Property owners in England can now build bigger extensions without planning permission

27 May, 2019  |  Rachel Stephens

There are approximately 27 million houses in the UK, of which, seven out of 10 are owner-occupied.

Millions of homeowners or thousands of landlords in England will soon be given the green light to extend their properties without seeking full planning permission.

Under the new rules, property owners can place a single-storey rear extension on their property of up to 6 metres of length for terraced or semi-detached homes and up to 8 metres of length for detached homes - without a full planning application.

No more planning applications!

Previously, homeowners would be waiting months for approval, which could be very stressful, especially if you are improving your existing home. This move has simplified the process for homeowners; you simply notify the council of the building work beforehand, and council officials will inform the neighbours. Note, your neighbouring residents can still raise objections to extensions.

However, once the concern has been raised, the council will decide if the extension is likely to harm the character or enjoyment of the area, and if so, they may block the plans.

What does this mean for families?

The new rules reduce a lot of stress for you, as you do not have to move from your existing home, if you are growing or extending your family.

What does this mean for the rental market?

Camran Khan, Founder & CEO of brightLET, said: “The move could help landlords gain better rental yields. I am sure landlords are already thinking of placing more bedrooms within their existing investment property, to get a better return on their investment. Having said that, I just hope we don’t hear landlord horror stories from this and risk losing this fantastic new legislation.”