July 4, 2019
Last Updated on May 27, 2022
If you own a home in England, you can now extend it up to a certain amount without submitting a full planning application, thanks to new legislation implemented by The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
These new measures mean that you can create a single storey rear extension on your home without having to go through the full planning application procedure.
Terraced and semi-detached homes allow for an extension up to six metres in length, while an eight metre extension can be added to a detached home. So if you were thinking about adding a kitchen, extending your living area or even adding another bedroom to your home, now is an excellent time to do so.
There are other limits and conditions which still need to be adhered to, such as using materials similar in appearance to the rest of the house. You may want to read the complete list of conditions.
An example of an extension we designed to pair with a barn conversion
If you wish to extend your home under this legislation, your planned development must undergo prior approval through the Neighbour Consultation Scheme.
This means that if your neighbours feel that your development will negatively impact them, they can voice their concerns to your local authority who will then review the objections and decide if you can proceed.
Concerns can include blocked light and even spoiled views, so it is important to design your extension sensitively to avoid your proposal getting blocked.
Ed Thuell, Architect and Partner at Whitworth, says, ‘Retaining these extended permitted development rights is great news for homeowners and development in general. Increasingly so families are looking to expand their accommodation in an environment when moving is costly and often difficult to do. Often clients come to us saying “we love our house and our neighbourhood, all our friends are nearby and the schools great but we just need some more space”. The retention of these increased permitted development rights should give the confidence to homeowners that they can extend without having to get overly involved in what can sometimes appear to be the daunting planning process.
Of course the PD rights still hold restrictions and it’s not just a case of extending at will. We would always suggest still engaging with an architect to ensure the spaces and look of any extension makes the most of the space available and suits your house and setting as best it can. The rights do limit what you can do in terms of scale and materials so if you are after anything that steps away from the ordinary it may well be necessary to go down the route of a normal householder planning application. The continuation of permitted development though does make this easier as the principle of development is already established.’
At Whitworth, we would be delighted to talk to you about your plans to extend. We can take the hard work out of extending your home, from considering site access through to advising on finishes.
To talk to our team of Chartered Architects, call 01284 760421 or visit our contact page.