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PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS
What is Permitted Development? How to Get Permitted Development?
Not all building work requires planning permission. Home-owners often seek to create additional living space, adding significant value to their homes in the process. However, there are limits to what one can build under permitted development.
While most building works classified as ‘development’ do require planning permission, certain types of development benefit from automatic permission granted by the government through the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended. This allows you to carry out specific alterations and extensions without the need to submit a formal planning application.
These permitted development rights allow for various minor alterations and extensions, subject to specific conditions and limitations. They are a form of national planning permission granted under Article 3 and detailed in Schedule 2 of the GPDO 2015.
Permitted development rights apply across all local planning authorities in England, but they can be removed or restricted by local planning conditions (such as Article 4 Directions), or if your property is located in a designated area (such as a conservation area, national park, or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
Please note: permitted development rights only apply to houses and do not apply to flats, maisonettes or other buildings. For any works considered development on a flat or maisonette, full planning permission will generally be required.
We Can Help You Maximise the Value of Your Property!
Drawing and Planning offer a unique all-inclusive permitted development package where we handle your application from start to finish. A permitted development application (Certificate of lawful development) must be accompanied by scaled architectural drawings which clearly outline the existing property and proposed development. We compile all the necessary drawings and handle your entire application, ensuring you do not exceed the permitted development rights.
Please read below to see if your proposals falls under permitted development, or contact us for further information.
Permitted Development Rights
The rules governing permitted development were significantly updated with the introduction of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, which came into effect on 15 April 2015 and has since been amended.
Under the new regulations an extension or addition to your home is considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:
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No more than half the area of land around the original house (as it was on 1 July 1948 or when built if later) may be covered by additions or other buildings.
No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway, except for porch extensions that meet permitted development criteria.
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Porches are allowed under permitted development, provided they do not exceed 3 square metres in floor area, are no higher than 3 metres, and are not within 2 metres of a boundary facing a highway.
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No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
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Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
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Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
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Maximum depth of a rear extension of more than one storey of three metres including ground floor.
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Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
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Two-storey extensions no closer than seven metres to rear boundary.
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Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
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Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
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Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house.
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Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house.
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No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
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Upper-floor, side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.
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Roof extensions must not increase the volume of the original roof space by more than 40 cubic metres for terraced houses, or 50 cubic metres for detached and semi-detached houses.
On designated land* no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey.
On designated land no cladding of the exterior.
On designated land no side extensions.
*The term "original house" means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.
*Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
Restrictions
In some areas of the country, known generally as 'designated areas', permitted development rights are more restricted. If you live in a Conservation Area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 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.
Withdrawn Permitted Development Rights
You should also note that the local planning authority may have removed some of your permitted development rights by issuing an Article 4 direction. This will mean that you have to submit a planning application for work which normally does not need one.
Article 4 directions are made when the character of an area of acknowledged importance would be threatened. They are most common in conservation areas. You will probably know if your property is affected by such a direction, but you can check with the local planning authority if you are not sure.
GET IN TOUCH WITH ONE OF OUR CONSULTANTS TODAY TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF YOUR PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS!
If you are ever looking into development, you will need to consider permitted development rights. As the name suggests, these are rights given to you when any development is permitted. However permitted development rights are not always easy to obtain, and if you ever ask yourself ‘what is permitted development?’ then it is definitely time to look into it.
‘What is permitted development?’ is an easy question to answer, but it can help to get professional services to help you answer questions like how to get permitted development. These kinds of services are ones that we offer, in an effort to show you how to get permitted development.
Through using our services you will find that the entire process becomes that much easier, and you will feel far safer in any development choices you make if you know that there is an entirely objective professional helping you along the way. We have years of experience and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
Overall we want to help you at the end of the day and will try our utmost to make sure that we can, so do consider using our services – you certainly won’t regret it.
Drawing and Planning is a leading architectural firm in London, specializing in creating innovative designs and providing sustainable planning solutions. Our team of experienced architects is dedicated to bringing your vision to life. We have successfully worked with councils such as Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster, Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Waltham Forest and City of London.