PART 1
UNDERSTANDING PLANNING APPLICATIONS
Beginner’s guide to planning
Full app, pre-app, outline planning? What do all these planning terms mean? And what do they mean for you when building new or extending? Planning consultant Ken Dijksman dives into the detail
I
f you want to extend your house, build an office in the garden, or build a new house, then you need to have planning permission. You either need to make a planning application or, if your scheme is for a small scale extension or outbuilding, you may be able to avoid applying for permission by building within specific limits called Permitted Development (PD).
KEEPING UP WITH PLANNING CHANGES
When it comes to governments and planning regulations it’s usually a case of permanent revolution, as politicians love to promise that more houses will be built, while the environment (and the countryside) will be even more protected, at the same time. In my experience, governments promise dramatic changes and deliver a succession of minor ones. We are in the middle of government consultations, as we usually are, and no doubt some regulations will change over the next few months and years. In my opinion, this probably won’t affect your average self-builder or renovator; the system is basically the same even if minor details evolve with tweaks to the regulations.
The government is making noises about encouraging self-build, and in fairness local authorities have a duty to provide self-build plots, but turning this expression of positive support into the reality of buying a building plot is for most people, theoretical. Those who are prepared to speculate money on achieving self-build permissions on greenfield sites may be successful; this can be a game for deep pockets and large reserves of patience.
If the planning regulations change that will be incorporated fairly swiftly into local authority guidance on their websites, and if planning policies change you may (in theory) notice an increase in the availability of single building plots in your area. This may all sound a little cynical, but it’s based on 25 years of my experience of government over-promising and under delivering. Whenever the government claims that obtaining planning permission is going to be easier, my experience to date has been, it gets harder.
Understanding how the planning system works before you submit an application will help you better navigate the process. (I’ll be covering how to make an application in part two, next month.) As well as changes to keep on top of, there are different types of applications available, all of which have different caveats, costs and details required, so it pays to know which application would best suit your project. Here’s what you need to know about planning applications before you submit one.