DG Designs
Architectural Design Services
Planning Permission
The Planning System
The planning system plays an important role in helping to protect the environment in our towns and cities and in the countryside.
Your local planning authority is responsible for deciding whether a development - from an extension on a house to a new shopping centre - should go ahead
Do I need planning permission?
Planning Permission is usually needed by someone who is looking to:-
-
build something new
-
make a change to your building, e.g. building an extension
-
change the use of your building or land
It will be granted (possibly subject to certain conditions) or refused. It is your responsibility for seeking, or not seeking, planning permission. If required, it should be granted before any work begins.
If your project falls within permitted development (explained below) you can start work, subject to gaining any other necessary consent, such as building regulations approvals. Proposals which fall outside Permitted Development regulations will need planning permission.
Permitted Development
You can perform certain types of work without needing to apply for planning permission. These are called "permitted development rights".
They derive from a general planning permission granted not by the local authority but by Government. Bear in mind that the permitted development rights which apply to many common projects for houses do not apply to flats, maisonettes or other buildings. Similarly, commercial properties have different permitted development rights to dwellings.
In some areas of the country, known generally as 'designated areas', permitted development rights are more restricted. For example, if you live in:
-
a Conservation Area
-
a National Park
-
an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
-
a World Heritage Site or
-
the Norfolk or Suffolk Broads.
You will need to apply for planning permission for certain types of work which do not need an application in other areas. There are also different requirements if the property is a listed building.
The general advice is that you should contact your Local Planning Authority and discuss your proposal before any work begins. They will be able to inform you of any reason why the development may not be permitted and if you need to apply for planning permission for all or part of the work.
Lawful Development Certificates
If you want to be certain that the existing use of a building is lawful for planning purposes or that your proposal does not require planning permission, you can apply for a 'Lawful Development Certificate' (LDC).
It is not compulsory to have an LDC but there may be times when you need one to confirm that the use, operation or activity named in it is lawful for planning control purposes.
Further information is available here: