Planning Information -
do you need planning approval?

There is an amazing amount you can achieve under permitted development. This means you do not need to obtain planning approval, and therefore people (usually neighbours) cannot object to your proposals. We would always recommend you apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness to prove that what you are building is lawful, but this is just a formality!

What you can achieve under Permitted Development:

Extensions: You can extend by up to 3m to a terraced or semi-detached house and 4m to a detached property. This can add fantastic space to your home! You can even add a 2 storey extension under permitted development, which is limited to 3m on all properties. In this case, you must have 7m of garden length remaining once the 3m extension is built (so a 10m long garden to start with!).

Loft Conversions: You can convert your loft to an extra bedroom, office or just extra useable space under permitted development, adding up to 40m3 to a terraced house and up to 50m3 to a semi-detached or detached property (don't worry, we work all the volumes out for you!)

Porches: You can add a porch with an area up to 3m2 as long as it is at least 2m from a highway - this is a great way to add some character to the front of your home, as well as adding somewhere to shelter from the rain and store coats and shoes!

Outbuildings: If you would like a home office, a play space for the kids, or maybe a home gym, a garden room could be the best way to go, if you have a decent sized garden. The area of the building must not exceed 50% of the total area of your garden.

Prior Approval - how does this work and what can you achieve?

Prior Approval (also known as Prior Notification) was introduced in 2013 and allows homeowners to add larger extensions to their property, if neighbours do not object. If a neighbour objects, the Local Authority assesses the amenity impact of the extension, in much the same way they would a planning application, before deciding whether to grant approval.

What can you achieve under Prior Approval?

Terraced and semi-detached houses: You can add up to 6m to the rear of your house. This must not cover more than 50% of your garden.

Detached houses: You can add up to 8m to the rear of your house!  This is a huge amount, and it really is about assessing the balance of the property!

It should be noted that there are situations where permitted development rights are removed from a property - this will apply if you live in a Conservation Area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as well as in a Listed Building. BUT this does not mean that we cannot achieve your requirements through planning!

Developers

If you are a developer looking to maximise the number of units on a site or convert a dwelling into 2 or more, we have experience in this area, such as one project where, through planning, we converted a modest 2 bedroom bungalow into 3 x 2-bedroom houses!