You need planning permission to widen your driveway! There are many things you may not be aware of that you need planning permission for. We have prepared a brief run through of builds that require planning permission and ones that do not.

Planning Permission:

Planning permission is the process of asking your local authority for approval for building an extension; changing the use of a property, building a new build or making any major alterations to a property.

Driveways:

You need planning permission to widen the entrance to a driveway or create an access to a public road.

This is something so tiny that people don’t even think to check before you can do it. But the enlarging of an entrance driveway or creating a back entrance that leads onto a public road you must be granted planning permission before you can do it.

Extensions:

To build a single storey extension to the rear of your property, which is less than 45 square meters is possible without planning permission.

Anything larger than these requirements requires planning permission. To build an extension within these requirements you must not affect boundary walls or obstruct any rights of way.

Even though you do not need planning permission it must be built in compliance with building regulations.

You can also build a garage less than 30 square metres provided the roof does not exceed 4 metres in height, or 3 metres if it is a flat roof.

If you want to convert your garage into a bedroom or convert it for commercial use, you require planning permission.

It must be said that with or without planning permission you will need to make the garage design match the exterior design of the property.

Porches:

You can build a porch which has a maximum floor area of 2 sqm. The porch must also be a minimum of 2 metres from the footpath. This will not require planning permission.

For anything larger you will need planning permission.

Attic Conversions:

Typically, attic conversions don’t need planning permission if they do not require any structural changes to the house. However, if you would like to convert your attic into a habitable room which can either be a bedroom or living room then there will be certain requirements you have to reach. If you do not match these requirements then your attic conversion will only be classified as storage space.

If you add Velux windows, balconies or dormers you will need planning permission as it will change the structural part of the house. It is also worth mentioning that without the addition of a fire escape the room cannot be a habitable room.

It will also not be a habitable room if 50% of the floor is not 2.4m in height, so if you need to raise the roof to make it habitable then you will need planning permission.

Material Change of Use:

In almost all cases you will need planning permission for the material change of use in the property. Whether it will be a change of use from residential to renting out the property or running a business out of your garage, you will need planning permission.