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Householder Permitted Development Definitions and Interpretations
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On the 1st October 2008 changes took place to the
regulations (Town and Country Planning General Permitted
Development Order) which allow householders to carry out
development to a dwelling house and within its
curtilage. The new regulations were intended to
simplify the previous system but have proved in practice to need
additional clarification.
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This information is intended to give
guidance to planning staff, agents and householders on the
Council's approach to interpreting the regulations in a consistent
and unambiguous way. A simplified guide to the
regulations themselves is also available "Householder Permitted Development - A
Summary". Both guides give informal advice
without prejudice to any decision the Council may take in the
future on receipt of a formal application under Section 192 of the
Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for a Lawful Development
Certificate.
Interpretations
Balcony
This is a railed platform outside a window.
A 'Juliette balcony' consisting of railings only and with no
platform is a balustrade and not a balcony.
Domestic curtilage
This is the garden area immediately surrounding the
dwellinghouse. It does not include any garden
which is separated from the house by a back access road or track,
or a paddock whether separate or attached.
Dual pitched roof
This is a roof which has two faces (a double pitch) meeting at
a ridge. It does not include hipped, pyramid or
octagonal roofs which have more than two
faces.
Eaves
The eaves are the part of the roof that meets or
overhangs the walls of a building at the lowest, overhanging part
of a sloping roof.
The eaves of an extension should not exceed the eaves of the
part of the house being extended where there are eaves of different
heights on the property. If you have a building
that has both one and two storeys and the extension is built from
the single storey part then the eaves should be no higher than the
single storey eaves.
Flat
Is a separate and self contained set of premises built or
adapted for use as a dwelling and forming part of a building and is
divided horizontally from some other part of the building.
Forward of a wall forming the principal elevation of the original dwellinghouse
The position of the outbuilding shown in red in the diagram
below will need planning permission as it is sited forward of the
principal elevation of the dwellinghouse.
Highest part of the roof
Is the height of the main ridge and does not
include chimneys or other protrusions. The ridge
is the apex (top peak) of a roof.
Highway
Is defined by the Highways Act 1980 and is:
- A road carrying vehicular traffic
- A public footpath or bridleway
In the case of private roads or ways a highway includes a
private road that gives a "right to pass and re-pass" to
people who are not occupants of the dwellings.
Link extensions
A link extension between the main house and a detached garage
or other outbuilding would result in the garage becoming part of
the 'enlarged part of the dwelling' and therefore would be included
in the 3 or 4 metre rule as its enlargement and so such a link
extension would not be permitted development.
Original
In relation to a building, i.e. a dwellinghouse, means as it
existed on 1st July 1948 or if built after this date the
building as first built.
Principal elevation
This will normally be the part of the house that fronts the
highway and which usually contains the main
entrance. In a minority of cases there will need
to be a case by case assessment where a property does not conform
to the usual layout. For most plots it should be
possible to distinguish easily the principal elevation from a side
elevation.
On some corner plots it may be that more than one elevation
has the character of a principal elevation (perhaps where there is
more than one entrance to the property) in which case both would be
covered by any restriction on the principal elevation.
Purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house
Includes the keeping of poultry, bees, pet animals, birds, or
other livestock for the domestic needs or personal enjoyment of the
occupants of the dwellinghouse. It does not
include the provision of a new dwelling within the domestic
curtilage.
Raised platform
Any platform, such as decking, with a height more than 300
millimetres above existing ground level.
Rear wall of the original dwellinghouse
In the case where the rear wall is stepped, (say where a
property has a three storey main part and a two storey rear return
and a single storey rear projection) then any extension should also
be stepped as shown in the following diagram.
Resulting roof space
The roof space as enlarged, taking into account any previous
enlargement to the original roof space whether permitted or
not.
Ridge
The ridge is the apex (top peak) of a roof.
Side elevation
Side elevations on L shaped houses. There
are two side elevations which face the highway on a corner
plot. If an extension is built within space
formed by the L it will be considered to be a rear extension not a
side extension. Only where an extension is
coming off the side of the L only and not the rear will it be
considered a side extension.
In the diagram above the red extension in this position is a
rear extension and would not need planning permission.
In the diagram above the red extension in this position would
require planning permission as it is a side extension.
Single dwellinghouse
A detached, semi detached or terraced
house. An outbuilding or garage is not part of
the dwellinghouse. A dwellinghouse does not
include a building containing one or more flats.
Similar materials
If an extension is built off a stone wall then the stone to be
used for its construction should match in type, size coursing and
colour as closely as possible. For example if a property is built
of magnesium limestone then magnesium limestone will be required
for the extension, the use of sandstone or gritstone will not be a
similar material. If there is a mixture of
materials on a dwelling then the extension should match the
materials of the part of the house that is being extended.
Roof materials, should match in colour and
texture. For example:
- If the existing roof is covered in natural slate then natural slate should be used for an extension roof.
- Concrete tiles should have the same colour and profile as those on an existing roof.
- Pantiles should have the same colour and profile as those on the existing roof.
- Roofing felt is only a similar material if it is already used on the part of the building to be extended, i.e. an extension onto an existing flat roof extension or where there are existing felted flat roof dormers.
- It will be acceptable to use a flat tile for the sides and front of dormers where the existing roof has a profiled tile, but a profiled tile to match should be used for the dormer roof itself.
Materials of a different type such as felt, painted timber,
upvc, and lead are not considered to be similar to slates or roof
tiles.
Single Storey
If a room or rooms are proposed within the roof space of a
single storey ground floor extension then it would no longer be
classed as single storey.
Terraced house
A dwellinghouse situated in a row of three or more
dwellinghouses used or designed as single dwellings, where:-
It shares a party wall, with or has a main wall adjoining the
main wall of, the dwellinghouse on either side; or
If it is at the end of a row, it shares a party wall with or
has a main wall of a dwellinghouse which fulfils the requirements
of a) above.
Width of the Original Dwellinghouse
Where the width of the original dwellinghouse varies it is the
widest dimension hat should be used. The width
in the following diagram is the principal elevation which faces the
highway.
The extension shown in the following diagram extends beyond
the side wall of the original dwellinghouse and is greater than
half the width of the original so will need planning
permission.
Ridge Heights
The ridge height of an extension should not exceed the height
of the ridge on the part of the house which is being extended where
different storey heights exist.
Width and Depth
The width of a property will normally be the width of the
principal elevation which will usually front the highway, as shown
on the diagram below.
