Non Householder permitted development - do I need planning permission?

There are certain types of development, changes of use and minor works that can be carried out without the need to apply for planning permission. These types of work/development are known as “Permitted Development”.

Whether you need to apply for planning permission will depend on a number of factors. These include:

• what you want to do
• where you want to do it
• the constraints on and around the site / property
• planning history at the site / property

You can  use The Planning Portal to get advice on your permitted development rights and common projects for residential properties, such as extensions or loft conversions.

Restrictions to permitted development

Some times permitted development rights are more restricted or removed. This means you will need to apply for planning permission for certain types of work where you may not need to in other situations. These include:

• Listed buildings - if your property is a  listed building you will require listed building consent before carrying out any type of work, internally or externally, even if your proposals are considered to be permitted development for the purposes of planning permission
• Conservation areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - there may be greater restrictions on what is permitted development if you live within a  Conservation Area or an  Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Removal of permitted development rights - permitted development rights may have been withdrawn either: by conditions on previous planning permissions or by an  article 4 direction. This will mean that you may have to submit a planning application for work that you want to carry out

Find out more about planning constraints

Our permitted development service

Further to the Planning Portal, we offer an informal process which can be completed online to tell you whether or not you will need planning permission.

Before you start

You will need:

• information about your proposal such as dimensions and materials
• any supporting documents you'd like to attach to help explain what you're going to do. We suggest:
  • plans (either drawn to scale or with the measurements clearly written on them)
  • elevations (either drawn to scale or with the measurements clearly written on them)
• a credit or debit card to make payment

Costs for this service

Permitted development enquiries for non householder proposals (e.g. new build houses, commercial or agricultural premises): £120 (includes £20 VAT)

How to apply

Download and fill out the form and  email or post it to us. Get the form:

• get the permitted development enquiry form as a word document
• get the permitted development enquiry form as a PDF document

You will receive a written response, that is an informal officer opinion, that details whether you will require planning permission. If you want a legal opinion, you will need to  complete a "Lawful Development Certificate" application. 

Building without permission

Take care! If you build something that needs permission without obtaining permission, you may be forced to put things right later. This could prove troublesome and costly. You may even have to remove an unauthorised building.

In certain circumstances, such as unauthorised work to a listed building, a criminal breach has occurred. This can lead to prosecution.

If you need permission

If you believe your proposal does not meet the permitted development criteria then you will need to  submit a planning application.

Alternatively you can  apply for pre application advice before you submit.

Building regulations

Even if your proposal is permitted development you may still require approval under the Building Regulations. Although there are some exemptions to this they are not the same as the planning permitted development rights.  Find out when you need Building Regulation Approval.