Reviewed and updated: 17 October 2026. Original archive publication date retained.
In England, the General Permitted Development Order grants planning permission for specified kinds of development, subject to the relevant limitations and conditions. It does not mean that any extension or change of use can proceed without checking its circumstances.
Identify the correct right
Different classes cover different operations and uses. Read the provision that applies to the actual proposal, including measurements, exclusions and any requirement for prior approval. A neighbour’s successful project does not establish that the same right applies to your building.
Government guidance also explains that permitted development rights can be removed by conditions attached to planning permission or by an Article 4 direction. Check the address and planning history before relying on a general summary.
Other requirements remain
A planning permission route does not by itself satisfy building regulations or private obligations in a lease or title. Heritage designations and other constraints may also affect what is possible.
Discuss an uncertain proposal with the local planning authority or a suitable planning professional before commissioning work. Where appropriate, consider the evidence needed to establish lawfulness.
Keep the plans, measurements, decisions and relevant correspondence together. The key is to demonstrate that the particular development meets the applicable rules, rather than describing the work loosely as permitted development. The rules elsewhere in the UK differ and require separate checking.