Planning & Permissions
152 sources in the library on planning & permissions, 14 on this page cited in a published note. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 2 of 4.
- very strong RN-3YX7QW cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
Section 192(1) lets any person apply to the local planning authority to determine whether a proposed use of buildings or land, or operations proposed to be carried out in, on, over or under land, would be lawful. Under section 192(2) the authority must issue a certificate if the information satisfies them that the use or operations would be lawful if instituted or begun at the time of the application and must otherwise refuse; the certificate must specify the land, describe the use or operations, give the reasons and state the application date (192(3)). Section 192(4) provides that the lawfulness of any use or operations for which a certificate is in force is conclusively presumed unless there is a material change in the relevant matters before the use is instituted or the operations begun.
Cited in Do You Need Planning Permission for a Loft Conversion?, Do You Need Planning Permission for an Extension?, Does a Loft Conversion Add Value? UK Data & ROI, Lawful Development Certificates Explained and 3 more.
- very strong RN-NB5B2C cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
Inserted by the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 with effect from 1 October 2013, this is the section that replaced conservation area consent in England. It makes it an offence to carry out relevant demolition without the required planning permission, or to fail to comply with a condition attached to permission for relevant demolition. 'Relevant demolition' is defined as demolition of a building situated in a conservation area in England which is not excluded by section 75 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (listed buildings, certain ecclesiastical buildings, scheduled monuments, and buildings described in a Secretary of State direction). It provides a defence of urgent necessity in the interests of safety or health where repair or temporary support was not practicable, the demolition was the minimum measure necessary, and written notice was given to the LPA as soon as reasonably practicable. The correct national citation whenever a note says 'conservation area consent' for England.
Cited in Conservation Area Rules for Homeowners.
- very strong RN-WPR7FR cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
The statutory challenge route after a planning appeal decision, and the source of the six-week clock. Section 288 allows a person aggrieved to question the validity of an order, action or decision on the grounds that it is not within the powers of the Act or that relevant requirements were not complied with. Subsection (4A) requires leave of the High Court; subsection (4B) requires the application for leave to be made 'before the end of the period of six weeks beginning with the day after' the relevant date, which is the date the order takes effect (for a section 97 order effective without confirmation), the date the order is confirmed, the date the action is taken, or the date a relevant costs order is made. There is no appeal on the merits after an inspector's decision, only this route on a point of law.
- very strong RN-M6VJS2 cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
Section 55(1) defines development as the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or other land. Section 55(2)(a) excludes works to a building which affect only the interior of the building or which do not materially affect the external appearance of the building, which is why internal renovation does not need planning permission.
Cited in Annexe & Granny Flat: Cost, Planning & Rules, Fascias, Soffits & Bargeboards Explained.
- very strong RN-1MN06H cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), Northern Ireland Statutory Rules
NORTHERN IRELAND, and the part letters mean different things from England, so quoting an England part letter into an NI note is a straight error. The parts are A interpretation and general, B materials and workmanship, C site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, D structure, E fire safety, F conservation of fuel and power, G resistance to the passage of sound, H stairs, ramps, guarding and protection from impact, J solid waste, K ventilation, L combustion appliances and fuel storage systems, N drainage, P sanitary appliances, unvented hot water storage systems and reducing the risk of scalding, R access to and use of buildings, and V glazing. So NI Part D is England's Part A, NI Part E is England's Part B, NI Part F is England's Part L, NI Part K is England's Part F, NI Part L is England's Part J, NI Part N is England's Part H, NI Part P is England's Part G and emphatically NOT electrical safety, NI Part R is England's Part M, and NI Part V is glazing. There is NO part covering electrical safety anywhere in these regulations, so domestic electrical work in Northern Ireland is not notifiable building work as it is under England's and Wales's Part P. Regulation 41 imposes consequential improvements, regulation 42 change of energy status and regulation 43 renovation of thermal elements.
- very strong RN-XHATOQ cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), Scottish Statutory Instruments
SCOTLAND, latest revised version with no outstanding effects, and several of these contradict England. Type 20 makes a door, window or rooflight warrant-exempt EVEN WHERE THE FRAME IS REPLACED, so a Scottish window replacement needs no building warrant and no FENSA or Certass notification, unlike England where replacing a window is notifiable building work; it must still meet the regulations, including the 1.4 W/m2K or WER Band B standard. Type 19 exempts open raised external decking unless it is at a height of more than 1.2 metres. Type 21 exempts a paved area or hardstanding unless it exceeds 200 SQUARE METRES or forms part of a required access, a far more generous threshold than England's 5 square metre front garden rule. Type 22 exempts extra-low voltage electrical installations not exceeding 50 volts AC or 120 volts DC. Type 24 exempts like-for-like replacement of fittings including sanitary facilities, rainwater gutters and downpipes, solid fuel appliances, electrical fixtures, ventilation fans and kitchen fitments, but expressly NOT doors, windows or rooflights, nor oil or gas fired boilers. Type 25 exempts like-for-like replacement of flooring, lining, cladding, covering or rendering internally or externally. All are conditional on the work meeting the relevant requirements of the regulations.
Cited in Replacing Misted Double Glazing Units Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide.
- very strong RN-SOQD1S cited
The Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate's quarterly statistics workbook, data to end of June 2026. Table 2.6b (Householder appeals - received, decided and allowed by quarter, England) is the only published series giving a householder-specific allowed rate, and it runs from Apr-Jun 2010. Recent quarters: Apr-Jun 2025 1,234 decided / 451 allowed (37%); Jul-Sep 2025 1,070 / 401 (37%); Oct-Dec 2025 1,053 / 390 (37%); Jan-Mar 2026 905 / 310 (34%); Apr-Jun 2026 981 / 363 (37%). Over the four quarters to June 2026, 1,464 of 4,009 householder appeals were allowed, 36.5%. Allowed includes split decisions. Other sheets cover s78 appeals received and decided (2.1 to 2.5), s174 enforcement appeals, CIL, call-ins and development plans.
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The Planning Inspectorate
Quarterly official statistics for England covering April 2025 to March 2026. The allowed rate for section 78 planning appeals was 32% for April 2025 to March 2026 and 32% in the January-March 2026 quarter (Annex D Table B gives the quarterly series by procedure: Jan-Mar 2026 written representations 30%, hearings 62%, inquiries 61%). Annex B, decisions made in March 2026: s78 written representations median 16.4 weeks / mean 20.7 (751 decisions); s78 hearings 23.6 / 26.4 (38); s78 inquiries 28.0 / 32.3 (13); householder appeals on written representations median 12.6 weeks / mean 13.9 (408 decisions); enforcement appeals on written representations 75.9 / 78.7. Enforcement decisions over 12 months had a median of 65 weeks. 479 salaried Planning Inspectors at end of March 2026.
- very strong RN-EKUE9J cited
The Planning Inspectorate (GOV.UK)
Dates the split of Welsh planning appeals from the England service. States that on 1 October 2021 the staff and functions of Planning Inspectorate Wales transferred to the Welsh Government, forming a new division named Planning and Environment Decisions Wales / Penderfyniadau Cynllunio ac Amgylchedd Cymru. Casework resumed from 11 October 2021. Useful for correcting the widespread claim that Welsh appeals separated in 2019.
- very strong RN-NUL2UK cited
Welsh Government (gov.wales)
WALES. The Welsh Government publishes its own Approved Documents, and this collection page, last updated 19 June 2025, lists them with their current dates so the right edition can be cited: A structure 3 April 2017, B fire safety 19 June 2025, C site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture 3 April 2017, D toxic substances 3 April 2017, E resistance to the passage of sound 13 April 2022, F ventilation 7 April 2026, G sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency 10 May 2023, H drainage and waste disposal 3 April 2017, J combustion appliances 6 January 2025, K protection from falling 19 March 2025, L conservation of fuel and power 7 April 2026, M access 20 March 2025, N glazing 5 April 2017, O overheating, P electrical safety, Q security and R volumes 1 and 2. Wales still has a live Approved Document N on glazing safety, opening and cleaning, which England withdrew in 2013 when its content moved into Part K, so an England-based note that says Part N no longer exists is wrong for Wales.
- very strong RN-156U72 cited
Welsh Government (gov.wales)
WALES, and this contradicts England outright. Wales has NO larger home extension prior approval route and no neighbour consultation scheme, so the 6 metre and 8 metre single-storey rear extensions England allows are simply not available. Under Class A a single-storey rear extension must not project beyond the rear wall of the original dwellinghouse by more than 4 metres for any house type, must not exceed 4 metres in height, must not exceed 50 per cent of the total area of the curtilage under A.1(a), must not have eaves higher than the eaves of the part it projects from, and must not be within 2 metres of a boundary where its eaves exceed 3 metres, nor exceed 4 metres in height within 2 metres of a boundary. A rear extension of more than one storey is limited to 4 metres at ground floor and 3 metres at first floor or above, and any storey above 4 metres in height must be at least 10.5 metres from the boundary opposite the rear wall. A side extension must be set back at least 1 metre from the principal elevation and must not make the widest part of the resulting house more than 50 per cent wider than the original. Verandas, raised platforms, roof terraces and balconies are excluded except a balcony complying with A.1(l)(ii), and materials must match under A.3(a).
Cited in How to Modernise Refurbish Conservatory, Renovating a 1930s House.
- strong locally RN-1JFZP1 cited
Bedford Borough Council
Bedford Borough Council, Apply for a dropped kerb or vehicle crossover. Held in the cost register as a price source; the passage quoted against it reads: From 1 January 2026 you will need to pay £177.25 for a site visit and estimate of the cost of works.
- strong RN-JHE485 cited
BRE Group
The correct reference for the daylight and sunlight methodology that planning officers and inspectors apply, and the fix for the common mis-citation 'BRE 209'. The report number is BR 209; the current edition is the 2022 (third) edition, published 8 June 2022, ISBN 9781848064836, authored by Paul Littlefair, Stephanie King, Gareth Howlett, Cosmin Ticleanu and Adam Longfield. It supersedes the 1991 first edition and the 2011 second edition, and is intended to be used alongside the interior daylight recommendations of BS EN 17037. New material in the 2022 edition covers dense urban areas, trees and hedges; a special section covers loss of solar radiation for solar panels and passive solar buildings, plus sunlighting of gardens and amenity areas.
- strong RN-IKHYR0 cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
The residential fire safety code of practice that professionals use as the alternative to the Approved Document B route, described by BSI as the UK most widely used fire safety standard. Paywalled, so only the catalogue page is public; it confirms the current edition is BS 9991:2024, page-dated 24 September 2025, status Current, and that it superseded BS 9991:2015, which was withdrawn on 21 November 2024, which in turn superseded BS 9991:2011, withdrawn 31 October 2015. Scope for the 2024 edition covers dwellings (single-family houses, self-contained flats or maisonettes), blocks of flats, residential accommodation blocks with individual bedrooms and kitchen or sanitary facilities, specialized housing and care homes. Care homes are new to the 2024 scope: the 2011 edition expressly excluded residential care and nursing homes. The earlier editions confirm the standard applies not only to new buildings but to material alterations, extensions and material changes of use of an existing building, which is why it is cited on loft conversions and flat conversions, and that it complements BS 9999, the equivalent code for non-residential buildings. The 2015 edition renamed sheltered and extra care housing as specialized housing and added expanded recommendations for escape from basements, lifts, power supplies, cluster accommodation and management of additional needs and disabilities.
Cited in PIR vs Mineral Wool Insulation Compared.
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Building Control Northern Ireland (the 11 district councils)
NORTHERN IRELAND. The scale of building control fees is set centrally by the Department of Finance under the Building (Prescribed Fees) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 as amended in 2013 and 2022, with the current fees applying to applications made after 1 April 2022. Unlike England, where each authority or private approver sets its own charges, NI fees are prescribed and are not subject to annual increase, being revised periodically by the Department. There is a FIXED RATE plan fee for certain domestic extensions, detached domestic buildings such as garages, roofspace conversions and houses up to 250 square metres. For small extensions UNDER 20 SQUARE METRES the plan fee also covers all subsequent site inspections, so there is no separate inspection charge. Other work is charged on an estimated cost of works basis using a contractor's cost. Where part of the works is solely for a person with a disability that part is excluded from the fee calculation, and a full exemption applies where the works are exclusively for a person with a disability or are described as exempt. A fee calculator is provided.
- very strong RN-4ATLE5
Building Control Northern Ireland (the 11 district councils)
NORTHERN IRELAND. The Northern Ireland Building Regulations are made by the Department of Finance and administered by the 11 DISTRICT COUNCILS, so there is no private sector alternative: Northern Ireland has no approved inspectors and no registered building control approvers, and the England route of appointing a private building control body simply does not exist. The page lists the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 with the amending regulations of 2014, 2016 and 2022, and links the current and historical Technical Booklets plus the contraventions and appeals route. The regulations are intended to secure the safety, health, welfare and convenience of people in and around buildings and to further the conservation of fuel and energy. The site names all 11 councils including Belfast City, Derry City and Strabane, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Newry Mourne and Down, Mid Ulster and Fermanagh and Omagh.
- very strong RN-UM90J1
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
WALES and parts of England, since Dwr Cymru Welsh Water's operating area crosses the border. You must notify Welsh Water if extending over or within THREE METRES of a public sewer or lateral drain, across a network of more than 30,000 km of sewers. An application is unlikely to be accepted where the sewer's internal diameter exceeds 225 mm or the pipe is deeper than 3 metres, and a greater standoff may then be required; commercial extensions and new detached structures need a sewer diversion instead. Nothing may be built over or near water mains or pressurised sewers. There are two routes, self-certification against set criteria and a full application with technical assessment. The published charges are £278.10 for consent by letter with no network alterations, £936.85 for consent by letter after alterations, and £1,053.00 for consent by legal agreement, covering administration, any site inspection, technical support, liaison with building control or the approved inspector, and issue of the consent. Work must not start until consent is given, and sewer traces are strongly recommended before excavating. Accessibility adaptations get extra support via the Build Over Sewers team on 0800 917 2652.
- very strong RN-5QBSUB
UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
The UKHSA radon mapping service, the authority for whether a property sits in a radon Affected Area and therefore whether radon protection measures are needed under Approved Document C. UKHSA has published reports containing radon Affected Area maps for the whole of the United Kingdom, most recently updated on 22 October 2025 when the Isle of Man was added. On the interactive map the darker the colour the greater the chance of a higher radon level, ranging from fewer than one home in a hundred in the white areas to greater than one in three in the darkest areas. The page carries an important caveat: the map should not be used for basements, cellars or underground sites, which need separate consideration whatever the mapped band.
- very strong RN-BPHKK9
Cadw, Welsh Government
WALES, and it imposes a documentary requirement England does not. A heritage impact statement MUST be submitted with every Welsh listed building consent application alongside detailed plans. Consent is administered by local planning authorities and may be needed for relatively minor work such as replacing an external door, painting or repainting the exterior or interior, or even cleaning. Replacement of traditional windows with UPVC will not normally be acceptable. Routine or like-for-like repairs do not normally need consent, but the criteria are exacting, and demolition always needs consent. Where the authority is minded to grant consent Cadw is normally notified and assesses whether the authority had proper regard to preservation, rather than the merits. The framework is Managing Change to Listed Buildings in Wales, which supplements Planning Policy Wales and Technical Advice Note 24: The Historic Environment, alongside Cadw's Conservation Principles.
- very strong RN-XHXJR2
Cadw, Welsh Government
WALES. It is a criminal offence to demolish, alter or extend a listed building in any way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest without listed building consent. Like-for-like repairs such as replacing roof slates with the same size and type of slate do not normally need consent, but cleaning stonework or replacing windows is likely to. A certificate of immunity from listing can be applied for from Cadw and prevents listing for FIVE YEARS from issue, during which a local planning authority may not serve a building preservation notice. A building preservation notice protects an unlisted building as if listed for up to six months while Cadw assesses it, with compensation potentially payable for loss caused by interim protection if it is not listed. Delisting proposals are consulted on with the owner, occupier, local planning authority and other interested parties, allowing 28 days for written responses. Authorities can carry out urgent works to preserve a listed building and recover the cost from the owner, issue a repairs notice, and ultimately pursue compulsory purchase.
- very strong RN-8XFMI0
Department of Finance (Northern Ireland)
The Northern Ireland index of technical booklets, which take the place of England's Approved Documents under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. Current editions: B materials and workmanship (July 2013), C site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture (October 2012), D structure (October 2012), E fire safety (October 2012), F1 conservation of fuel and power in dwellings and F2 in other buildings (both June 2022), G resistance to the passage of sound (October 2012), H stairs, ramps, guarding and protection from impact (October 2012), J solid waste (October 2012), K ventilation (October 2012), L combustion appliances and fuel storage (October 2012), M physical infrastructure for high-speed communications networks (January 2017), N drainage (October 2012), P sanitary appliances, unvented hot water storage and reducing the risk of scalding (October 2012), R access to and use of buildings (October 2012) and V glazing (October 2012). Note for any electrical note: there is no Northern Ireland technical booklet covering electrical safety, so there is no Part P equivalent and no electrical competent person self-certification regime there. Ventilation is Booklet K, drainage Booklet N and glazing Booklet V, not F, H and K as in England.
- very strong RN-0226KN
Environment Agency (GOV.UK)
The Environment Agency guidance on how to assess and manage the risks from historic land contamination, produced with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales. LCRM runs in four sequential stages set out as separate documents: Before you start, Stage 1 risk assessment, Stage 2 options appraisal, and Stage 3 remediation and verification. It is the framework a contaminated land condition on a planning permission or an Approved Document C contaminants assessment is discharged against, and it points to jurisdiction-specific guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- very strong RN-VH12D4
GOV.UK (Natural England)
Natural England guidance for England. All bat species, their breeding sites and resting places are fully protected; it is an offence to deliberately capture, injure or kill bats or to damage or destroy a breeding or resting place, with penalties up to 6 months imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Building activities including roof repairs, conversions and demolition can affect bats, so an expert bat survey is needed where bats may be present, and where disturbance or destruction cannot be avoided a mitigation licence must be obtained from Natural England. Useful wherever a cost guide has a 'bat survey' line with no explanation of why it exists.
- very strong RN-CRNETJ
Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities (Northern Ireland)
NORTHERN IRELAND, with a fifth grading system distinct from every other nation. There are over 9,100 listed buildings in Northern Ireland, designated as being of special architectural or historic interest under SECTION 80 OF THE PLANNING ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2011, not England's Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Statutory listing began in Northern Ireland in 1974 and the First Survey took over 20 years. Grades are A, B+, B, B1 and B2, against England's I, II* and II and Scotland's A, B and C, but the statutory controls apply EQUALLY to all listed buildings irrespective of grade, so the NI grade does not change what consent is needed. Listing covers the complete interior and exterior and can extend to fixtures and free standing objects within the curtilage. The Historic Environment Division is a statutory consultee to the local councils, which determine listed building consent applications. Records sit in the NI Buildings Database, the Historic Environment Map Viewer and the Historic Environment Register of Northern Ireland.
- very strong RN-3KFYDM
Historic Environment Scotland
SCOTLAND, and it contradicts England directly on one point: conservation area consent still exists in Scotland for the demolition of unlisted buildings, whereas England abolished it in 2013 and folded relevant demolition into planning permission. As at March 2026 Scotland had more than 46,500 listed building records and more than 600 conservation areas. Listed building consent must be applied for from the planning authority before any change that may affect the character of the property, and is almost certainly needed for an extension, structural alterations, partial or total demolition, internal alterations affecting character, and changing windows and doors; cleaning stonework, changing external paint colour and new signage may also need permission. The owner is responsible for repair and maintenance. Planning authorities may hold a character appraisal explaining a conservation area's designation. HES and the Scottish Government Building Standards Division jointly publish the Guide to Conversion of Traditional Buildings to reconcile building standards with conservation.
- very strong RN-RC60U0
Historic Environment Scotland
SCOTLAND. Listed buildings are designated by Historic Environment Scotland under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997, not England's 1990 Act, and the first statutory listing in Scotland dates to 1957. There are around 47,000 listed buildings in Scotland, graded in three categories A, B and C by relative importance according to period, style or building type; the categories are advisory and affect how the building is managed in the planning system. Scotland's grading letters differ from England's Grade I, II* and II. Unless the statutory address explicitly says otherwise, a listing always covers the interior as well as the exterior, extensions and any attached structures, and unattached structures within the curtilage are also listed. Each building has an online Listed Building Record whose Statutory Address is the legal part of the listing. Listed Building Consent may be required for change, and designation decisions follow the HES Designation Policy and Selection Guidance.
- very strong RN-40IW04
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Covers requirements RA1 and RA2 of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010, which apply to the erection of a dwelling or of a building containing one or more dwellings. RA1 requires gigabit-ready physical infrastructure running from a network termination point in each dwelling to a distribution point (or as close as reasonably practicable, or to an access point, where the developer has no right to install in the intervening land), plus a common access point where the building contains more than one dwelling. RA2 requires an actual connection to a gigabit-capable public electronic communications network, subject to a cost cap set at paragraph 2.21 of GBP 2,000 for each new dwelling erected, after deducting any financial contribution from the network operator. Paragraph 1.6 exempts wholly non-residential buildings, existing buildings undergoing major renovation works, new dwellings created through a material change of use, rooms for residential purposes in hostels, hotels, boarding houses, schools and hospitals, Ministry of Defence and national security buildings, Schedule 2 exempt buildings, and buildings in isolated areas where a USO-standard connection would exceed the cost cap. Section 3 and Appendix B set out the connectivity plan, the model form a developer submits with the Building Regulations application.
- very strong RN-DSFI2B
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
This is the part of the Building Regulations that catches a whole-house renovation and is almost never mentioned in renovation guides. Requirement R1 of Schedule 1 applies to the erection of buildings AND to major renovation works to buildings, including existing dwellings, except where requirement RA1 (new dwellings) applies. Regulation 44C of the Building Regulations 2010 defines major renovation works as works at the end-user location encompassing structural modifications of the entire in-building physical infrastructure, or of a significant part of it. The duty is to provide in-building physical infrastructure from the service provider access point to the occupier network termination point capable of hosting copper, fibre or wireless delivering broadband speeds greater than 30 Mbps (paragraph 1.2); no cabling, equipment or anything beyond the network termination point is required (paragraph 1.4), and a multi-dwelling building undergoing major renovation must also have a common access point. Paragraph 1.5 exempts Schedule 2 Classes 2 to 7 work (sheds, domestic greenhouses, garages, conservatories and other small detached buildings with no sleeping accommodation), scheduled monuments under section 1 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas under sections 1 and 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 where compliance would unacceptably alter character or appearance, and major renovation works where the cost of compliance would be disproportionate to the benefit, which must be demonstrated to the building control body.
- very strong RN-B869UP
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The government plain-language map of the Building Regulations system in England, written after the Hackitt review called for the old manual to be revised, and split into Volume 1 (overview, chapters 1 to 8) and Volume 2 (further guidance, chapters A to F, plus key terms in Appendix I and references in Appendix II). It confirms that the Building Act 1984 sets the enforcement powers, that the Building Regulations 2010 contain 15 technical requirements in Schedule 1 each lettered as a Part, and that regulation 3 defines building work. Chapter 3 gives the list a renovation note can cite verbatim for when approval is likely to be needed: replacing consumer units or installing new circuits, new plumbing and waste connections, changing circuits near a bath or shower, installing ventilation or air conditioning, replacing windows and doors, replacing pitched or flat roof coverings, installing or replacing a heating system, adding extra radiators, removing a chimney breast, removing a wall (load bearing and sometimes non-load bearing) and creating a through lounge; it also confirms that new loft insulation unconnected to other building work is not checked by a building control body although it must still comply. Chapter 4 states that where work is done under a competent person scheme the installer or scheme operator notifies the local authority and issues a completion certificate within 30 days of completion, and that if work has already started or finished without notification an approved inspector cannot be used, leaving only local authority building control, which is not obliged to approve work already carried out. Chapter 3 also confirms courts can impose unlimited fines for non-compliance. Note the manual predates the Building Safety Act 2022 changes, so it still uses the term approved inspector rather than registered building control approver.
- very strong RN-K607FJ
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The 130-page PDF of the August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework, the document a planning officer works from. It is the citable text for policy GB7, which lists what is NOT inappropriate development in the Green Belt and therefore needs no very special circumstances: agriculture, horticulture and forestry or work solely for nature conservation; the reuse, extension, alteration or replacement of an existing permanent and lawful building where the change is not a disproportionate increase in size against the original building (and any replacement is for the same use and not materially larger); limited infilling in Green Belt villages; limited affordable housing for local needs; redevelopment of previously developed land that would not cause substantial harm to openness; and, where openness impact is minimised, mineral extraction, engineering operations, utilities and telecommunications infrastructure needing a Green Belt location, Community Right to Build or Neighbourhood Development Orders, material changes in the use of land, and facilities for outdoor sport, recreation, cemeteries, burial grounds and allotments. GB7(1)(g) adds the grey belt route and GB8 sets the Golden Rules for major housing development. Chapter 20 (HE1 to HE10) is the heritage chapter: HE1 covers plan-making and local heritage lists for non-designated assets, HE2 covers conservation areas and World Heritage Sites, HE3 covers Historic Environment Records, HE4 requires conservation appropriate to significance and clear and convincing justification for harm, and HE5 requires a proportionate significance assessment and a stated degree of harm, judged on effect on significance rather than the scale of the development.
- very strong RN-6V1BLJ
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
England only, in force 21 April 2021, revoking the 2014 Direction. Made under section 55(2)(g) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Paragraph 3(1) says demolition of the following is NOT development: (a) any building whose cubic content measured externally does not exceed 50 cubic metres; (b) the whole or any part of any gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure. Paragraph 3(2) carves out of that: (a) any gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure IN A CONSERVATION AREA, and (b) a statue, monument or memorial. So the 50 cubic metre figure, not 115, is the point at which demolition stops being development at all; the 115 cubic metre and 1 m / 2 m enclosure figures come from the separate Conservation Areas (application of section 74) Direction 2015 and operate as permitted development under GPDO Part 11 instead.
- very strong RN-I9Q8GB
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK)
Sets out the framework for planning application fees under the 2012 Fees Regulations and points to the current schedule (planning fees: annual indexation from 1 April). From 1 April 2025 all planning fees increase each year by CPI inflation from the preceding September, capped at 10 per cent even if inflation is higher (paragraph 002b, revised 16 April 2025). The fee for a lawful development certificate for proposed development is half the application fee for planning permission (paragraph 024, revised 22 February 2018), and a fee for a prior approval application is payable under regulation 14 of the 2012 Fees Regulations (paragraph 023). Page last updated 16 April 2025.
- very strong RN-HPIA1L
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK)
Defines the flood zones used in English planning at paragraph 001: Flood Zone 1 is land with less than a 1 in 1,000 annual probability of river or sea flooding, Flood Zone 2 is between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 for rivers or between 1 in 200 and 1 in 1,000 for the sea, Flood Zone 3a is 1 in 100 or greater for rivers and 1 in 200 or greater for tidal, and Flood Zone 3b is the functional floodplain where water has to flow or be stored in times of flood. Sets out the sequential test at paragraphs 023 to 029, steering development to the lowest risk areas and defining reasonably available sites at 028, and the exception test at 031 to 037, which requires wider sustainability benefits that outweigh the flood risk and that the development be safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere. Paragraphs 020 to 022 set out when a site-specific flood risk assessment must accompany an application and that its scope should be proportionate.
- very strong RN-GHD3RO
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK)
Explains the two certificates under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990: a section 191 certificate confirms that an existing use, operation or activity is lawful for planning purposes, and a section 192 certificate confirms that a proposed use or operation would be lawful. Applications carry the relevant application fee and applicants can appeal in certain circumstances. Paragraph references 17c-001-20140306 onwards, published 6 March 2014.
- very strong RN-B8J6OR
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK)
The government technical guidance that interprets Schedule 2 Part 1 of the GPDO 2015 class by class for householders in England, last updated 10 September 2019 and published as a 50 page PDF. It defines the terms the classes turn on, including original dwellinghouse, principal elevation, curtilage, article 2(3) land and the measurement conventions used for heights and depths, and it is the document local planning authorities and lawful development certificate applicants work from. Attachment PDF: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d77afc8e5274a27cdb2c9e9/190910_Tech_Guide_for_publishing.pdf
- very strong RN-89FXUD
Planning Portal
States that a lawful development certificate confirms either that the existing use of a building is lawful for planning purposes or that a proposal does not require planning permission, and that applications go to the local council through the Planning Portal online application service and carry a fee. Notes that if the council does not determine the application within the time limit of eight weeks the applicant can appeal, and that the issues involved are often complex enough to warrant professional advice.
- very strong RN-A3R1GF
Planning Portal
Explains that permitted development rights allow certain types of work without applying for planning permission, that they derive from the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, and that the rights for houses do not apply to flats, maisonettes or other buildings. States that rights are more limited in conservation areas, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Sites and the Norfolk or Suffolk Broads, that listed buildings have different requirements, and that a local authority can withdraw rights with an article 4 direction so that a planning application is needed for work that normally does not need one. Notes the August 2021 change to the Order with a transition period to July 2022 for protected development.
- very strong RN-YZ5AAX
Planning Portal
Planning Portal summary of householder permitted development for extensions in England. Only half the area of land around the original house may be covered by extensions and other buildings; an extension must not exceed the height of the highest part of the existing roof or the existing eaves height, and where within 2 metres of a boundary the eaves height is capped at 3 metres. Single storey rear extensions: 4 metres for a detached house and 3 metres otherwise, rising to 8 metres and 6 metres under the prior approval (neighbour consultation) route on non-designated land, with a maximum height of 4 metres. Side extensions must be single storey, no more than 4 metres high and no more than half the width of the original house, and are excluded entirely on article 2(3) land. Two storey rear extensions must not exceed 3 metres beyond the original rear wall and must be at least 7 metres from the opposite boundary, with matching roof pitch and obscure-glazed non-opening side windows below 1.7 metres. Notes that extensions adding over 100 square metres may attract Community Infrastructure Levy.
- very strong RN-GMSJMF
Planning Portal (MHCLG and TerraQuest)
Planning Portal's statement of the permitted development limits for a loft conversion, which fall under Schedule 2, Part 1, Class B of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 as amended, covering the enlargement of a dwellinghouse by an addition or alteration to its roof. Class C governs any other alteration to the roof and Class AA governs additional storeys. Permitted development does not apply where the building contains flats or is a flat, where additional storeys have already been added under permitted development, where the house was created from a non-residential use or built as a new dwellinghouse under permitted development, or on Article 2(3) designated land. The limits are: materials similar in appearance to the existing house; total enlargement including any previous enlargement not exceeding the original roof space by more than 40 cubic metres for terraced houses or 50 cubic metres otherwise; not exceeding the height of the existing roof; not extending beyond the existing roof slope on the principal elevation where it fronts a highway; no verandas, balconies or raised platforms; no installation, alteration or replacement of a chimney, flue or soil and vent pipe; and side-facing windows obscure-glazed and, if opening, 1.7m above the floor.
- very strong RN-PFL4Z7
Scottish Government (gov.scot)
SCOTLAND, and it replaces England's Part P competent person scheme, which does not apply in Scotland at all. Published 1 May 2012, third edition, 48 page PDF, 683.6 kB. The handbook governs Scotland's two certification routes under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003: approved certifiers of design, used for structural design and for energy, and approved certifiers of construction, used for electrical installations and for drainage, heating and plumbing. A certificate from an approved certifier is accepted by the verifier as conclusive evidence of compliance for that part of the work, reducing what the verifier checks, but it does not remove the need for a building warrant or for the relevant person to submit the completion certificate. Scheme providers are listed on the certification register at certificationregister.co.uk. Contact is buildingstandards@gov.scot or 0131 244 6511.