If the proposals fall under Permitted Development or you are not sure, you can notify the Council by applying for a Certificate of Lawfulness to cover you should your property change hands in future. 

 

Extensions of up 6m on a semi-detached house generally fall under Prior Approval meaning you do not require a full planning application. Prior Notification, also known as the Neighbour Consultation Scheme includes a twenty-one day period during which your neighbours have the right to object, if they have a valid reason to do so. After this time, your local authority then has a further twenty-one days to approve your extension plans. Works may commence after this period. 

 

The Prior Approval application also provides proof for the future, should you wish to sell the property, that approval was sought and also the Council Tax office can recalculate the band that your property will be in when it changes hands. 

 

If your extension requires planning permission, a letter will be sent to the adjoining neighbours and a notice will go up outside. This gives the public a chance to make comments, objections or offer support, if they feel they are somehow affected by the proposed design. 

 

Should your neighbours raise any concerns or objections, the local authority will be required to determine if the proposal’s impact on the amenity of all adjoining properties is acceptable and, based on this and other guidelines, whether it can go ahead. 

 

Neighbour notification is required for planning applications sometimes for approval of matters specified in planning conditions. The Council is required to notify those with an interest on the “land and neighbouring land" of a planning application. 

 

It is possible for anyone to apply for planning permission, however, we strongly advise using the services of an experienced architect or a planning consultant in order to save your time, money and remove the hassle which is often associated with seeking permission to build, demolish or to alter a building of almost any kind. 

 

If you have any questions about the feasibility of your building project, we’d love to hear about it. Please either email enquiry@eznat.co.uk or call 01482 778050.