In many circumstances, rules known as ‘permitted development’ rights allow you to extend a house without needing to apply for planning permission, providing specific limitations and conditions are met. If you want to exceed these limits and conditions, then it is likely that an application for householder planning permission will be required.

The limits and conditions for building an extension under permitted development rules are covered in our guidance on the Planning Portal, and there are other points to take into consideration.

Visit Planning Portal to find out more.

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National planning regulations allow certain alterations to be made to a property without requiring planning permission; these are known as permitted development rights. In some cases, local authorities may remove or restrict these rights for specific types of development that would otherwise be allowed. This is achieved through the use of Article 4 Directions, which are intended to protect the character, heritage, and appearance of designated areas.

If your local planning authority has issued an Article 4 Direction, some of your permitted development rights may no longer apply. As a result, you may need to submit a planning application for works that would not normally require one.

You can check whether an Article 4 Direction affects your property by visiting your local authority’s website.

Planning permission is not required to remove an internal chimney breast as the change does not impact the exterior of the house. Rules may differ if you are planning on removing the chimney stack, or if you are in a conservation area.

If you live in a listed building, then you will need to apply for listed building consent for any major changes to the building.

Building regulations approval will always apply when removing chimney breasts as they are part of the building’s structure. You should seek advice from a structural engineer who will provide drawings and calculations that can be submitted as part of your application.

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When you, or an agent acting on your behalf, have submitted a planning application, the local authority will firstly check the application to check if it’s complete. This validation process allows the authority to ensure everything that is required to decide an application has been received and provided correctly. They will contact you if they require any further information from you.

After the application has been validated, the determination process begins and takes up to 8 weeks for smaller applications, or up to 13 weeks for larger applications. The authority should be able to give you an idea about the likely timetable. The local authority will contact you with their decision.

Read more about the decision-making process for planning applications.

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Planning permission is not required if the home will be used as a short-term let for 90 days or less throughout the year.

If you plan on using the home as a short-term let for more than this time period, then you will need to apply for planning permission for a change of use.

If you rent a room in your property while you still live there, you will not require planning permission.

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