Planning Permission
Formal approval from a local planning authority (UK) required before carrying out certain types of building work, changes of use, or alterations to the external appearance of a property.
Planning permission is the UK system of development control. It’s approval from your local council that allows you to carry out building work that changes the external appearance of your property, its use, or the land around it.
When you need planning permission
- Building an extension beyond permitted development limits
- Converting a loft with dormer windows
- Changing the use of a building (e.g., residential to commercial)
- Work on a listed building or in a conservation area
- Building a new outbuilding above certain size limits
When you don’t need planning permission
Many common renovations fall under permitted development rights — pre-approved categories of work that don’t require a planning application:
- Internal alterations (unless the building is listed)
- Small single-storey rear extensions (within size limits)
- Replacing windows and doors (with some exceptions in conservation areas)
- Re-roofing (like for like)
- Garden walls, fences, and gates (within height limits)
Planning permission vs. building regulations
Planning permission and building regulations are separate systems. You may need one, both, or neither:
- Planning permission controls what you can build and how it looks
- Building regulations control how the work is done (safety, energy efficiency, structural integrity)
Always check both requirements before starting work.