Guides · 6 min
Permitted development, in plain words
Some home improvements are already allowed by national rules. Here is the simple version.
Three different yeses
Planning permission is the council saying yes to an application. Permitted development is a national rule that already allows some extensions, lofts, porches and garden buildings, if you stay inside the size limits.
Prior approval is a lighter check for some larger extensions. The council can say the work is not covered by the national rules. It is not the same test as a full application.
A lawful development certificate is the council confirming that a project fits those rules. They can still say no.
The rights can be taken away
An Article 4 direction can remove these rights on a whole street. An old condition can remove them on one house. Green Belt, on its own, does not remove them.
Flats and maisonettes do not get the same householder rights as a house. Earlier extensions use up the allowance.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.
Questions
Do I need planning permission for every extension?
No. Some smaller extensions are already allowed by national rules, if the rights are still there and you stay inside the limits.
Can a certificate be refused?
Yes. A refusal means that version did not fit the rules. It does not ban every future plan.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.