What are permitted development rights?
Permitted development rights are essentially a scheme, created by the government, that allows you to extend/renovate your home without the need for a full planning application.
For some homes in England, this scheme expanded last year to include bigger projects and more options for home improvement. These planning changes included new rules for big developments (such as turning office blocks into flats) but for the purposes of this article, we’ll be focusing on projects everyday homeowners tend to complete.
Rear extensions
- Sits to the rear of the house (not the front)
- Must not extend beyond the rear wall of the existing house by 3m if an attached house or 4m if detached
- Uses similar building materials to the existing house
- Takes up less than 50% of the size of the land around the original house ("original" being the latest of when the property was built or if it was built before 1948, then as it stood on 1st July 1948)
- Is less than 4m in height (or less than 3m if within 2m of a property boundary)
- Has eaves and a ridge that are no taller than the existing house
Side extensions
- Sits to the side (as long as this will not face a highway) of the house (not the front)
- Uses similar building materials to the existing house
- Takes up less than 50% of the size of the land around the original house ("original" being the latest of when the property was built or if it was built before 1948, then as it stood on 1st July 1948)
- Takes up less than 50% of the width of the original house
- Is less than 4m in height (or less than 3m if within 2m of a property boundary)
- Has eaves and a ridge that are no taller than the existing house
Wraparound extension
When combining a side and rear extension to form a ‘wraparound’, the permitted development restrictions will be judged against the criteria for both extensions individually, making it unlikely for the project to fall under your permitted development rights. For instance, side extensions are only permitted development where they are less than half the width of the original dwelling, but when combining a side and rear extension in this manner, it will likely exceed half the width of the original.
While you may be able to create a small side and rear extension within your permitted development rights, the space a full wraparound demands, plus the structural work involved, make it an unlikely candidate for the permitted development route.
Two-storey extensions
- No windows in wall/roof slope of side elevation in additional storeys
- Takes up less than 50% of the width of the original house
- Takes up less than 50% of the size of the land around the original house ("original" being the latest of when the property was built or if it was built before 1948, then as it stood on 1st July 1948)
- Uses similar building materials to the existing house
- Has eaves and a ridge that are no taller than the existing house
- Terraces to be no more than 3.5m higher than the next tallest terrace.
Single storey homes are excluded.
Garage conversion
- Works are internal
- Uses similar building materials to the existing house
- Does not enlarge the building
You may also need planning permission if you’re changing a detached garage into a living space - such as a bedroom, living room, or small annexe.
Loft conversion
- A volume allowance of 50 cubic metres additional roof space for detached and semi-detached houses
- Uses similar building materials to the existing house
- The development must not include a window in any wall or roof slope forming a side elevation of the dwelling house
- The roof pitch of the principal part of the dwelling must be the same as the roof pitch of the existing house
- A dormer wall that is set back at least 20cm from the existing wall face
- Has windows that are non-opening if less than 1.7m from the floor level
- Has side windows that are obscured/frosted
Homes excluded from the scheme
The following homes were excluded from any of the changes made last year…
- Homes within Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland
- Listed buildings
- Flats or maisonettes
- Some new developments
Homes built before 1948 were not affected by the permitted development changes, however existing permitted development rights still apply.
Homes from conservation areas are not excluded from permitted development rights, however they do hold much greater restrictions
Looking to improve your home under permitted development?
