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Planning Permission

If you wish to make improvements to a property immediately after moving in, you should check before completing the purchase whether you will need planning permission, and if so, whether it’s likely to be approved. An architect can advise you about this or you can contact your local planning department. If you know or suspect that a property is listed, you will need to obtain listed building consent (contact the local conservation officer for advice). You should also mention any planned improvements or repair work to your surveyor. If you’re making improvements yourself, you must also ensure that you won’t be contravening building regulations. Your lender will also want to know about any major changes you plan to make and will want to ensure that structural changes are carried out correctly and professionally.

To apply for planning permission first obtain a Planning Permission Application form from your local council. If a property is listed you will need a Listed Building/Conservation Area Consent Application form. Obtaining planning permission can be a lottery and although it’s generally more difficult to obtain approval for non-traditional modern houses, some excellent traditional designs are also refused. The speed with which applications are dealt with also varies hugely, although government guidelines are a maximum of two months. If you’re planning on making exterior alterations or additions, look at similar properties in the area to see what precedents have been set regarding alterations, lofts and extensions. For major extensions or alterations you should employ a good architect and discuss your plans (which should be complete!) with the planning authorities before applying for outline planning consent or full planning permission (if an application is refused you will incur the same costs again!). The cost of obtaining planning permission varies from a few hundred pounds for a small job where you’re making your own drawings, to thousands of pounds for a large job requiring detailed architect’s drawings.

It’s advisable to design (re-design) your garden at the same time as the extension, so as to ensure that they’re in harmony.

Take care that your plans don’t encroach on or overlook your neighbours’ property, obstruct their light (light must be free to enter a home or business premises unimpeded by other buildings) or affect party walls. One of the most common reasons for the refusal of planning permission is objections by neighbours, therefore it’s advisable to discuss your plans with your neighbours and try to allay their fears.

A small extension that doesn’t increase the floor area by more than 247ft2 (23m2) or 10 per cent of the size of the total floor area of a property doesn’t require planning permission. (However, this doesn’t apply to properties in a conservation area or to listed buildings.) This includes a garage or conservatory, although there are rules regarding the height and you mustn’t reduce the size of the garden to less than 269ft2 (25m2). However, before planning any extension, it’s wise to check with your local planning department.

If you do any work without obtaining the necessary planning permission, you may need to demolish it or return the property to its original state.

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying, Selling & Letting Property” 2nd Edition, David Hampshire.
Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying, Selling & Letting Property” 2nd edition, by David Hampshire.

For extensive, annually updated information about buying, selling and letting property, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

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