Understanding Building & Planning Regulations
If you’re a novice to the building work, then understanding building and planning regulations can be quite difficult to understand. Many people think that there shouldn’t be regulations and it’s easy to see them as restrictive but without them, we’d lose our greenbelt land and likely end up with an overall housing market failure. Planning and building regulations are there to help ensure building work is carried out safely, to a high standard and to ensure redevelopment is carried out in the right areas without impacting on others.
Working closely with local communities and planning committees will help to make the process run much smoother and it’s always important to remember any rejections can be appealed. There are a number of planning and regulations in place that you must follow when carrying out any type of construction work on your property. Some of the most common regulations people come across are planning permission, building regulations and permitted development rights.
UK Building & Planning Regulations
1. Planning Permission
Planning permission was introduced to help control the development of specific areas and ultimately protect greenbelt land where possible. UK planning permission is designed to regulate the use, appearance and location of construction projects and also whether projects are domestic or commercial. When building new properties planning permission will also be needed, however some types of extensions and other building works will also need planning permission. It’s also best to check with your local authority whether planning permission is needed for the type of work for you to carry out, it’s much easier to achieve planning permission before building, rather than applying for it retrospectively.
Planning permission is accepted in most cases and it’s typically denied when it doesn’t fit the environment or it’s seen as dangerous to the surrounding communities or environment. It’s important to remember that even when denied, planning objections can be appealed to an independent committee. Listed buildings and conservation sites will likely require planning permission to help ensure their historic importance isn’t impacted.
2. Building Regulations
Nearly all types of building work will require you to meet current building regulations and this typically involves a member of the local council signing off the work. The aim of building regulations are to help ensure the structural integrity of a building is kept and that the materials used and workmanship carried out is to a suitable standard. Most building and construction companies will ensure all work is carried out to meet current building regulations and most people don’t encounter issues.
Permitted Development
Permitted development has been in place for many years and it was recently revised in 2020 to include a wide scope of projects as well. Permitted development means you can carry out certain types of building work without needing to apply for planning permission and this is what is known in the industry as permitted development rights. There are a number of projects which might fall under permitted development, however it always best to check with the local authority first, some of these projects are:
- Certain types of extensions
- Changes to patios and driveways
- Garden rooms and summerhouses
- Loft conversions
- Roofing changes
- Barn and garage conversions
- Energy upgrades
What Are Listed Buildings?
Listed buildings are typically buildings that have significant cultural or historic importance. It’s important to remember that permitted development and planning permission is different for listed buildings. If you have a listed building or fall within what is known as a conservation area then it’s always best to check with your local authority first. They will be able to provide advice and guidance on what permissions are required before you carry out work.
What Planning & Building Regulations Do I Need?
This will depend entirely on the type of building you have and where you are based. Details in regard to what planning permission or regulations you need to comply with can be found on the government Planning Portal website. Most builders and architects can provide advice and guidance of what permissions will be needed and they can also help you apply for them as well. Permissions will also vary for flats, maisonettes and commercial buildings due to the type of property they are.
At Kendon Sloggett Construction, we can provide full support to you when applying for planning permission and dealing with local authorities as well.
Start Your Project
If you'd like to discuss a project or have any questions about the services we offer, then please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. One of the Kendon Sloggett Construction team is always on hand to assist.