Certain minor changes to a house do not need planning permission.  These guidance notes include most of the changes that do need planning permission.  Not all relevant details can be covered; if you are in any doubt, please contact the Development Enquiry Centre on 0113 2478000 or email dec@leeds.gov.uk.  A booklet produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government called 'Planning: A Guide for Householders' is available free of charge from DCLG Free Literature, PO Box 236, Wetherby LS23 7NB, telephone 0870 1226 236, fax 0870 1226 237, email communities@twoten.com.  Our leaflet "Do I need planning permission" can be downloaded from the right of the screen.

Please bear in mind that:

• These notes refer only to houses and there are different requirements for flats and maisonettes.
• There are some parts of Leeds where the rights to carry out certain changes to houses without planning permission have been removed.  Consequently, items other than those listed below may need planning permission.  If in doubt, please check with the Development Enquiry Centre.
• Any change of use of part or the whole of a house to business purposes, or the erection of a building in the garden for business purposes, may need planning permission.
• Changes to a house which is a Listed Building or which is in a Conservation Area may need Listed Building Consent or Conservation Area Consent even if planning permission is not required.
• Many changes to a house need approval under the Building Regulations.
• If you carry out development which needs planning permission before you have obtained planning permission, the development may have to be altered or even removed.

Extensions (including conservatories) and garages

(In the following, a detached garage within 5 metres of the house, or, in a Conservation Area, any garage, counts as an extension.  Volumes are measured externally).

For a detached or semi-detached house which is not in a Conservation Area, an extension needs planning permission if its volume, plus the volume of previous additions to the property*, exceeds 70 cubic metres or 15% of the volume of the original house, whichever is the greater.

For a terrace house, or for any other house within a Conservation Area, an extension needs planning permission if its volume, plus the volume of previous additions to the property*, exceeds 50 cubic metres or 10% of the volume of the original house, whichever is the greater.

For any house, an extension needs planning permission if:

• It is higher than the highest point of the original house OR

• It is more than 4 metres high and less than 2 metres from any site boundary OR
• Its volume exceeds 115 cubic metres OR
• The total area of the extension and any previous additions to the original house exceeds 50% of the garden area OR
• It is within the curtilage of a Listed Building . (In this case, Listed Building consent is also required) OR
• It is between the house and a highway (including a footpath), and less than 20 metres from the highway.

Any detached garage needs planning permission if its height exceeds 4 metres, in the case of garage with a ridged roof, or 3 metres in other cases.

(*Outside Conservation Areas, only previous additions to the property which are within 5 metres of the house and are more than 10 cubic metres in volume are taken into account. Within Conservation Areas, all additions which are more than 10 cubic metres are taken into account).

Porches

A porch needs planning permission if:

• Its area (measured externally) exceeds 3 square metres OR
• It is more than 3 metres high OR
• It is within 2 metres of a highway (including a footpath).

If the porch is within the curtilage of a Listed Building , Listed Building Consent is required.

Alterations to the roof including roof lights and dormer windows

Roof alterations need planning permission if :

• Any of the proposed work would be above the highest part of the existing roof OR
• Any of the proposed work would project beyond the slope of an existing roof that faces a highway (including a footpath) OR
• The volume that the proposal adds to the existing house exceeds 40 cubic metres, for  a terrace house, or 50 cubic metres for any other house OR
• The volume of the proposal, plus the volume of any previous additions to the property (not including outbuildings), would:

(a)   for a terrace house, exceed 50 cubic metres or 10% of the original volume of the house, whichever is the greater,

(b)    for any other house, exceed 70 cubic metres or 15% of the original volume of the house, whichever is the greater,

(c)   for any house, exceed 115 cubic metres OR

• The house is in a Conservation Area OR
• The proposal would result in a material alteration to the shape of the house. (Please ask the Development Enquiry Centre if you are unsure what constitutes “a material alteration”).

Outbuildings (other than garages)

A domestic outbuilding, such as a garden shed, needs planning permission if:

• It is between the house and a highway (including a footpath), and less than 20 metres from the highway OR
• The total area of the outbuilding and any previous additions to the original house exceeds  50% of the garden area OR
• Its height exceeds 4 metres, in the case of a building with a ridged roof, or 3 metres in other cases OR
• Its volume exceeds 10 cubic metres, and it is in a Conservation Area, or within the curtilage of a Listed Building.

Provided that the outbuilding is within 5 metres of the house, and its volume exceeds 10 cubic metres, it needs planning permission if:

• For a detached or semi-detached house which is not in a Conservation Area, the total volume of the proposal and previous additions to the property exceeds 70 cubic metres or 15% of the volume of the original house, whichever is the greater.
• For a terrace house, or for any other house in a Conservation Area, the total volume of the proposal and previous additions to the property exceeds 50 cubic metres or 10% of the volume of the original house, whichever is the greater.

Windows

New window openings and new windows in existing openings do not normally need planning permission. If the house is a Listed Building , Listed Building Consent is needed for a new window opening, and usually for a new window.

Satellite television dish antennas

Some antennas can be installed on houses without planning permission but please check with Development Enquiry Centre for details.

Fences and gates

A fence or gate needs planning permission if:

• It is adjacent to a highway used by vehicles, and is more than 1 metre high OR
• In any other case, it is more than 2 metres high OR
• It is within the curtilage of a Listed Building . In this case Listed Building Consent may also be required.

Accesses

The formation of a new access to the highway needs planning permission if it is to a trunk road or a classified road.

Painting and cladding

Painting the exterior of a house does not normally need planning permission.

Cladding the exterior of a house needs planning permission if the house is in a Conservation Area.  For other cases, please check with the Development Enquiry Centre.

Hardstandings, drives, patios etc

Laying down a hard surface to form a hardstanding  for a car, a patio, or a drive (assuming that a new access to the highway is not being formed) does not normally need planning permission.

Demolition

The demolition of any part of a house, or of outbuildings, does not need planning permission.  But if the house is a Listed Building, Listed Building Approval will probably be required.  If you wish to demolish the whole house, please contact the Development Enquiry Centre.

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