Projects without planning permission
Applying for planning permission costs money and adds to the time a project will take. Thankfully, though, there are improvements you can make that don’t require one. These projects are part of the permitted development (PD) regime – a general planning permission granted by Parliament. One condition: the rights apply to houses, but not flats, maisonettes, and other buildings.
There are some provisos you’ll need to bear in mind. In what are called designated areas – a Conservation Area, national park, AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, a World Heritage Site – PD rights are more restricted. You might need to apply for permission for something that wouldn’t need it elsewhere. Another caveat applies to listed buildings. Councils can issue an Article 4 direction, which removes some PD rights. Again, you’d need to get permission if this applies. Our advice?
