Are you aware of just how many home improvement projects are free for you to undertake without first getting planning permission? Many smaller projects get classified as permitted development, which means there is already implied consent for you to be free to go ahead and carry them out as you see fit.
Having said that, PD rights do have limitations, particularly if you reside in a listed building or designated area, and if you’ve previously already done quite a few home improvements. Bigger and more significant projects are far more likely to still need planning permission.
It’s best to always consult your relevant Local Planning Authority for example commercial property woking in order to make sure you don’t need planning permission, since there are some instances where PD rights might have been removed.
Can You Remodel Your Home’s Interior?
Remodelling the interior of your home is a good way that you can add more space to a home. You can frequently do it within PD, particularly if the proposed work won’t extend the dwelling’s overall footprint. Even if you don’t need any planning permission, you’ll still need to get Building Regulations approval for electrical works and structural elements.
Can You Add Or Move Doors And Windows?
In typical circumstances, you are free to add or replace new windows free of planning approval if they’re going to be in your home’s original walls. On the other hand, you might need planning permission if there were conditions attached to your home’s original permission.
So long as your building isn’t actually listed, then you should be free to install double glazing through the purview of PD. Just remember that for any bigger or new doors and windows, you still have to follow the guidance of Building Regulations.
Remember that bay windows often get classified as extensions. Planning permission for the insertion of new door openings or windows isn’t required so long as upper-floor windows which are on the side elevation get glazed using obscured glass of level four or five obscurity. They also have to get fixed onto a non-opening frame, with the exception of the opener being in excess of 1.7 metres above the room floor where the window is installed.
Do You Need Planning Permission To Convert Your Garage?
The conversion of any attached building, such as an integral garage, into a living space can also fall under PD, since you’re still not increasing the building’s overall footprint. The conversion of a standalone garage might wind up involving the application for a change of use.
How Large Can A Single-Storey Extension Get Free Of Planning Permission?
So long as you remain within the following parameters, you’re free to build your single-storey extension free of needing to get planning permission:
- The extension won’t sit ahead of the principal elevation
- Materials are identical or at least similar
- When within 2 metres of any applicable boundary, eaves can’t go higher than 3 metres, and never more than 4 metres in height otherwise
- Rear extensions are not more than 3 metres in depth for a terrace or semi-detached house or 4 metres in depth for a detached house
- For side extensions, the extension width can’t be greater than half of the original dwelling’s width
Side extensions aren’t permitted to happen on Article 1(5) Land such as Conservation Areas or AONB. Find a full list of all the caveats at PlanningPortal.Gov.UK.
Can You Add Roof lights?
You can make changes to a dwelling’s roof under PD, such as introducing roof lights, so long as they don’t project in excess of 15 centimetres from the slope of the roof. It’s worth noting that roof lights aren’t permitted on dwellings located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or a Conservation Area.
Under PD, Can You Convert Your Loft?
Extra space attained via a loft conversion free of planning consent being necessary. There are limitations on how much cubic content PD allows, but typically, as much as 40 metres cubed is okay. In terms of additional headroom in a loft space, PD does allow of the installation of dormer windows. However, they can’t sit any higher than the current roof’s highest part, nor can they extend ahead of principal elevation’s roof plane.