Planning - residential
If a resident is thinking of making alterations to their
house or flat they should contact Planning Services to see if they
require planning permission.
Planning permission may be required if the applicant's
premises is a listed building, if the applicant is planning to
alter or extend their home, if there is a change of use (e.g.
working from home) and no longer a main home or if the applicant is
interested in constructing a new home.
Permitted Development
You can usually make certain types of minor changes to your
house without the need to apply for planning permission. These are
known as ‘permitted development rights’ (PD rights).
However, the Local Planning Authority may have withdrawn PD rights
when it originally granted planning permission for your house, so
it is always best to be on the safe side and check with us
first.
Please note that the regulations in
relation to flats are different to those for single dwelling
houses.
Most major work proposed by
householders will need planning permission but some minor works do
not. Some basic guidance is provided below but you are
advised to contact the Planning Office in writing or via email
before starting any kind of work. You can download and use the
Householder Permitted Development Enquiry Form (or
request one from the Customer First Centre) to enquire whether
planning permission is required. We recommend that you
use this form. If at any point in the future you wish to sell
your property it is possible that the prospective purchaser
(or their solicitor) will seek written proof of planning
permission, or that planning permission was not required.
Click here for further details of our
other pre-application advice services.
The Need for Permission
The following are common examples of things that will need
planning permission from the Council:
- Larger extensions to
houses, any additions or extensions to flats or maisonettes
- Dividing a house into
flats or bed-sits or using a caravan as a home
- Dividing off part of your home for
business or commercial use or providing a parking space for a
commercial vehicle
- Anything that goes against planning conditions attached to an
original planning permission eg. fences on an open plan estate
- A new access to a classified road.
The Planning Portal has provided interactive guides for the
following common
projects, click on the links below for further
information.
Alterations to Windows
You do not normally require planning permission to alter the
windows of a dwelling (a house, not a flat or maisonette) unless it
is a Listed Building or where other restrictions apply (e.g. an
Article 4 Direction is in place or a planning condition is
attached). Therefore, Planning Services recommend
that you check before undertaking any works.
The Planning Portal has provided guidance regarding
windows, click on the link below.
Roof Extensions/Alterations
In some areas of Scarborough and
Whitby dormer windows are not permitted. It is important
to check with the planning office to see if this applies to your
property.
The Planning Portal has provided an interactive guide to loft
conversions, click on the link below.
Fences, Walls and Gates - (also applies to
flats)
You will need to apply for planning permission if:
- A fence, wall or gate would be over 1 metre high and next to a
highway or over 2 metres high elsewhere.
- You do not generally need planning permission to plant
trees or hedges but you might need permission to remove a planning
condition restricting planting.
- Your right to put up or alter fences, walls and gates is
removed by an article 4 direction or a planning condition.
- Your house is a listed building or in the curtilage of a listed
building.
- The fence, wall or gate, or any other boundary involved, forms
a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its
curtilage.
You will not need to apply for planning
permission to take down a fence, wall, or gate, or to alter or
improve an existing fence, wall or gate (no matter how high) if you
don't increase its height. In a conservation area,
however, you might need conservation area consent to take down a
fence, wall or gate.
Patios and Drives (hardstanding)
Provided that hard standing is
only used for domestic purposes and that you are not creating a new
access planning permission will not be required.
However, due to recent flooding
issues there are conditions attached:
- It is permitted development where
the hard surface is situated between the principal elevation and a
highway and the area covered exceeds 5 square metres with the
proviso that the hard surface shall be made of porous materials or
provision has been made to direct run-off water to a permeable or
porous area within the boundary of your property.
The Planning Portal has provided a guide to patios and
driveways, click on the link to go there
Demolition
The demolition of fences, walls,
gates and small outbuildings under 50 cubic metres does not
normally need permission. In other cases you should check
with us first as you may need "Prior Approval" to agree the method
of demolition and restoration of the site. Listed Building or
Conservation Area Consent may also be needed.
Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
Special considerations apply for
listed buildings and conservation areas and it is important that
you talk to us first. Further information is available on
the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas advice
pages.
Related Pages
External Website Links
The Planning Portal has provided interactive house guides to
show what is permitted development:
FAQs
Q. How do I find out if I need planning
permission?
A. By submitting
a Householder Permittted Development Enquiry Form which
can be downloaded from the
Planning Forms page, or is available from
the Customer First offices.