Please note that we offer a pre-application service as to whether planning permission would or would not be required for your proposal.
For a formal decision as to whether planning permission is required for your proposal you will need to submit an application for a Certificate of Lawful Development – Proposed.
For a formal decision as to whether listed building consent is required for your proposal you will need to submit an application for a Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Works to a Listed Building.
You do not always need to make a planning application 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 section, and to seek written confirmation before starting work.
A great source of information is the Planning Portal Interactive House.
Certain types of development are deemed to be exempt from the need for planning permission (General Permitted Development Order) and do not require formal permission. This is called Permitted Development (PD). For example under permitted development rights people can, in some circumstances, build small extensions to their homes or build small outbuildings without the need to apply for planning permission.
View Permitted Development – Technical Guide for Householders
Planning Portal
The Planning Portal is the government’s online service for planning. Listed below are just some of the tools and information that can be obtained from visiting the main site.
Make a planning application – Apply here to make an online planning application
Do you need Permission – Find out whether your home improvement or large scale commercial project needs planning permission or building regulations approval.
Visual guide for householders – Explore the interactive house for guidance on many common householder projects
Greener Homes and Energy Saving – Guidance for householders; providing advice on planning and building regulation matters for green energy projects and energy saving
Building Regulations – A wide range of Building Regulation information and advice on how to apply for various types of common building work
Guidance on Appeals – Submit a new appeal, search for an existing appeal or comment on it
Site Plan Creator – You can buy maps to support your planning application by clicking on this link
Project Advice – The Planning Portal project advice section includes everything you need to know about financing, finding a builder and reading the experience of others embarking on similar projects.
Planning Portal FAQ’s – The Planning Portal’s FAQ page provides free, easily accessible advice available to users
Extensions – Detailed information for extensions
Loft Conversions – Find out further information regarding loft conversions
Conservatories – Details about adding a conservatory to your property
Garage Conversions – A guide to garage conversions
Frequently Asked Questions
For further planning information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Planning Appeals
Further information about making a planning appeal or commenting on an existing appeal can be found via the link below.
Listed Buildings and The National Heritage List for England
Historic England hold a searchable database of all nationally designated heritage assets including Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, Registered Parks and Gardens, Registered Battlefields and Protected Wreck Sites.
Search the The National Heritage List for England.
Great crested newt district licensing scheme
Further information on how to get a licence for developments in areas where great crested newts are present.
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 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.
