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Permitted development: what can you build?
Planning · Episode 14
Geoff Megarity with Tina Patel & Bart Kolosowski
The permitted development extension next door may tell you surprisingly little about what is possible on your own property.
Geoff Megarity explains why the history and shape of a house matter, how to establish your options and when a permitted development fallback can support a different design.
The answer was hidden in a photograph taken decades ago
Geoff recalls a project where the council believed a coal store had stood beside the house. That apparently small historical detail affected how the proposed extension could be assessed.
Historic aerial photographs helped establish that the coal store was not there. Tina describes another project where records helped demonstrate that an existing part of the house was old enough to matter to the starting line.
The lesson is to investigate the building you actually have. Its original form and later alterations can change the options, so a simple measurement from today's back wall may leave out the most important part of the story.
01
Check the history
Establish the original house.
02
Check the rights
Review property restrictions.
03
Compare designs
Test the routes available.
04
Record the case
Support it with evidence.
The rights belong to the property, not to the street
A homeowner can hear that permitted development is available nationally and assume that the same options apply to every house. Geoff explains how the property type, location and planning history can alter the position.
The conversation includes restrictions associated with conservation areas, Article 4 directions and conditions on earlier permissions. It also illustrates why a condition from long before your purchase can still matter.
Before committing to a design, ask your team to establish which rights are relevant to your property. A general extension guide is useful background; the project needs a check against its own circumstances.
A fallback can help you seek a better design
Geoff describes establishing what could lawfully be built under permitted development, then using that alternative when seeking permission for a different proposal. The aim can be a home that works better than the scheme used to establish the fallback.
The discussion includes extensions with awkward rear building lines and the challenge of joining separate elements into a coherent space. The value lies in comparing the effects of the alternatives, rather than simply pursuing the largest possible extension.
This is a strategy to discuss with a planning adviser, not a guaranteed route to approval. Extra applications, design work and time have to be weighed against what the preferred scheme would give you.
Get the evidence clear before the bricks are laid
The hosts distinguish knowing that a proposal complies from having the evidence to demonstrate it. Geoff explains why a lawful development certificate can provide useful certainty about a properly described proposal.
The drawings, dimensions and supporting information need to make the position clear. That can matter when questions arise during a project or when the property is later sold.
A small adjustment considered during design is easier to make than a correction after construction. The episode's practical message is to resolve uncertainty early, with advice proportionate to the work you intend to do.
Three decisions to take into your project
01 Investigate before measuring.
Ask how the original building and later alterations affect your proposal.
02 Check your property's position.
Confirm the applicable rights, restrictions and conditions before relying on permitted development.
03 Choose the home as well as the route.
Compare the benefit of a different design with the extra time and work needed to pursue it.
The full conversation
Geoff Megarity is a planning consultant at Bell Cornwell. He joins Tina Patel and Bart Kolosowski to explore permitted development in England, using real projects to show where seemingly simple proposals become more complicated.
The full conversation covers extensions, lofts, outbuildings, property history, lawful development certificates and fallback strategies. The emphasis is on understanding the options for a particular home before committing to construction.
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Explore a related episode
Episode 13: Planning permission: where do you start?
Put permitted development in the context of the wider planning process.
Episode 16: Planning: choose the route to the home you need
Weigh the planning route against the home you actually want.
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