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.

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