Information on Permitted Development rights
You can do certain types of development without applying for Planning Permission. This is called "permitted development". It is set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)(England) Order 2015.
You can find guidance on the rules that relate to permitted development on the Planning Portal website.
Common projects
You can find information on:
- whether development you wish to carry out is permitted development, or
- whether you need to submit a planning application
on our Do I need planning permission or building control webpage, or visit the Planning Portal's Interactive House. This includes common projects like:
- extensions
- garage conversions
- outbuildings
- solar panels
- other renewable energy sources.
For more information on whether you will need planning permission, please see our Householder guidance webpage or the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's permitted development rights for householders - technical guidance.
If you believe your project falls within your property's permitted development rights, you can get the Council's formal opinion. To get the formal opinion, you need to submit a Lawful Development Certificate for assessment.
Building Control
Whilst you may not need planning permission for some projects, there is still a legal requirement to get building regulations approval for works involving structural changes. This includes extensions, garage conversions and some outbuildings. A building control application must be submitted prior to work commencing on site.
You can make an application or find out more on our Building Control webpages.
Article 4 Directions
We can remove permitted development rights for a property or an area by issuing an Article 4 Direction. This means that works that may have been considered permitted development will require planning permission. You can find out more at: Article 4s
Planning and Ecology
Legal protections for wildlife still apply if your development benefits from permitted development rights. You may need:
- an ecological survey and/or
- a licence.
The Wildlife Assessment Check is a free online tool. It shows if there are any protected wildlife species in the location of your proposal. You can access it using this link: Wildlife Assessment Check - Planning Portal
You can find more information from Natural England.
Introduction of short lets use class
Prior to the general election, the former Government confirmed on 19 February that a new ‘short term lets’ use class would be introduced this summer as part of proposals to control such uses: Short terms lets rules GOV.UK. Following the general election we are waiting to understand what the new timetable might be for the introduction of this measure. We will update this statement when we have further detail.
These proposals recognised that in some areas there are considerable concentrations of short term letting uses that can impact negatively on the sustainability of communities.
The proposals included:
- A mandatory national register of short term lets that will provide valuable information on their spread and help ensure accommodation is safe
- That homeowners can continue to let out their own main or sole home for up to 90 nights a year
- The introduction of a new planning use class for properties used as short term lets
- Associated permitted development rights – one allowing for a property to be changed from a short-term let to a standard residential dwelling, and a second that would allow a property to be changed to a short-term let. Local authorities would be able to remove these permitted development rights and require full planning permission where they can demonstrate that uncontrolled short term lets would undermine sustainable communities.
The provisions would not apply until such time as they are formally brought into force by Government.
Details of the proposals and how they will work in practice, including timescales for the introduction of the new Register and the use class have not yet been provided to the Council. We expect that further details of these measures will be set out in the Government’s response to the consultations, including the timeline for implementation of the register, the use class and the individual permitted development rights. Details of the proposals will be added to the Council’s website as they are provided by Government.
