Planning Permission and the State of the English Planning System: How do I Navigate Acquiring Permission for my House Extension Quickly

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The planning system in a lot of Local Planning Authorities has virtually ground to a halt, which really serves to frustrate those people keen to press on with their home improvement project.

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Up until 2020, the building industry was in a relative ‘Boom Time’, and this resulted in local authority planning officers taking the opportunity to jump to private practice where the financial rewards prove higher than the standard pay grades offered by local government. This together with continuing government cuts has resulted in planning departments being over-stretched and under-staffed. So what happens when your architect applies for planning permission and how do you prevent delays?

Well, planning authorities still have targets to achieve and so if the scheme is not controversial they will wish to wave it through within the prescribed period (8 weeks for most domestic projects). There are also a series of things that you can do without the need for formal planning permission which is known as Permitted Development. Firstly, define what you want to achieve, then speak to your architect about the opportunities for permitted development and get a handle on the budget for your proposals. It may be that you do not actually need planning permission for what you want to achieve, or your scheme can be tweaked to avoid the need for planning permission, this will shorten and simplify the permission process.

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If you do need formal approval and wish to press on without undue delay, then think carefully about avoiding issues such as over-shadowing and overlooking or causing nuisance or loss of amenity to your neighbours before pressing on with your scheme, and with a fair wind you will be waved through within the minimum period.

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