Planning permission
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什么是规划许可?
Planning permission is formally-granted permission for the erection or alteration of buildings or other structural development.
Although the UK Parliament controls national planning policy, local authorities are responsible for deciding whether to grant planning permission on a case-by-case basis.
In order to be granted planning permission, the occupier of a building also needs to be the owner. As the owner of a building or other development, it is your responsibility to seek planning permission - and to make sure it is granted before any work takes place.
If you live in aConservation Area, or own aGrade 1, 2 or 2* listed property, there are also likely to be other conditions you need to comply with before development can take place. Your local authority should be able to clarify these for you.
哪些项目需要规划许可?
如果你想建造一个新的建筑，对现有的建筑做一个重大的改变，或者改变建筑的用途，你可能需要规划许可。
This guideshould help you work out if your project needs planning permission. It includes specific tips on whether you’re likely to need permission for a number of common projects - like roof work, internal and external walls, kitchens and bathrooms, conservatories, extensions and conversions.
If you’re still unsure, it’s always best to check with your local planning authority (LPA) before work begins. You can usethis tool找到当地委员会的网站。
什么样的项目不需要规划许可?
Certain minor changes to your property may be covered by permitted development (PD) status. Permitted development rights allow you to extend an existing house by a certain percentage, and carry out certain improvements, without the need for planning permission.
Projects that usually have permitted development rights include:
- The erection, extension or alteration of anindustrial building or warehouse
- The erection of certainadverts and signs
- Demolition work - though you must first get approval for it from your local planning authority.
It’s also possible you won’t need planning permission if your project will have no impact either on your neighbours or on the environment. However, it’s still important you check with your local authority before any work begins.
How do I apply for planning permission?
The simplest way to make a planning application is online. You can apply to every local authority in England and Wales throughthis planning portal, part-run by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Assembling your planning application can be quite a lengthy process, so make sure you give yourself enough time. You’ll need to:
- Survey your home and prepare accurate drawings of the existing property and your proposal for development;
- Support your application with a 'Design Access Statement' that demonstrates you have considered the form, proportion, layout, volume, materials and impact of your proposal with the guidelines set out by your local authority.
Allow 4-10 weeks to sort all this out - you’ll be making important decisions that you’ll have to live with for some time.
获得规划许可通常需要多长时间?
规划申请通常在提交申请后的八周内作出决定。在英国，如果案件特别大或复杂，可以将时限定为13周。
In total, from the initial design work to the decision on your planning application, the time frame could be five months or longer.
What are the main reasons I might be denied planning permission?
当市政规划官员决定是否授予规划许可时，会考虑某些关键因素。These include:
- Whether the neighbours raise any objections
- Whether the proposed design is of good quality and in-keeping with surrounding properties
- What impact your proposed development will have on your neighbours and the environment - for example through loss of light or loss of privacy.
Remember that planning officials will take future owners of the property - and future neighbours - into account too.
They will also consider how your proposal fits in with their ownlocal development plans. To decide this, local planners will usually look atthese key factors.
This guide, from Richmond Council in London, includes a list of the most common reasons planning applications are rejected.
If my application for planning permission fails, what do I do next?
If your application is refused, you should first try to find a compromise with the local planning authority, by adjusting your plans to take any feedback or recommendations from them into account.
If you still can’t reach an agreement, you can launch an appeal. This is the government guidance aroundhow and when you can appeal.
What happens if I go ahead with a project without planning permission?
如果你在没有获得规划许可的情况下开展工作，规划人员可以向你发出执行通知，命令你撤销所有已做的更改。
It could also cause you serious problems if you ever try to sell your home: You’ll need to prove to your buyer’s solicitor that any work has been carried out in accordance with relevant planning laws.
The trouble with planning permission
It's subjective.你在很大程度上受计划者的支配。如果他们不同意你的提议，你的提议就会被拒绝——即使你觉得你已经达到了他们设计指南中列出的标准，并且可以证明在你所在的地区有类似的发展。
It's piecemeal.Most local planning departments are over-burdened and don't have the time to provide you with adequate pre-planning advice. High turnover of staff (we have a national shortage of qualified planners) creates major problems, especially if your planning officer leaves mid-way through the application process.
It's emotional.Keeping neighbours up to date in person is a great way of minimising written objections to your application. There is nothing neighbours hate more than first hearing about your development plans from the council. This is often more down to concerns about noisy builders than the aesthetic merits of your proposal.
