Planning Permission Advice for Home Owners
Introduction
Please note that this is an informal guide to planning permission for householders.
Questions regarding specific situations or applications should be dealt with by your local divisional planning office.
Please check with your local divisional planning office before starting any work.
Around your house
Many kinds of buildings and structures can be built in your garden or on the land around your house without the need to apply for planning permission.
These can include sheds, garages, greenhouses, accommodation for pets and domestic animals, summer houses, swimming pools, ponds, sauna cabins, enclosures (including tennis courts) and many other kinds of structure.
In some circumstances you will need to apply for planning permission.
More info...
Extensions and Additions
You need to apply for planning permission to extend or add to your house in the following circumstances:
- You want to build an addition which would be nearer to any road than the nearest part of the “original house”.
- More than half the area of land around the "original house" would be covered by additions or other buildings.
- If the extension or addition exceeds certain limits on height or volume.
External Walls
You do not need to apply for planning permission for repairs or maintenance (such as painting your house)
If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.
If you live in a Conservation Area or in a listed building you will need to apply for planning permission before cladding the outside of the house with stone, tiles, artificial stone, plastic or timber.
Fences, Walls, and Gates
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 road used by vehicular traffic; 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 (see 'development rights' link on right) or a planning condition; or
- your house is a listed building or in the curtilage of a listed building.
Lighting
Light itself, and minor domestic light fittings, are not subject to planning controls.
Nevertheless, if you are planning to install external lighting for security or other purposes, you should ensure that the intensity and direction of light does not disturb others.
If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.
Maintaining Drainpipes
You do not usually need to apply for planning permission for repairs or maintenance.
If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.
Patios & Driveways
There are no restrictions on the area of land around your house which you can cover with hard surfaces at, or near, ground level.
However, significant works of embanking or terracing to support a hard surface might need a planning application.
If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.
Porches
You will need to apply for planning permission if the porch:
- would have a ground area (measured externally) of more than 2 square metres;
- would be higher than 3 metres above ground level (height needs to be measured in the same way as for a house extension) or
- would be less than 2 metres away from the boundary of a dwelling house with a highway (which includes all public roads or footpaths).
Satellite Dishes and Aerials
Normal domestic TV and radio aerials do not need planning permission.
In certain circumstances, you will need to apply for planning permission to install a satellite dish on your house.
More info...
Trees and Hedgerows
Many trees are protected by tree preservation orders which mean that, in general, you need the Department of The Environment’s consent to lop, top or fell them.
In addition, there are controls over many other trees in Conservation Areas, in Areas of Townscape Character and in Areas of Village Character.
Windows
You do not usually need to apply for planning permission for repairs , maintenance or minor improvements, such as painting frames or replacing windows and doors.
You may however need permission to replace a flat window with a bay or bow window. You should check with your local planning office before starting work.
Occasionally, you may need to apply for planning permission for some of these works because the Department of the Environment has made an Article 4 Direction withdrawing permitted development rights.
If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.
Work on the Roof
You do not normally need to apply for planning permission to re-roof your house or to insert roof lights.
However, there are some special rules which govern extensions to the roof.
