Do I need planning permission?
It is important to find out if planning permission is needed before making any changes to a property.
If you carry out work without permission, you may be required to apply for retrospective planning permission, and if not granted you may be required to put things back to the way they were.
If what you have done is harmful, enforcement action may be taken against you.
Not all developments require planning permission. You may be able to carry out some minor works without - these are called permitted development rights.
Whether or not you have permitted development rights depends on:
- what you are proposing to develop
- what restrictions apply to your area or property such as:
- whether the property is a listed building
- the property falls within a conservation area / area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- the property has had these rights removed
Use our free online guide
You can use our free online guide to check whether changes you want to make to a property are likely to require planning permission. To use this service, you will need to enter the development location and postcode, and answer some questions about the works you want to carry out.
The service will then provide guidance on whether those works may need planning permission and will advise you on what to do next.
Please Note: This service information is based only on the answers you give and is for guidance only. It is not a formal planning decision.
This service does not include information about a property’s planning history such as planning conditions. Therefore, it is important that you check these, or you can ask the Council to do this for you through a written request.
Find out if you need planning permission
Still unsure if you require planning permission?
We also offer a paid for pre–application service which will guide you on whether your proposal would likely be acceptable when applying for Planning Permission.
Find out more via the Council webpage:
You can also apply for a Lawful Development Certificate, which will confirm your works don’t require planning permission. Find out more via the Council webpage:
Lawful Development Certificate
You should also check if works need Building Regulations approval, via the Building Control section of the Council website:
Further Guidance
We have worked with the Planning Portal to put together an Online Planning Magazine, which covers a range of helpful topics to guide you through the Planning Process and what is involved.