Thursday 04 December 2008

Permitted Development Rights

If you live in a house, you can make certain types of minor changes to your home without needing to apply for planning permission.

These are called "permitted development rights and they come from a general planning permission granted not by the local authority but by Parliament.

Below is a list of a few of the types of permitted development which people are often interested in: (nb. if the work you want to do appears in this list please make sure that you also read the exceptions to permitted development rights page). Due to the changes to permitted development rights we recommend you submit details to us in writing to check if you require planning permission, please submit any details to:

Development Services
North Wiltshire District Council
Monkton Park
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN151ER

or email: planning@northwilts.gov.uk

House Extensions provided

From 1 October 2008 an extension or addition to your home will be considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:
  • More than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
  • No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
  • No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
  • Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
  • Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
  • Maximum depth of a rear extension of more than one storey of three metres including ground floor.
  • Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
  • Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than than that of existing house.
  • Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
  • Two-storey extensions no closer than seven metres to rear boundary.
  • Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
  • Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house.
  • No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
  • Upper-floor, side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.
  • On designated land* no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey.
  • On designated* land no cladding of the exterior.
  • On designated* land no side extensions.
* The term "original house" means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.

* Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites. metres high with a pitched roof.

Note: Special rules apply where the building is listed or lies within a Conservation Area or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A Porch providing

that; it is under 3 square metres in overall floor area, it is no more than 3 metres in height and it is over 2 metres from a boundary with a public road or footpath.

Vehicular Access providing

it is to an unclassified road only and a permitted hardstanding, driveway or garage is also being provided as part of the development.

Hardstanding

Hard surfaces can not be installed at the front of a property that is forward of the principal elevation if you render the area impermeable, this does not apply to development to the side of properties or at the rear. You will not normally need planning permission if either porous materials are used or provision is made to direct any run-off to a surface or area that allows the water to drain away naturally within the curtilage of the property, for example, to a garden border. The permeability condition applies where the area to be installed is more than 5 square metres. It applies both to new surfaces and to the repair and replacement of an existing surface

A Wall or Fence providing

that: it is under 1 metre high adjacent to a road and it is under 2 metres high on any other boundary.

A Satellite Dish (Antenna)(on private houses) providing

Not more than two antennas or two antennas which do not meet the relevant size criteria;

The Antenna can not be:
  • Installed on a chimney, where the length of the antenna would exceed 60 centimetres.
  • Would not protrude above the chimney.
  • Have a cubic capacity in excess of 35 litres.
  • The highest part of the antenna would be higher than the highest part of the roof or Chimney , or 60 centimetres measured from the highest part of the ridge tiles of the roof, whichever is the lower.
  • exceeding 100 centimetres in length
In the case of property in conservation area or AONB, the Antenna can not:
  • on a chimney, wall or roof slope which faces onto, and is visible from, a highway;
  • in the Broads, on a chimney, wall or roof slope which faces onto, and is visible from, a waterway; or
    on a building which exceeds 15 metres in height.

An Agricultural Building if

it is reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture within the farming unit, it is under 12 metres high, it is more than 25 metres from a road and that the building, and any other agricultural buildings within 90 metres erected during the last two years, does not exceed 465 square metres in area.