Not necessarily, in most cases you can carry out works under permitted development. Lots of different factors affect if planning will be required, such as:

• Listed buildings
• Conservation areas
• Conditions on your property
• Location of proposed extension / addition
• Scale of proposal
• Areas of outstanding natural beauty
• An area specified by the Secretary of State for the purposes of enhancement and protection of the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside (the Broads, a National Park or a World Heritage site)

Below are the criteria you must meet if you wish to meet PD:

• you can extend a detached property by 8m to the rear if it’s a single-storey extension, or by 3m if it’s double
• A single-storey extension can’t be higher than 4m on the ridge and the eaves, and ridge heights of any extension can’t be higher than the existing property
• Two-storey extensions must not be closer than 7m to the rear boundary
• Side extensions can only be single storey with a maximum height of 4m and a width no more than half of the original building
• Any new extension must be built in the same or similar material to the existing dwelling
• Extensions must not go forward of the building line of the original dwelling
• In designated areas (such as areas of outstanding natural beauty, conservation areas, etc), side extensions require planning permission and all rear extensions must be single storey
• An extension must not result in more than half the area around the house being covered

If you have any planning queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will advise on the best route for your project.

Pyramid Architectural Design are the North Easts architectural experts with over 50 years experience of planning permission and building regulations drawings.