Useful Information
Planning Permission
Whether you are planning to extend up, out or down, it is always best to check with your local Council's planning department as to whether you need planning permission before embarking on any kind of building project. You are allowed to make certain minor alterations and extensions to your home without applying for planning permission, under permitted development rights. If planning permission is required, ask for an application form, find out how many copies of the form you will need to return, and what the application fee will be. Ask the planners if they anticipate any difficulties that could be overcome by amending your proposal at an early stage. Changes later could increase the cost of your professional fees.
Decide what type of application to make. Usually this will be a full planning application, but if you want to see what the Council feels about your proposed work before investing in detailed drawings you may choose to submit an outline application first. Your application should be considered within eight weeks. If planning permission is refused or conditions imposed, the Council must give reasons.
Ask the planning department if changing your plans would make a difference. You may be allowed to submit another application with modified plans, free of charge, within twelve months of the original decision. You also have the right of appeal to the Planning lnspectorate within six months of the date of the Council's notice of decision. If you build something that requires planning permission without first obtaining permission, you may be forced to put things right later at your own cost. You may even be required to remove an unauthorised building.
Further information is available at the Online Planning Offices website or request The Planning Inspectorate's free booklet Planning, a Guide for Householders by phoning 0870 1226 236. If you live in Northern Ireland, find out more here
Building Regulations
Whether or not planning permission is required, anyone wanting to carry out building work is required by law to make sure it complies with the relevant Building Regulations. These are designed to ensure that the finished building is both safe, healthy and energy efficient. Any project that involves extending or altering the structure of the building, or providing services, such as WCs, showers, sinks, hot water cylinders, gas appliances, ventilation, electrical installations and new windows is likely to be subject to the Building Regulations. Although a conservatory may not be subject to Building Regulations, you must ensure that it does not restrict ladder access to windows serving a room in the roof intended as a means of escape if there is a fire.
The primary responsibility for compliance rests with the person carrying out the building work. If you employ a builder, the responsibility will usually be theirs – but make sure you check. If the work doesn't comply, the owner of the building may be served with the enforcement notice, so it is important to choose your builder carefully. Your local Council's building control department will tell you whether you need Building Regulations approval and how to apply.
There are two means of application - a Full Plans application or the Building Notice procedure. Both require the payment of the appropriate fee. An additional inspection charge is made on a Full Plans application. A Full Plans application will be checked by building control officers and you will receive written confirmation from the Council that the work planned meets the Building Regulations. The Building Notice procedure is designed to enable you to start work quickly. Work can start on site two working days after submitting the notice.
Throughout the build you, or your builder, must notify building control as work reaches certain stages so that it can be inspected. If you don’t, the building control officer can ask for the work to be uncovered. On a Full Plans application, providing the work is satisfactory, a completion certificate should be issued. There is no requirement for the Council to do this under the Building Notice procedure.
For more information, contact your local Council for a free explanatory booklet on Building Regulations.
Chartered Surveyors
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors – RICS – is one of the most respected and high profile global ‘standards and membership’ organisations for professionals involved in land, property, construction and environmental issues. With...
- 136 years of representing property professionalism
- 136 000 members across 120 countries worldwide
- 400 degree level courses approved worldwide
- 500 research and policy papers published per year
- 50 national associations, linked groups and societies
- 160 diverse ‘specialisms’ – represented across 17 Faculties
Accountable to both members and the public, RICS has three main roles:
- To maintain the highest standards of education and training
- To protect consumers through strict regulation of professional standards
- To be the leading source of information and independent advice on land, property, construction and associated environmental issues
Listed Buildings
When it comes to building work, historic homes need special treatment. Many old buildings cost more to upkeep and renovate than new properties and keeping a period home true to its origins requires detailed research. Listing is a process of identifying and protecting our heritage. The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to maintain a list of all our buildings of special architectural or historic interest. The lists were started in 1953, they are supervised by English Heritage. Details about all the 450,000 listed buildings in this country are at Local Authority offices and are open to public scrutiny. Listed buildings are divided into Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II. Tips for alterations to listed buildings:
- Informal discussion with your local planning department at the early stage of any project
- Beware - If unauthorised works have been carried out on a listed building, the local planning authority can prosecute you and serve a listed building enforcement notice, even if the works were done by a previous owner, although you do have the right of appeal
- There is no fee attached to a Listed Building Consent Application and they typically take eight weeks to process. Once granted, consent is usually valid for 5 years
- This is separate from planning permission, so this may also need to be applied for
- It's wise to employ a specialist builder for listed building work, they understand historical architecture, will renovate to a high standard and will identify potential problems - go to the Find A Builder section of this site to find one
- Building work can often cost 30-50% more than in contemporary buildings, due to the materials and skilled labour involved
- It's advisable to take out an insurance-backed warranty, such as the FMB's MasterBond, to provide you with peace of mind if things go wrong