PLANNING PREMISSION LONDON • GUIDE
Do I need a planning premission for my renovation?
London Guide
Most internal work doesn't need it, most external structural work might, and the honest answer depends on your specific property, not just the type of work. Here's how to actually work out where you stand before any work starts.
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The three questions to ask
Is the work purely internal? New kitchen, new bathroom, repainting, retiling, new flooring, plastering, replacing a suite — none of this normally needs planning permission, whatever the scale, as long as you're not changing the building's structure or footprint. Even removing an internal wall generally falls under Building Regulations rather than planning permission, which is a different process entirely (see below).
Does the work change the building's exterior? Rear extensions, side extensions, loft conversions, new windows, and anything altering the roofline potentially need either planning permission or fall under permitted development rights — a separate allowance that lets you do certain modest changes without a full application.
Is your property subject to extra restrictions? Listed buildings, conservation areas, and flats (as opposed to houses) all reduce or remove permitted development rights, meaning things that would be automatically allowed for a standalone house often need a full application here instead. This shows up constantly in areas like Kensington, South Kensington, Chelsea, and Hampstead, where conservation status and listed buildings are closer to the norm than the exception, and rather less often — though still worth checking — in areas such as Fulham, Hammersmith, and Hackney.
Permitted development rights
Permitted development rights are a general allowance that lets homeowners make certain changes without submitting a planning application — a modest rear extension within specific size limits, for example, or converting a loft up to a certain volume. The rules are genuinely detailed and depend on your exact property, but the broad principle is: within set limits, for a standard house, in a standard area, you often don't need to apply.
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Flats and maisonettes generally don't have permitted development rights for extensions the way houses do — if you're in a converted flat, a lot of what would be automatic for a house next door needs a full application for you.
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Conservation areas restrict permitted development rights, particularly for anything visible from the street — different areas of London vary significantly in how much of this is restricted, which is exactly why it's worth checking your specific address rather than assuming based on the general area. Some conservation areas go further through an Article 4 direction, a specific council order that removes permitted development rights entirely for certain types of work — window replacements and render changes are common targets — meaning even minor alterations need a full application.
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Listed buildings have no permitted development rights in the practical sense — almost anything beyond straightforward maintenance can require listed building consent, which is a separate process from planning permission entirely and applies even to internal changes in some cases.
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Previous extensions can use up your permitted development allowance — if a past owner already extended the property, you may have less room to work with than a similar house that hasn't been touched.
Planning permission vs. listed building consent vs. building regulations
These get confused constantly, and they're genuinely different things:
Planning permission is about whether a local authority allows a specific external change — its size, appearance, and impact on neighbours and the street.
Listed building consent is separate, and applies regardless of planning permission, if your building is listed. It covers structural and sometimes cosmetic changes that could affect the building's special architectural or historic interest — this can include internal work that would otherwise need no permission at all.
Building regulations are a technical, safety-focused process — structural calculations for a removed wall, fire safety, insulation standards, electrical and plumbing standards. Building regulations sign-off is required for a lot of internal renovation work that has nothing to do with planning permission at all, including most kitchen and bathroom knock-throughs involving a structural wall.
It's entirely possible for a single project to need none of these, one of them, or all three at once, depending on scope.
How to actually check
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Local council's planning portal will usually let you check whether your specific address is in a conservation area or listed
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The Historic England website maintains the national listed buildings register
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For anything genuinely ambiguous, a council's planning department will usually give informal guidance before you submit a full application, and it's worth using this rather than guessing
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Planning permission cost and timeline
Cost. A standard householder planning application costs a few hundred pounds as a council fee — this varies slightly by nation, and larger or non-householder applications are charged more. That fee is separate from any drawings, structural calculations, or heritage statements you pay a professional to prepare, which is usually the bigger cost of the two. If an application is refused, you can normally resubmit a revised version once within 12 months without paying the fee again, but a second attempt from scratch, or an appeal, does mean further cost and further delay. Pre-application advice, where a council gives informal feedback on a proposal before you submit formally, typically costs somewhere between £50 and a few hundred pounds depending on the council and the scale of the project — often worth it on anything borderline, since it's far cheaper than a refused application.
Timeline. A straightforward householder application is typically decided within eight weeks of being validated by the council. More complex applications, or ones needing input from additional consultees, can take considerably longer. Before that clock even starts, most applications need a public notice displayed near the property for a set consultation period, giving neighbours the chance to comment or object, which is built into the process rather than something that delays it separately. If you're planning renovation work around a fixed date — a house sale, a tenancy start, a family event — it's worth working backwards from that date and building in the full eight weeks as a minimum, plus contingency time if your proposal is anything other than routine.
FAQ
Common questions
about planning premissions.
Do I need planning permission to renovate a kitchen or bathroom?
Not for a straightforward refit or refresh. If you're removing a structural wall, that's a building regulations matter, not planning permission — unless the property is listed, in which case listed building consent can apply even to internal changes.
Do I need permission to repaint the outside of my house?
Usually not for a like-for-like repaint. A genuine colour change on a visible elevation can need checking, particularly in a conservation area or on a listed building.
What happens if I do work without required permission?
Councils can require you to reverse unauthorised work, which is considerably more expensive and disruptive than checking first. It can also complicate selling the property later, since buyers can check this.
How long does a planning application take?
A straightforward householder application is typically decided within eight weeks, though this varies by council and can run longer for anything requiring additional consultation.
How much does a planning application cost?
A standard householder application fee is a few hundred pounds in England, though this varies slightly by nation and by the scale of the project — worth checking your specific council's current fee before submitting.
What's an Article 4 direction?
A specific order some councils apply within a conservation area that removes permitted development rights for certain work — commonly window and door replacements, render, and boundary treatments. If one applies to your street, work that would be automatic elsewhere needs a full application here.