Guide
Planning permission and building regulations
These are two separate systems. Planning is about whether the change to the house is acceptable in planning terms. Building regulations are about how the work is built, including structure, fire safety and insulation. A project can need planning permission, building regulations approval, both, or a Lawful Development Certificate as well as building regulations approval.
The Planning Portal explains when planning permission is required. GOV.UK explains building regulations approval. Tekneca Studio can prepare the drawings for either stage. Each stage is quoted on its own.
Which planning route applies
- A planning application is normally required when the work is outside permitted development, or when those rights do not apply to the house.
- Permitted development may cover a loft or a rear extension when the size, height and position meet the current limits. Those limits depend on the house, and on whether an earlier permission removed the rights.
- A Lawful Development Certificate may be applied for when you want the council to confirm that the work is lawful. It is optional. It confirms a planning position. It does not replace building regulations approval. The Planning Portal describes certificates on its Lawful Development Certificate page.
Where building regulations still apply
A loft that is being made into a room normally needs building regulations approval even when no planning application is required. The Planning Portal says so for lofts on its page about building regulations approval for a loft conversion. An extension is usually in the same position once it is being built: the planning route and the building control route are decided separately.
Tekneca’s planning prices start at £1,050, £1,250 and £1,350 depending on the project type. Building regulations drawings are a further quote. The Building Control fee charged by the checking body is separate again.
Common questions
Can one approval cover both?
No. A planning decision, a Lawful Development Certificate and a building regulations approval each do a different job. Having one does not provide the others.
Do I have to get a Lawful Development Certificate?
No. It is a way to have the planning position confirmed. Some owners want it before they build or sell. Others apply for planning permission instead, where the work needs it.
Who decides?
The local planning authority decides the planning application or the certificate. A building control body decides the building regulations application and carries out the site inspections. Tekneca prepares drawings for those processes and does not make either decision.
Service pages: planning drawings and building regulations drawings.
Request a planning drawing quote