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Planning Permission

The Planning System

The Planning System is governed by local, regional and central government who provide guidance, plans and strategies to control what developments take place and where.

The Planning System operates to ensure that planning applications and development plans contribute to the delivery of sustainable development so that new homes, businesses, shops, offices and schools are developed in a way which will protect and improve the environment.

Planning Permission for Businesses

Typical planning applications from businesses are for altering or extending premises, building new premises and change of use of premises.

  • To extend shops or office premises you will always need planning permission.
  • If you are altering or extending a listed building or a building in a conservation area you may require planning permission in addition to conservation area and listed building consent before you proceed.
  • For factory or warehouse extensions, the work must relate to the existing use of the building or the provision of staff facilities and planning permission will be required if it:
    • Materially affects the external appearance of the building, or
    • Comes within five metres of the boundary of the site, or
    • Reduces the amount of space available for parking or turning vehicles
  • Building new premises will almost always require planning permission
  • Applications for planning permission are always required for material changes of use involving amusement centres, theatres, scrap yards, petrol filling stations, car showrooms, taxi and car hire businesses and hostels.

Planning Permission for Homes

The owner of the property in question is responsible for complying with the relevant planning rules and building regulations (regardless of the need to apply for planning permission and/or building regulations approval or not), for all building work.

Failure to comply with the relevant rules will result in the owner being liable for any remedial action, which could result in restoration or demolition of the development.

The best advice is to always discuss your proposals with the relevant Local Planning Authority and Building Control Service before starting work.

Please Note: This is an introductory guide and is not a definitive source of legal information

For New Build Houses see also the 'Code for Sustainable Homes' section.