There are many different instances in which you would require planning permission whether it be for building an extension or an entire house.

It was during the 1940's that planning permission began and is called the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947, since this time there have been alterations in the regulations of the act.

Below the article explores the various regulations and restrictions of planning permission along with some general information.

Seeking Planning Permission

There are certain situations where you will be required to have planning permission before the building can commence, if you begin to build without the required planning permission then you may incur further costs down the line.

Here are some examples of situations where you would require planning permission before you start the build;

• When adding an extension to a flat or maisonette, although it is not always necessary to obtain planning permission for the building of an extension on a house it is always necessary in the case of a flat or maisonette.
• You will need to gain planning permission when building a separate house on the grounds of your existing home, this is applicable for both homes you will be living in yourself and those you will be renting to a separate party. There are exceptions to this rule depending on the size of the proposed build and the distance it will be from the existing house and road side.
• If you wanted to construct something that went against the original planning permission for your home. For example if you wanted to build a fence or wall around the front of your property that is part of an open plan residential area.
• As well as the erection of buildings, walls, an extension etc. you would also require planning permission for demolition of any large building on your premises including your home. The same goes for if you wanted to rebuild a structure on your land such as a barn, especially if you were planning to use the building as a living area.

Exemptions from Planning Permission

Although there are many instances that you will require planning permission there are also some cases where you will not need to apply for planning permission to build on your land. Some examples of kinds of building work that are exemptions from planning permission include the following.

• You are permitted to build a garage depending on its size and distance from the house and road, if it not within the regulated size or distance restrictions then you will have to apply for permission.
• Some extensions do not require planning permission depending on size in cubic meters. If any extension takes up more than half of your garden area then you will require planning permission before building. Whether you are permitted to build the extension with out planning permission depends on the height of the building and the distance from the boundaries as well as the house. It would also depend on the size of any existing free standing garage or out house building.
• Walls and fences are permitted if not on a open plan estate and they do not reach over 1 meter high on a street facing side of the house or 2 meters on any side faces public path.