House Extensions to be Allowed without Planning Permission

In a move to encourage growing families to stay in their homes without having to be forced to buy, or move to, new properties, the government has relaxed the planning permission rule for homeowners. Homeowners can now build extensions without obtaining a planning permission.

The law is currently valid only in England. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, planning permission is still required for extensions to the rear part of the property if the said extension measures more than 3m or 4m.

The current rule also extends the rights of commercial space owners who can now convert their shops into offices or change them temporarily for use as a public hall, library or for hosting other community-oriented events.

If you are a construction company working on a building extension project, MTS Plant can help you with our extensive fleet of construction equipment. We offer machinery and associated attachments for globally renowned brands such as Yanmar and Bobcat. Our Yanmar plant machinery are available for both sale and hire.

Once Temporary, Now Permanent

The law that frees homeowners from the need to obtain planning permission for building extensions came into existence 5 years ago. It was, however, a temporary law that permitted single-storey buildings to add larger rear extensions without the need for planning permission. More than 110, 000 people have benefited since the introduction of this rule.

Extensions will Now Be Quicker and Cheaper

With the new rule in place, homeowners get to complete their home extensions quickly. They won’t have to wait for months to get approval from the local council. This will bring down the cost of extensions too.

Homeowners have to inform the council regarding their extension proposal beforehand though. The council authorities will then inform the neighbours about the same.

In case neighbours object to the construction, the council will investigate into the concerns raised. If the proposed extension is likely to damage the character of the local area or prevent its residents from enjoying the locality, then the council will not permit the extension.

In case neighbours do not raise any objection, homeowners can build their proposed extension.

The move has resulted in many extensions being constructed. In Doncaster, for example, of the 367 proposals for extensions, 358 proposals got the green signal immediately. Five proposals were permitted after investigation. Only 4 proposals were refused.

Across England, 127,747 proposals for home extensions have been submitted since 2014. Of those, 65% proposals were approved immediately, 18% were approved after investigation and 17% were denied permission.

Permissible Dimensions of Extensions

According to the current rule, single-storey rear extensions are allowed in semi-detached and terraced homes if the extension does not go above 4m in height and stretches up to 6m from the property. Detached properties can add extensions of up to 8m.

The relaxation on the permission can, however, be restricted if your proposed extension falls under any one of the following “designated areas”:

• World heritage site
• National park
• Conservation areas
• Areas of outstanding natural beauty
• The Broads

According to the Ministry for Housing, this move comes as part of reforms aimed at increasing housing construction as well as at making it better and faster. The move also aims to make the housing market more agile.

Yanmar Plant Machinery Hire and Sales

With over 30 years of experience in the plant machinery sales and hire industry, MTS Plant is extremely well-positioned to cater to all your needs. As official dealers of Bobcat and Yanmar plant machinery, we offer complete backup and support for equipment hire and sales. We offer a nationwide service with depots strategically located in West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Co. Durham and Lanarkshire.

We are an official dealer for many reputed international machinery brands including Yanmar and assure you of providing the highest standards of technical support and customer service.

Contact the MTS Plant team today to discuss your upcoming project:

Tel: 08000 156 555

Email: info@mtsplant.co.uk