Building an extension is a great way of adding extra space to your home without incurring the costs of moving house. There are some hurdles to overcome however, before you can start building. One of these is planning.
1. Do I need Planning Permission or can I extend my home within Permitted Development Rights?
Permitted Development Rights allow householders to improve or extend their home without planning permission, subject to the planned development meeting certain criteria. Permitted Development Rights have recently been significantly improved so that most home extensions now fall within them and do not require Planning Permission. In addition to Permitted Development rights, Larger Householder Prior Approval Applications allow homeowners to build single-storey rear extensions beyond the limits of standard Permitted Development rights—up to 6 metres for terraced or semi-detached houses and up to 8 metres for detached homes. However, these larger extensions require a “prior approval” process, where the local planning authority must consult neighbouring properties and assess the potential impact on their amenity. If no objections are raised, or if the council considers the impact acceptable, the development can proceed without a full planning application. It’s a valuable route for homeowners seeking to extend their living space more substantially, but it’s important to follow the process carefully and meet all the conditions to avoid enforcement issues. We can guide you through this process Contact us
2. If I need Planning Permission how do I ensure that my application is successful?
Most councils are open to home extension plans and will do their best to allow them to go through. However, there are a number of problems which can arise. These include:
- Neighbour objections
- Issues around Green Belt or listed building status
- Not in keeping with existing development
We can check your plans at the outset and give you a heads up on any problems that may crop up. You can then rework the plans as needed. Or, if this is not possible, you can be prepared for the objections that may be raised and have well thought through answers available.
WPS Planning have a strong track record of obtaining planning permission for extensions. We pride ourselves on our friendly, professional approach.
Request a fee proposal by completing the Applications & Appeals form. The more detail you can provide, the more accurate we can be with scope and pricing. If you already have drawings, a decision notice, officer report, refusal reasons or prior advice, please upload them.
In the meantime if you have any questions, please contact us via info@wpsplanning.co.uk or 01403 458169.