Welcome
Since May 2013, homeowners in England have benefitted from a doubling of the permitted development (PD) rights for single-storey rear extensions (if you’re planning a project, be sure to check out our beginner’s guide on page 78). The rules boost the normal allowances so you can build out up to 8m from the original back wall of a detached house (rather than the previous 4m) and up to 6m from a semi or terraced home (previously 3m), without having to apply for formal planning permission. But as I write, these supersized PD rights are currently only due to be in effect up to 30th May this year; and you still need to make a neighbour consultation application for these larger schemes (which can take 42 days to clear). What’s more, the addition would have to be completed by 30th May. When this edition of the mag hits the shelves, that deadline will only be 64 days away…which doesn’t leave much time for a consultation and to actually build the thing! Some other projects, such as office-to-residential conversions, are in the same boat.