What is planning permission?

Adding an extension to your home is exciting stuff, but as ever, with a bit of excitement comes a little bit of admin...

What?

Planning permission is the name given to the consent awarded by your local authority on a proposed building project. Constructing a new building or making extensive alterations to an existing building will usually require planning permission.

Why?

Local authorities use planning permission as a device to assess the development within their area and ensure it is in keeping with their local development plan. Planners will assess applications based on suitability of the proposal and whether it is appropriate to the local vernacular before issuing consent.

How?

You’ll need drawings of the existing site/property along with proposed drawings illustrating the alterations you intend to make. Submission of the application is made online through a governmental website which can be found here.

How long will it take?

Once an application has been made to your local authority, the following timescales will apply:

• Validation (typically 7-14 days). This is where your local authority confirm all the information they require is provided and the application is deemed valid.

• Determination (typically 8 weeks). Once validated, a planning officer will be assigned and your case will be reviewed.

• Neighbour feedback. During this 8 week period your neighbours will be given 2-3 weeks to offer any feedback.

How much will it cost?

The current fee for processing a householder application is £206. For an up to date figure, the planning portal's fee calculator can be found here.

Read on

For more information on planning permission, check our other posts including; ‘do I need planning permission’ and ‘can I build under permitted development rights?’.

Further information can be found on the planning portal here.