Changing or replacing windows

For flats and maisonettes: You need planning permission to change any windows or doors.

For houses: You usually don't need planning permission to change any windows or doors. This depends on whether an Article 4 direction covers your property, which removes permitted development rights, or if your property is listed.

If your property is in a conservation area with no Article 4 direction (removing your rights to replace windows), you do not need to apply for planning permission. To check if your proposal is a permitted development (does not need planning permission), you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (Planning Portal website).

Installing satellite dishes

You need planning permission to install a satellite dish in a flat or any other premises. It might be possible to put up a satellite dish without the need for planning permission in a house, under permitted development rights.

To check that your proposed works fall under permitted development rights, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (Planning Portal website).

Creating a roof terrace

You need to apply for planning permission to create a roof terrace for a flat or a house.

Making a basement

For flats and maisonettes: You need planning permission to make a basement. This includes the installation of light wells.

For houses: You don't need to make a planning application to create or extend a basement if:

• it's limited to the existing footprint of the house, and
• the use of this space is ancillary to the main house.

If you want to use the basement as an independent living unit, you need planning permission. This also applies for houses in conservation areas.

If the basement extension needs a light well or any external alterations to the house, you need planning permission.

To check if your proposed works fall under permitted development rights, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (Planning Portal website).

Change of use from dwellinghouse (C3) to House in Multiple Occupation (C4)

 You need planning permission to convert a dwellinghouse into a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

We also operate a mandatory licensing scheme for HMOs.

Installing a solar panel

If you live in a single family dwelling house, the installation of these do not always need planning permission:

• wind turbines
• solar panels
• ground source heat pump
• air source heat pump.

Find out more about home energy generation (Planning Portal website)

Get more information about making your home more energy efficient (Energy Saving Trust website).

Changing or replacing boundaries, fences and railings

You don't need planning permission if you plan to:

• take down a fence, wall or gate
• alter, maintain or improve an existing fence, wall or gate (no matter how high) if you don't increase its height.

You need planning permission to erect a new boundary wall, fence, railings or gate that:

• exceeds one metre high and it's next to a highway used by vehicles (or the footpath of such a highway)
• exceeds two metres high elsewhere.

Installing flues, pipes and chimneys

You need planning permission to install flues, pipes and chimneys in a flat.

A proposal to install flues, pipes and chimneys in a house might be a permitted development if the proposal is not one metre higher than the highest part of the roof.

To check if your proposed works fall under permitted development rights, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (Planning Portal website).

If an Article 4 direction covers the house, or it's located in a conservation area, and the proposal affects the side or front elevation of the house, it's likely that you need planning permission.

Creating a hard-standing surface on your front garden

For flats: You need to apply for a full planning permission to create a hard-standing surface.

For houses: You need to apply for a householder application if:

• the proposal exceeds five square metres
• the hard surface is made of non-porous materials
• there will be no provision made to direct run-off water to a permeable or porous area within the land around the original house.

Pruning or removing trees from your property

You don't need planning permission to prune or remove a tree, unless it's in a conservation area.

Find out more about permission for work to trees

Installing a canopy or an awning

You need to apply for a full planning application to install a new awning and canopy. If your proposal is to replace an existing awning or canopy, the replacement needs to be like-for-like or it needs planning permission.

Installing CCTV cameras

You need to apply for full planning permission to install, change or replace a CCTV camera if:

• it's dimensions will be greater than 75cm x 25cm x 25cm (including its housing)
• it's positioned less than 2.5m from the ground
• it protrudes more than one metre from the wall
• it's in contact with the surface of the property at a point more than one metre from any other point of contact
• it's less than 10m from another camera on the property
• more than four cameras are attached to the same side of the property in total
• more than 16 cameras are attached to the whole property in total.