Planning permission

Printable version

1. When you need it

You’ll probably need planning permission if you want to:

  • build something new
  • make a major change to your building, such as building an extension
  • change the use of your building

To find out if your project will need planning permission, contact your local planning authority (LPA) through your local council.

Find out about the planning system in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Applying for planning permission

To apply for planning permission, contact your LPA through your local council.

If your project needs planning permission and you do the work without getting it, you can be served an ‘enforcement notice’ ordering you to undo all the changes you have made.

It’s illegal to ignore an enforcement notice, but you can appeal against it.

2. When you do not need it

Some building projects do not need planning permission. This is known as ‘permitted development rights’.

Building projects that normally have permitted development rights include:

There are other projects that might not need planning permission - for example, projects that will have no impact on your neighbours or the environment. If you think this could apply to your project, check with your LPA through your local council.

Community Rights in England

If your building project benefits the local community, and the community supports it, you may not have to go through the normal planning permission process. Neighbourhood planning lets your community grant planning permission directly under certain circumstances.

3. After you apply

Your local planning authority (LPA) will decide whether to grant planning permission for your project based on its development plan. It will not take into account whether local people want it.

To decide whether a planning application fits with its development plan, an LPA will look at:

  • the number, size, layout, siting and external appearance of buildings
  • the infrastructure available, such as roads and water supply
  • any landscaping needs
  • what you want to use the development for
  • how your development would affect the surrounding area - for example, if it would create lots more traffic

In most cases, planning applications are decided within 8 weeks. In England, for unusually large or complex applications the time limit is 13 weeks. If the decision takes longer, you can appeal.

4. Appeals

If your application is refused, try to come to an agreement with the local planning authority (LPA) by adjusting your plans.

If you cannot reach an agreement, you can appeal.

Appeals can take several months to be decided.

What you can appeal against

You can only appeal against a decision if the LPA:

  • refuses your application
  • grants permission but with conditions you object to
  • refuses to change or remove a condition of planning permission that has been granted with conditions
  • refuses to approve something reserved under an ‘outline permission’ – planning permission for a general idea, not of a specific plan
  • refuses to approve something that you were told to build by your LPA as part of a previous planning permission – the current development was one of the ‘conditions’ stated in the previous planning permission
  • does not make a decision on the application within the deadline and does not get your written consent to change the deadline
  • serves you with an enforcement notice because it thinks you have broken planning permission and you do not agree

Read the guidance on the appeals process.