Factsheet - Planning Permission
Do You Need Permission?
Planning is about how we plan for, and make decisions about, the future of our cities, towns and countryside in order to create better places to live.
The planning system is needed to control development in your area.
Over time, a formal way of making these decisions was set up leading to the establishment of the local planning authorities who are now responsible for deciding whether a development - anything from an extension on a house to a new housing estate - should go ahead.
The local planning authority usually means the district or borough council and not the parish or town council.
The plan-led systemThe planning system in England and Wales follows a plan-led system. This involves preparing plans that set out what can be built and where. The plan-led system is supported by legislation which is regularly updated and there are currently two main levels of plan.
Development controlMost new buildings or major changes to existing buildings or to the local environment need consent which is known as planning permission. Each application for planning permission is made to the local planning authority for the area (see our factsheet on Making a Planning Application for more information).
The application must include enough detail for the authority to see what effect the development could have on the area.
If the planning application is in line with the approved plan, the applicant can usually expect to receive planning permission within eight weeks for householders. Approval for larger, commercial developments often takes longer.
The planning system is needed to control development in your area.
Over time, a formal way of making these decisions was set up leading to the establishment of the local planning authorities who are now responsible for deciding whether a development - anything from an extension on a house to a new housing estate - should go ahead.
The local planning authority usually means the district or borough council and not the parish or town council.
The plan-led systemThe planning system in England and Wales follows a plan-led system. This involves preparing plans that set out what can be built and where. The plan-led system is supported by legislation which is regularly updated and there are currently two main levels of plan.
- Regional Spatial Strategies - each Regional Planning Body (such as the north-east of England) is preparing a Regional Spatial Strategy. This will identify things such as how many homes are needed to meet the future needs of people in the region, or whether the region needs a new major shopping centre.
- Local Development Frameworks - Each local planning authority is preparing a Local Development Framework. This sets out how your local area may change over the next few years.
Development controlMost new buildings or major changes to existing buildings or to the local environment need consent which is known as planning permission. Each application for planning permission is made to the local planning authority for the area (see our factsheet on Making a Planning Application for more information).
The application must include enough detail for the authority to see what effect the development could have on the area.
If the planning application is in line with the approved plan, the applicant can usually expect to receive planning permission within eight weeks for householders. Approval for larger, commercial developments often takes longer.