Got big ambitions? Maybe it’s a major extension to boost the footprint of your home, or perhaps build a new house from scratch?
If you've got a building project on the horizon, you may well need to get planning permission for it before you call the builders in.
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What is planning permission?
Planning permission is essentially approval from your local council. You need to get this go-ahead if you want to:
make a major change or alteration to your home, such as extending it
change the use of your building, such as converting it from residential to commercial
build something brand new.
Planning rules and interpretations can vary so it’s best to check what applies in your local area.
Bear in mind that you can carry out some building work under ‘permitted development rights’. These allow you to improve and extend your home without going the whole hog and seeking planning permission.
If you're in any doubt, you can find out more by contacting your local planning authority.
Note that they are separate to building regulations, which ensure that building work is safe and carried out to a high standard.
In this guide, we’ll go through the details of what planning permission covers, how long it lasts - and what happens if it expires.
How long does it take to get planning permission?
Securing planning permission can take considerable time and effort. You need to fill in paperwork and get professional plans drawn up for the building work that you want to do.
Once you’ve submitted your proposal, it can take up to eight weeks to hear whether it's got the green light or not. This can be up to 13 weeks for particularly big or complex planning applications.
So, after that upfront investment, you want to make sure your planning consent doesn’t run out.
How long does planning permission last?
There are two main planning application types.
Full planning permission: 3 years
Homeowners tend to apply for full planning permission. In this scenario, you have three years to start building work from the point at which permission is granted. Bear in mind that you don’t need to finish the work within that time frame.
If you don’t start building work within three years, the planning permission expires. You’re then back to square one and you need to apply again for planning permission.
Outline planning permission: 3 years to finalise + 2 years to start
The situation is different if you’re after outline planning permission. In this case, the initial consent is for a broad plan. You then have three years to submit another application to get the green light for the finer details. These are known as ‘reserved matters’. Once approved, you then have a two-year window to start building work.
Seeking outline planning permission is a good way to suss out at an early stage if your local authority is likely to approve your plan. Developers tend to go down this route for larger, more complex projects.
Whichever type of planning permission you get, always make sure you read the conditions associated with it. Your local authority can impose a different time frame.
Can you renew or extend planning permission?
Generally-speaking, it’s not possible to extend your planning consent. Still, it’s always worth checking with your local authority. The extraordinary circumstances of the recent pandemic saw normal rules relaxed, for example.
If your planning permission has run out, you can submit a fresh application. This could be a straightforward process. But be aware that policies can change. A similar, or even identical, planning application may be turned down if the wider planning environment has shifted.
How do you keep planning permission ‘alive’?
If your planning permission is close to expiry, consider making a start on building work to keep the consent ‘alive’. This might include demolition work, for example.
The advantage of this strategy? Once you’ve started building work, your consent no longer has a shelf life in the eyes of your local authority.
It’s a good idea to seek professional planning advice on what constitutes making ‘a material start’ to your project as it can be a subjective area.
What is the 10-year planning rule?
One area that can cause confusion is where building work has been done without the required planning permission. This might be the case if you purchased your home without the relevant paperwork. Or you carried out building work not knowing that you needed planning consent for it.
This is where the so-called ‘10-year rule’ comes in. It gives your local authority up to 10 years to take enforcement action if your project doesn't have planning permission. After this point, and if there's no issue, you may well want to apply for a Lawful Development Certificate to show that your building work is permitted.
This rule applies to building work completed after 25 April 2024. In cases where building work was finished before that date, the previous 'four-year rule' is likely to apply.
Planning can be complex, especially for the uninitiated. So, it's important to seek professional advice for your personal circumstances.