1
Your Home and Planning Permission
Introduction
The Council’s aim is to improve the quality of life of the people in the Borough by planning
and managing development in ways which are sustainable, and which contribute to
creating a better environment. Submitting a planning application to the Council gives an
opportunity for your proposed development to be considered in the context of this aim.
Proposed development which may seem to be relatively minor to you can have a
significant impact on the neighbourhood and the built environment.
In many cases, however, you can carry out small alterations and extensions to your
home and property without the need to submit an application for planning permission.
This is known as permitted development. Generally, permitted development rights are
applied to relatively minor non-contentious development where it is considered that,
subject to specified exceptions, an application for planning permission is not required.
This document is to help you to understand if you need planning permission for
works carried out around your home. It also tells you how to go about making a
planning application if one is needed.
The document is simply a guide and is not an exact statement of the law. Planning
legislation can be accessed at https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/current-
planning-legislation. Please note that an extension to a flat or a residential property
in multiple occupancy does not benefit from the permitted development rights set
out in this guide. If, when you have read the document, you are still in doubt, you should
contact the Council’s Planning Service, where staff will be happy to advise you. Contact
details can be found in Section 16.
Even when you don’t need planning permission for your proposed works, there are
other kinds of approval you may need. For example, you may have to get approval
under the building regulations from the Council for many of the works mentioned
in this document. Information about this and other types of consent can be found in
Section 14.
If you consider the works you propose to carry out are permitted development, you can
apply to the Council for a Certificate of Lawfulness for the Proposed Use or Development
(CLOPUD). This can be particularly beneficial to those participating in the housing
market as solicitors representing purchasers will usually require documentary evidence
that extensions etc. are lawful. An application for a Certificate of Lawfulness must be
accompanied by the appropriate fee. For more information see “Fees” in Section 1 2 of
this document.
