Planning permission: the ins and outs

We all wish that when wanting to change something in our home, it would be simple and work could commence straight away. This is not the case. Planning permission has to be granted for a multitude of projects and can take up to eight weeks for your local planning department to determine the outcome of your application.

Here, we hope to introduce you to the ins and outs of planning permission to help you with the process.

Planning permission is needed for lots of reasons:

-You are building something new. If you want to build an extension to your home or do a completely new build, you will need to get planning permission. There are exemptions. Permitted development allows a single storey rear extension of three metres, or four metres on a detached house, with no application. The larger home extension route takes those depths to six and eight metres, but it needs prior approval from the council first.

-Making a major change to your building. If you are wanting to convert your loft space and are wanting to change the original shape of your roof, you will need to get planning permission. Depending on the type of your home, you won’t need to get planning permission for changing such elements as the windows or doors. If you are changing the shape of a window on a listed building, permission is normally needed.

It is worth saying now that planning permission rules can differ in different local planning areas, so it is worth going on your local council’s webpage to see what your council allow and don’t allow.

-Changing the use of your building. If you are thinking of changing your home into a commercial property, or a group of flats, planning permission is needed. However, check with your local authority first as it does differ.

In most cases, planning permission is granted and you can start construction work. However, sometimes it is denied or withdrawn. Listed below are a few possible reasons your local council may do this.

Planning permission may not be possible in principle. If you live in an above ground floor flat and you plan to extend the internal area over the smaller gross internal area, then this is not possible and you will need to modify.

You are unable to demonstrate the need for your development. If you want to turn your property into a coffee shop, and there are eight others nearby, the council is unlikely to grant permission because there is no need. Find a reason for your development. Why does your area need the development and how will your area benefit from the development?

Your development could impact negatively on the surrounding area’s character and appearance. This is mainly the case for conservation areas. If you are placing an extremely modern new build in an area of listed Georgian properties, your application may be withdrawn because it does not fit the area’s aesthetic.

Lack of quality in accommodation. There are minimum space standards for properties. Especially with flats, if your proposed development falls below a certain standard for living quality space then your application could be denied. For example, if you are creating another bedroom and it is a small windowless space, permission may not be granted because it is not a good quality standard.

If permission is refused, you can alter the plans and apply again. A new plan means a new application, and a refusal is rarely the end of a project.

As set out above, if the plan does not fit the surrounding area’s character and appearance, permission can be refused. But there are ways to change this. For example, if you have applied for a front mansard on a terraced house on a London residential street, it is likely to be refused because it interrupts the typical style of the buildings on the street. However, if you apply with a joint application for numerous properties on the street, it is more likely to be allowed. If a street has the same look down the entire street, and consistency is shown from the outside appearance of the terraced homes, then permission is more likely to be granted.

Planning permission is granted far more often than it is refused. Do not let the process stop you from doing the work you want to the house. Tell us what you are planning, or come to our Fulham studio and talk it through. Our newer guide covers the same ground in more detail, in planning permission for a London extension.