Planning Permission Guides
Garden Rooms and Outbuildings: Do You Need Planning Permission?
Most garden rooms and outbuildings fall within permitted development, but size, position, height and use all affect whether you need to apply — here's what determines it.
How Much Does a Planning Permission Application Cost?
Planning application fees are set nationally but vary by project type — and the application fee is often only part of the real cost once you add drawings and professional advice.
How Long Does Planning Permission Take?
There are statutory target timescales for deciding a planning application, but real-world processing time is often longer — here's what genuinely affects how long you'll wait.
Listed Building Consent Explained
If your home is a listed building, changes that would be permitted development anywhere else can require separate listed building consent — including internal work.
Planning Permission in a Conservation Area: What's Different
Conservation area status genuinely narrows what you can do without permission, even for changes that would otherwise be permitted development — here's what actually changes.
Certificate of Lawfulness: What It Is and When You Need One
A Certificate of Lawfulness gives you formal written proof that existing work or a proposed project doesn't need planning permission — here's when it's genuinely worth applying for one.
Planning Permission Appeal Process Explained
If your planning application is refused, you have the right to appeal — here's how the UK appeal process works, how long it takes, and what actually changes your odds of success.
What Happens If You Build Without Planning Permission?
Building without required planning permission doesn't automatically mean demolition — but it can mean enforcement action, retrospective applications, and real complications when you come to sell.
Party Wall Agreements Explained: When You Need One
Work on or near a shared wall or boundary often needs formal notice to your neighbour under the Party Wall Act — separate from planning permission entirely. Here's when it applies.
Do I Need Planning Permission for a Loft Conversion?
Most loft conversions can go ahead under permitted development — but the roof type, volume added, and what's visible from the street all affect whether that's true for yours.
Permitted Development Rights for Extensions: How Big Can You Build?
Extension permitted development limits depend on your house type, how far you build, and how close to the roof height you go. Here's the general picture — and where it gets more generous with prior approval.
Permitted Development: What You Can Build Without Planning Permission
Permitted development rights let you carry out certain building work without a full planning application — but the rules are conditional, not automatic. Here's the general picture.