Mortgage support
Worried about paying your mortgage? We have various ways that we can help you.
Extending your home or making improvements? You could need planning permission.
Getting planning permission can seem like a daunting process, especially if it’s your first time. But if you’ve done your homework, your chance of success could be higher than you think. In fact, in 2020 Local Authorities in England approved 87% of all planning applications.1
1 Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (PDF, 1612 KB)
Want to get started? Use these handy checklists to see if you need planning permission. Then, if you do, get your planning application going in five steps .
The key to making any changes to your property is: do your research. Not everything requires planning permission. But it’s always best to check before you go ahead with any work. Finding out later down the line could prove far more costly. Depending on the project, you could even be forced to remove the construction if it doesn’t meet regulations.
Things you may need planning permission for includes:
Extension checklist:
If you’re thinking of extending, check to see if any of the following apply. These are some scenarios that require planning permission:
These scenarios also apply to garages, sheds, conservatories and outbuildings. For example, you could build a garage without planning permission as long as you use similar materials to the original property, and that it’s no more than 4 metres high and doesn’t take up more than half the land in the 1948 plan of your house.
Fence and wall checklist:
You’ll need to get planning permission if your project include a fence or wall that is:
Sustainable updates checklist:
Making your home more energy efficient? This can mean big changes for your home. The good news is that most don’t require planning permission. Chances are you won’t need permission for things like:
(If you live in a listed building or a conservation area then you’ll need permissions if the work is going to change the original plans of the building).
If you’re interested in learning more about making your home more energy efficient and green schemes available, visit our Eco Home Hub.
Windows, doors and gardens
Unless your property is listed, you shouldn’t need planning permission to change the windows and doors. If it is listed, there may be restrictions on the kind of materials you can use to update them.
Similarly, making landscaping changes to your garden rarely needs permission. But if you’re paving over your front garden, it’s worth checking first. You may require permission if you’re not using porous materials.