Frequently asked questions

The answer to this question is not a straight forward one, and there are many factors to consider, such as how close the proposed extension is to the neighbouring property, its proposed design, height and size, and various other elements, so it is always advised that you contact your local council planning authority for clarification. However, the general rule is that you do not necessarily need to go through the full planning application route, but rather under what is referred to as a building notice, provided that:-

• The ground area of the extension is no more than half of the original house
• Any part of the extension is not higher than the original roof, and the eaves height is no more than 3 metres
• The materials used on the exterior are of similar appearance to the existing house
• Any part of the extension does not extend beyond any wall facing a road
• A side extension does not exceed 4 metres in height, or be wider than half the width of the original house
• For a single storey rear extension, it extends no more than 4 metres from the rear wall of the house on a detached property, and no more than 3 metres for non detached.
• For multiple storey extensions, it does not exceed more than 3 metres from the rear of the house

As mentioned previously, these are only a few of the main factors in determining if a planning application is needed, and it is always advised to make a preliminary phone call to your local authority to confirm. Alternatively, for more information on permitted developments and home extension planning permission, click here to visit the planning portal.
 

It is a common misconception that you do not need to inform your local authority if you are building a conservatory, and whilst this is often the case, the official legislation states that 'a conservatory attached to the house will be treated as an extension and therefore will need to comply with section 1a (rules for permitted developments)', in other words it is subject to the same conditions as extensions when determining if planning permission is required. It is also important to remember that if your property has shared access drains running under the proposed conservatory, a build over permit will need to be sought from your local water authority. 

In short, no, for major works such as extensions, even if they fall within the permitted development criteria, you will still need to apply for building regulations approval, through what is commonly referred to as a building notice. There are fees involved in this application, but is a lot more straight forward a process than a full planning application, and does not require plans to be submitted. This application process should take no longer than a few weeks. Although plans are not required to be submitted for a building notice, our advice is always to have architects plans drawn up for any major work to your home, this ensures you will be complying with building regulations within your initial budgets, and that building contractors can accurately quote the work required, without any nasty surprises further down the line. There is some useful information on building regulations and your responsibilities when carrying out general construction work or a house extension, in this planning portal article. 

Garden rooms, garden offices or any garden structure, usually fall within the permitted development category, meaning you have pre approved permission to build it, providing certain criteria are met. There are a number of conditions to this pre approval however, and listing every one here would take several paragraphs, but here are just a few:--It cannot be built on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation, meaning the furthest forward wall of your house.-It must be single storey.-The maximum eaves height is 2.5 metres, and the maximum overall height is 4 metres with a dual pitched roof, or 3 metres for any other roof.-It cannot be used as living/sleeping accommodation.These are some of the conditions for it to be permitted development, but you may still need to inform your local building control office, and carry out the project under a building notice. If the internal floor area is under 15m2, or under 30m2 and at least 1 metre away from any boundary, then you may not even need a building notice. For more detailed advice, follow this link to the planning portals advice on garden structures and outbuildings.