Planning guide for homeowners

Check the following before making any changes to your house:

Planning history

• Does the original planning permission include anything to restrict or prohibit the work you want to do?
• Has the property been extended in the past? This may limit what you are now permitted to do.

Legal position

You may need a solicitor to check for restrictions on the land or the type of work you want to do, for example:

• legal title
• restrictive covenants
• rights of way
• conditions previously removed
• permitted development rights

If the current building is unlawful, permitted development will not apply.

Road requirements

Any work carried out must not:

• obstruct the view of people using a public road
• impact how people access or exit from a public road

Listed buildings and conservation areas

Listed building consent may be required for the proposed works if you live in, or close to, a listed building. If you live in a conservation area you may also need permission to alter your property. Our planning team can advise - see the 'Contact us' section of this guide linked above.

Historic monuments

Work proposed in or near any archaeological site or historic monument may require special permission and certain precautions may be required. For more information, contact the Historic Environment Division with the Department for Communities.

Other approvals you may require

Building regulations

Our building control team assesses plans to ensure that they comply with building regulations. Their officers will inspect sites at various stages of the development.  

You can contact the team on:

Enforcement

If you don't get the proper consent before carrying out building works or changing how land or buildings are used, this is a breach of planning. 

We can have breaches investigated and corrected if necessary. More information is available on the website.

Underpinning and foundations

Planning permission is not normally required for work to maintain foundations, however if you live in a listed building you should check with your Local Planning Authority. 

Manholes and drains

The work may not require planning permission, but you should clarify ownership and responsibility before making changes. 

Drains, sewers and manholes may be shared with neighbours or owned by the relevant water authority. 

If you don't confirm these details or comply with legislation, you may face legal action and have to pay for any fixes.

Porch

You will need planning permission if the porch would: 

• have a ground area (externally) more than 3 square metres 
• be higher than 3 metres above ground level with a flat or mono pitched roof, or 3.5 metres with a dual pitched roof
• be less than 2 metres away from the boundary of a dwellinghouse with a highway (any public road or path)

Paving your front garden

You don’t need planning permission to build or replace a driveway if: 

• hard surface to be replaced would exceed 5 square metres
• permeable (or porous) surfacing is used, e.g. gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt 
• rainwater flows to a lawn or border to drain naturally

If you live in a listed building, check with our planning team - see 'Contact us' in the links above.

If you cover more than five square metres using traditional materials that don’t let water through, you need planning permission. 

These rules apply to the area of land between the front walls of the house and the highway. 

Roof window/roof light  

New roof lights or skylights will not normally require planning permission, providing: 

• they are no higher than the highest part of the roof 
• they do not protrude more than 15cm (150mm) beyond the plane of a roof which faces a road and/or is part of the front or side of the property
• if on side roofs, they must be obscure-glazed and either non-opening or more than 1.7 metres above floor level 
• they are not any closer than 0.5 metres to the ridge of the existing roof, or eaves, or any party wall or verge

If additional volume is created it may be treated as an extension and separate rules will apply. 

Measurements should always be calculated using external measurements.     

Enlargement, improvement or other alterations to roof: 

You will need planning permission if: 

• any part of the extension will be higher than the highest part of the roof 
• any part of the extension/alteration protrudes more than 15cm beyond the roof plane which faces a road and/or forms either the main/front or side of the property
• any part of the extension will be closer than 0.5 metres to the ridge of the existing roof, or eaves, or any party wall or verge 
• it would consist of or include a deck, balcony, veranda or other raised platform
• it would consist of or include installation, alteration or replacement of a chimney, flue or soil and vent pipe
• it would consist of or include installation, alteration or replacement of a microwave antenna 

For dormer windows:  

Converting a roof space internally to provide additional accommodation does not require planning permission but may require building control approval.  

Installing dormer windows or carrying out other alterations to the roof may require planning permission.  

No part of the dormer window can be higher than the ridge line of the existing house. Materials used must match the existing dwellinghouse. Side windows must be obscure-glazed and non-opening below 1.7 metres. 

Please note:  

• materials used in exterior work shall be of similar appearance to those used in the original construction 
• any window inserted on a wall or side roof, which is within 15 metres of any boundary of the curtilage of a neighbouring dwellinghouse, shall be obscure glazed; and non-opening unless the parts of the window which can be opened are more than 1.7 metres above the floor of the room in which the window is installed

Solar Panels (Roof mounted)

You will need planning permission if: 

• any part of the solar panel or its equipment would protrude more than 20cm beyond the plane of any existing roof slope which faces onto and is visible from a road
• any part of the solar panel or its equipment would exceed the height of the highest part of any existing ridged roof; or 1.5 metres above the plane of any flat roof

Solar Panel (Wall mounted)

You will need planning permission if: 

• any part of the solar panel/thermal equipment within 3 metres of the boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse that exceeds 4 metres in height
• any part of the solar panel/thermal equipment extends more than 20cm beyond the plane of the wall 
• any part of the solar panel/thermal equipment would extend beyond the boundary of the wall  
• any part of the solar panel/thermal equipment installed on the wall of a chimney would exceed the height of the highest part of the roof

Solar Panel (Stand alone):  

You will need planning permission if: 

• it would result in more than one stand alone solar within property's curtilage  
• the area of the stand alone solar would exceed 14 square metres 
• any part of the stand alone solar would exceed 2 metres in height  
• any part of the stand alone solar would be nearer to a road bordering your property than the part of the dwellinghouse nearest to that road 

Microwave antenna

You will need planning permission if: 

• it would result in more than two antennas 
• it would result in a single antenna exceeding 100 centimetres in length 
• it would result in two antennas which do not meet the relevant size criteria;  
• it would result in an antenna installed on a chimney, where the length of the antenna would exceed 60 centimetres;  
• it would result in an antenna installed on a chimney, where the antenna would protrude above the chimney;  
• it would result in an antenna with a cubic capacity in excess of 35 litres 
• when the antenna is installed on a roof without a chimney, the highest part of the antenna would be higher than the highest part of the roof 
• when the antenna to be installed is on a roof with a chimney, the highest part of the antenna would be higher than the highest part of the chimney, or 60cm measured from the highest part of the ridge tiles of the roof, whichever is the lower

External materials

You do not need to apply for planning permission for repairs, maintenance or minor improvements, such as painting your house. 

If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external. If you live in a Conservation Area, contact your local planning office for advice in advance of the works.    

Works including extensions and alterations require materials to match existing.  

Flue, chimney and soil or vent pipes

You will need planning permission if: 

• The height of the chimney, flue or soil and vent pipe would exceed the highest part of the roof by 1 metre or more. 

Fences, gates, walls and enclosures

You will need planning permission if: 

• the height of any means of enclosure adjacent to a road used or designed to be used by vehicles would exceed 1 metre above ground level. 
• the height of any means of enclosure would exceed 2 metres above ground level

If an existing enclosure already exceeds the limits above, its height should not be increased.  

Swimming pools

You will need planning permission if: 

• the total area of ground within the curtilage covered by structures (other than the original dwellinghouse) would exceed 50% of the total area of the curtilage 
• any part of the pool would be situated on land forward of a wall which faces onto a road and forms either the main or side entrance of the main property
• the structure would exceed 4 metres in height (or within 2 metres of property boundaries, the eaves height would exceed 2.5 metres) 
• no part of the structure or enclosure should be built closer than 3.5 metres from the boundary of your property, if the rear of the house faces a road
• it would consist of or include a deck, balcony, veranda or other raised platform
• it would involve the installation, alteration or replacement of a microwave antenna  
• it would involve development for use as a dwellinghouse

Sheds and outbuildings

Many structures can be built in your garden or on the land around your house without needing planning permission. 

You will need planning permission if:  ​​​​​​

• the structure is not used for domestic purposes only  
• the structure would be used as a dwelling house  
• the ground area covered by this structure, and any others within the property boundary (excluding the original house) is more than half the total area of the property 
• part of the structure is in front of the principal/front or side elevation of the original house that faces onto a road
• the height of the structure is more than 4 metres.  
• the height of the structure is 2.5 metres, if it is within 2 metres of the property boundary
• part of the structure is within 3.5 metres of the boundary with a road to the rear of the house  
• the structure would include a deck, balcony, veranda or other raised platform
• the structure is used for keeping pigeons
• the structure would include the installation, alteration or replacement of a microwave antenna

Conservatories and sun rooms

A conservatory is treated exactly the same as any other extension under planning regulations, regardless of the materials used. 

There are conditions and limits to what is allowed without the need for planning permission, and these apply largely to the dimensions of the proposed addition, its position on the house and its proximity to your boundaries. 

Rear extensions

You can often extend or add to your house without needing planning permission, provided you meet a set of limits and conditions. 

What is allowed without planning permission depends largely on the dimensions of the proposed extension, its position on the house and its proximity to your boundaries. 

If more than half the area of land around the “original house” would be covered by additions or other buildings, you need planning permission. 

The term ‘attached house’ means any house that shares a party wall with a neighbouring building. 

A rear extension is permitted if:  

• the total area covered by buildings does not exceed 50% of the curtilage.
• the height of the extension does not exceed the highest part of the existing roof
• the extension does not extend beyond a wall facing a road
• the extension is not more than one storey and does not extend beyond the rear wall by more than 3 meters  
• the extension is not within 2 meters of the boundary and the eaves height does not exceed 3 meters
• it does not include a balcony, veranda, or raised platform

In a single storey extension: 

• the extension does not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than 4 metres for a detached house, or 3 metres for any other type of house  
• the height of the extension does not exceed 4 metres
• no part of the extension is within 3.5 metres of any property boundary with a road opposite the rear wall of the house 

In an extension with more than one storey:  

• the extension does not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than 3 metres
• no part of the extension is within 7 metres of the property boundary opposite the rear wall of the house
• the roof pitch of the extension is as far as practicable the same as the roof pitch of the original house

Oil storage 

You will need planning permission if: 

• the container capacity would exceed 3,500 litres 
• any part of the container would be more than 3 metres above ground level 
• any part of the container would be on land beyond a wall which faces onto a road; and forms either the main or side elevation of the original dwellinghouse 
• any part of the container would be within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse with a road opposite the rear wall of the dwellinghouse

Air source heat pumps

You will need planning permission if: 

• the development would result in more than one air source heat pump within the curtilage of the house
• part of the air source heat pump is located over 30 metres from the house (other than where an air source heat pump is being installed, altered or replaced)
• part of the air source heat pump is situated on land forward of a wall which faces the road and forms either the principal/front or side elevation of the house  
• the height of the air source heat pump exceeds 2 metres 
• the pump is located on a roof 

Ground or water source heat pumps

You will need planning permission if:  

• Part of the pump or its housing which is within 3 metres of the boundary of the house exceeds 4 metres in height.  
• Part of the pump or its housing is closer to a road than the part of the house nearest the road.  

Containers for Biomass Fuel 

You will need planning permission if: 

• An above ground container exceeds 6,500 litres in capacity, or more would be more than 3 metres above ground level in height.  
• Part of the container is closer to a road than the part of the house nearest the road.  

Flues for a biomass or combined heat and power heating system

You will need planning permission if:  

• The height of the flue is more than 1 metre higher than the highest part of the roof.  

These are the contact details for our planning team: