Permitted Development Rights in England: WhatYou Can Build Without Planning Permission
Updated: Aug 21
Most UK homeowners assume that any building work requires planning permission. In many cases, they’re wrong, and that assumption costs them time and money they don’t need to spend.
Permitted Development (PD) rights allow you to carry out certain types of work without submitting a formal planning application. They’re granted automatically under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, and they cover a wider range of projects than most people realise.
What Permitted Development Actually Covers
For a standard residential house (not a flat), PD rights typically allow the following without a planning application:
Rear extensions
A single-storey rear extension of up to 4 metres depth for a detached house, or 3 metres for a semi-detached or terraced property.
Loft conversions
Adding up to 40 cubic metres of additional roof space for a terraced house, or 50 cubic metres for a detached or semi-detached, subject to design conditions.
Outbuildings
Garden offices, studios, sheds, and garages within certain size limits, provided they don’t cover more than half the curtilage.
Porches
Up to 3 square metres in floor area and under 3 metres in height.
Internal alterations
Structural or layout changes inside the property generally don’t require planning permission, though Building Regulations may still apply.
When PD Rights Don’t Apply
PD rights are removed or restricted in several common situations:
Conservation areas, AONBs, National Parks
Side extensions and cladding are restricted or removed.
Article 4 Directions
The council has removed PD rights locally to protect character.
Listed buildings
Listed Building Consent is required for almost any work affecting character.
Flats and maisonettes
PD rights don’t apply at all. Every external alteration needs planning permission.
Prior PD use
If previous owners have already extended under PD, the allowances may be exhausted.
The Lawful Development Certificate: Your Protection
Even when work falls within Permitted Development, we always recommend applying for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC).
This is the council’s formal written confirmation that the works are lawful, essential when you sell the property. Without one, proving the work was lawful under PD can stall or kill a sale.
The Larger Home Extension Scheme
Under Prior Approval, you can extend a single-storey rear extension up to 8 metres (detached) or 6 metres (semi / terraced), significantly more than standard PD, subject to a neighbour consultation.
For many homeowners, this is the most cost-effective route to a substantial rear extension.
A Practical Example
A homeowner in a semi-detached Victorian terrace in Leicester wanted a rear kitchen extension.
After reviewing the site, we identified that a 5.5-metre extension could be achieved through Prior Approval, larger than what they thought possible, without a full planning application.
We applied for Prior Approval and an LDC simultaneously.
Result: A legally confirmed, larger extension, faster and at lower cost.
Bernard A. is the COO of Altura Design, a specialist architectural design consultancy and planning management firm serving UK clients from Goa, India. A spin-off of Enigmasoft Technologies.
■ Goa, India | ■ enigma-tech.io | ■ +91 7057286372
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