What is Permitted Development?
There are a number of changes that you can make to your home which do not require formal Planning Permission from the council’s planning department. These are known as Permitted Development (PD).
Do I Have Permitted Development Rights?
Most properties do benefit from PD rights, however it is possible for the rights of the property to be removed due to a variety of factors. These can include:
– The property being in a Designated Area, i.e. conservation area.
– If the property has been significantly developed previously.
– As a result of a condition of the original planning permission for the property (this often relates to it being in an area sensitive to development).
– If it is a flat or maisonette.
Changes to Permitted Development Rights in 2019
The rules relating to permitted development do change over time. In 2019 changes were brought in to allow for larger single storey extensions to be built under a process known as “Prior Approval” rather than formal Planning Permission, effectively simplifying it.
Types of Permitted Development Rights
Rights for householders can be summarised as follows:
You can build a single-storey side extension up to half the width of the existing dwelling; a single-storey rear extension up to 4m in length for a detached dwelling and 3m long for a semi or a terrace house; and, in certain circumstances, 3m two-storey rear extensions.
Rear dormers and hip-to-gable extensions are acceptable as long as the additional volume created does not exceed 50m3 for detached properties or 40m3 for semi-detached or terraced properties.
Outbuildings can be constructed within the curtilage of the property as long as it is behind the front elevation, does not cover more than 50% of the curtilage and is not more than 3m high (this height restriction reduces depending upon roof type and distance to the boundary).
Is Prior Notification the Same as Permitted Development?
Prior Notification in relation to PD and is a process whereby the planners are notified of the details of the proposals. It is more involved than simply building under PD rights, but can allow for some development to be effectively approved without the need for Planning Permission.
Permitted Development and Lawful Development Certificates
Lawful Development Certificates (LDCs) are a way to notify the planners that you intend to build under your PD rights. While it is not mandatory, unlike Planning Permission, it forms a check to ensure that the proposals fall within the limits of PD and that your property has the appropriate rights.
How Big Can an Extension be Under Permitted Development?
- You can extend a detached dwelling by 8m to the rear if it’s single storey or 3m if it’s double
- Semi-detached and terraced homes can be extended up to 6m to the rear of the property if single storey
- There are height restrictions but they boil down to a single storey extension not being higher than 4m in height to the ridge and the eaves, and ridge heights of any extension not being higher than the existing property
- Two storey extensions must not be closer than 7m to the rear boundary
- It must be built in the same or similar material to the existing dwelling
- Extensions must not go forward of the building line of the original dwelling
- Side extensions must be single storey, maximum height of 4m and a width no more than half of the original building
- In Designated Areas side extensions require planning permission and all rear extensions must be single storey
- An extension must not result in more than half the garden being covered
- You can only do it once and the original building is either as it was on 1st July 1948 or when it was built. In Northern Ireland it is as it was built or as it was on 1st October 1973