When undertaking building work or
alterations to your home it is important
to make sure that you are proceeding
with the correct consents in place. The
consents required will depend on the
work you intend to carry out but could
include applications to both the planning
and building regulations departments at
your local authority.
Due to the recent changes in the
legislation you may now need to obtain
consents which were not previously
required. For example from 1st October
2008 any new impermeable driveways or
hard standing which are built, and which
are larger than 5 square metres, require a
planning permission to be obtained.
Some alterations will however no longer
require an application to the planning
department and this could include
some single storey ground floor rear
extensions and loft conversions of a
certain size. The new requirements
are however complicated and difficult
to interpret and therefore before you
undertake any work to your property
we would recommend that you take
advice as to whether consent is or is not
required.
In any event it is worth remembering
that planning permissions and building
regulation consents are entirely separate
requirements and even if the works you
undertake no longer require a planning
permission they may well still require
building regulation consent to be
obtained.
If you would like advice on any of the
above, or similar issues, please contact
Anne Elliss or a member of the Property
Department at Wortley Byers on 01277
268304 or aelliss@wortleybyers.co.uk.
