able to build an extension without the need to make a planning application, subject to the following limits and conditions:

• More than half the area of land around the 'original house' would be covered by additions or other buildings.
• No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
• Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
• Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
• Maximum depth of a rear extension of more than one storey of three metres including ground floor.
• Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
• Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house.
• Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
• Two-storey extensions no closer than seven metres to rear boundary.
• Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
• Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
• Upper-floor, side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.
• On designated land no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey.
• On designated land no cladding of the exterior.
• On designated land no side extensions.

The term original house means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date).  Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.

Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation area s and World Heritage Sites.

For further information please refer to our leaflets page.

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Roof Extensions Dormers

Converting your attic and installing Velux type roof windows may not need planning permission.  However, you will always have to comply with the building regulations and you should always check with the Development Control Section of Planning Services on the particular circumstances of your property.  If you wish to install dormer windows you will not need to submit a plannimng application subject to the following limits and conditions:

• A volume allowance of 40 cubic metres for terraced houses
• A volume allowance of 50 cubic metres for detached and semi-detached houses
• No extension beyond the plane of the existing roof slope of the principal elevation that fronts the highway
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof
• Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms
• Side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor
• Roof extensions not to be permitted development in designated areas
• Roof extensions, apart from hip to gable ones, to be set back, as far as practicable, at least 20cm from the eaves

For further information please refer to our leaflets page.

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Porches

You do not need to make a planning application to add a porch to a single family dwelling providing it is within the following restrictions:

1. It must not have a ground area (measured externally) of more than 3m²
2. It must not be higher than 3m above ground level (measured from immediately next to the porch)
3. It must be more than 2m away from the boundary with the highway.

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Fences and Garden Walls

You will need to apply for planning permission if you wish to erect or add to a fence, wall or gate and:

• it would be over 1 metre high and next to a highway used by vehicles (or the footpath of such a highway); or over 2 metres high elsewhere; or
• your right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates is removed by an article 4 direction or a planning condition; or
• your house is a listed building or in the curtilage of a listed building.
• the fence, wall or gate, or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage.

You will not need to apply for planning permission to take down a fence, wall,or gate, or to alter or improve an existing fence, wall or gate (no matter how high) if you don't increase its height.  In a conservation area, however, you might need conservation area consent to take down a fence, wall or gate.

You do not need planning permission for hedges as such, though if a planning condition or a covenant restricts planting (for example, on 'open plan' estates, or where a driver's sight line could be blocked) you may need planning permission and/or other consent.

For further information please refer to our leaflets page.

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Outbuildings, Sheds and Garages

You do not need to make a planning application to erect a garden shed, garage or other outbuilding subject to the following limits and conditions:

• No outbuilding forward of the principal elevation fronting a highway.
• Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
• Maximum height 2.5 metres within two metres of a boundary.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
• More than half the area of land around the original house would be covered by additions or other buildings.
• In National Parks, the Broads/a, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
• On designated land buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
• Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.

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Replacement Windows

You do not normally require permission to install replacement windows in a single family dwelling unless you live in a listed building.  However, in parts of the Old Town, Burtons' St Leonards and St Leonards West Conservation Areas there are special restrictions and you will need to apply for permission.

If you live in a block of flats (purpose built or converted) or a commercial property you will need to make a planning application.  If you live in a Conservation Area you should discuss your proposals with the Conservation Section of Planning Services at an early stage because planning permission may not necessarily be granted for inappropriate replacement windows which do not reflect the character of the area.

Further information about the Article 4 Direction can be found in our Conservation pages.

For further information please refer to our leaflets page.

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Satellite Dishes

The Planning Portal has an interactive gide to satellite dishes.

These questions will help you establish if you need to submit a planning application to install a satellite dish:

Satellite Q and A

If you do live in a Conservation Area it is your responsibility to apply for the necessary planning permission, not the installer, and you should be aware that an application is likely to take 6-8 weeks to determine.

For further information please refer to our leaflets page.

If you have an existing analogue dish sited on the front of your property which does not comply, and you are replacing it with digital equipment, you will need to make an application.  You should discuss your proposal with the Conservation Section of Planning Services at an early stage.

Wherever possible dishes in Conservation Areas should not be on the front of the building and planning permission is unlikely to be granted unless the dish is not readily visible from the front.  It may be possible to attach the dish to the side of the building thus avoiding the need for an application, or you could consider a dish mounted separate from the building in the rear garden, or on the rear ( sometimes a dish can be directed over the roof)

If you live in a listed building listed building consent will always be required and you should discuss your proposal with the Conservation Section of Planning Services at an early stage.

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Important Notes

These notes are intended to provide guidance on the planning legislation only.

Before starting work you should always check with our Building Control Section with regard to the requirements of the building regulations.

Before starting work you should check that there are no restrictive covenants in the deeds to your property restricting the work you propose.

The 'Permitted Development' allowances described relate only to single family dwellings and not to flats (purpose built or conversions) or commercial properties (apart from the allowances for satellite dishes which also apply to small blocks of flats).

If you live in a listed building you should always discuss your proposals with our Conservation Section at an early stage.

You can find more advice on the Planning Portal.

If you need written confirmation that you do not need to apply for planning permission for a particular project you need to make an application for a certificate of lawfulness of proposed development.

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