Your Home and Planning Permission p2
Introduction
The Council’s Local Development Plan Vision is that ‘Mid and East Antrim will be shaped by high quality, sustainable and connected places for people to live, work, enjoy, invest and visit, so as to improve the quality of life for all’.
This Vision is a positive statement that expresses Council’s aspiration of what the planning system should strive to deliver for Mid and East Antrim to improve the quality of life of 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.
A development which may seem to be relatively minor to you can have a significant impact on the immediate neighbourhood and the wider built environment.
In many cases, however, you can carry out some small alterations and extensions to your home and property without the need to submit an application for planning permission.
These small works are known as permitted development.
Generally, permitted development rights are applied to minor noncontentious development where it is considered that, subject to specified exceptions, an application for planning permission is not required.
This document is to help you understand if you require planning permission for works around your home.
It also tells you how to go about making a planning application if one is needed.
It is simply a guide and is not an exact statement of the law.
For full details of permitted development rights, homeowners should refer to The Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 (as amended).
Please also note that a flat, an apartment, or a residential property in multiple occupancy (HMO) does not benefit from the permitted development rights set out in this document.
In addition, there may be a condition attached to the planning permission for the house or development in which you live which affects your permitted development rights and may override this guide.
Some examples of permitted development are included, as illustrations, for information throughout this guidance, but this should not be viewed as a comprehensive summary.
If, when you have read this document, you are still in doubt, you should contact the Council’s Planning Department where staff will be happy to advise you. (see Section 16 of this document for contact details)
Even when you do not need planning permission for your proposed works, there are other kinds of approval you may need to obtain.
For example, many of the works mentioned in this document are subject to control under the Building Regulations and may require separate approval from the Council. (see Section 13 of this document)
If you consider the works you propose to carry out are permitted development, you can apply to the Council for a ‘Certificate of Lawful Use or Development’ (CLUD) to confirm this is the case.
This will be particularly beneficial should a property go on the housing market for sale, as solicitors representing purchasers will usually require documentary evidence that any minor works which have been undertaken are lawful.
A CLUD application must be accompanied by the appropriate fee. (see ‘Application Fees’ in Section 12 of this document)
If you live in a house which is a Listed Building, it is likely that you will require Listed Building Consent for any building works to your home.
If the development is within the curtilage of a listed building, you will need to submit a planning application for the work unless Listed Building Consent has already been granted.
If you live in one of the five Conservation Areas[1] or within the Gracehill World Heritage Site, special guidance is available from the Council’s Planning Department.
If you are planning any building works/external alterations to your home, it is recommended that you consult such guidance in advance of undertaking any works.
[1] There are five Conservation Areas within Mid and East Antrim, Carnlough, Carrickfergus, Glenarm, Gracehill and Whitehead.
For further details on each area, including maps and specific guidelines, please visit the Mid and East Antrim Local Development Plan Map Viewer or consult the Department for Infrastructure's Conservation Area Guides.