Do you need planning permission for your Porch?

Porches can often be built under permitted development meaning planning permission is not needed as long as it meets all the necessary criteria and there are no constraints that remove your permitted development rights. If there are any constraints that remove your permitted development rights then everything requires planning permission, even if it meets the criteria for permitted development.

The planning rules for porches are applicable to any external door to the dwellinghouse. Flats and maisonettes do not benefit from permitted development right so full planning permission would be required to build a porch of any size.

Providing there are no constraints that limit or remove your permitted development rights adding a porch to any external door of your house is considered to be permitted development if;

• The ground floor area (measured externally) would not exceed three square metres.
• No part would be more than three metres above ground level (height needs to be measured in the same way as for a house extension).
• No part of the porch would be within two metres of any boundary of the dwellinghouse and the highway.

For porches that are likely to fall within permitted development a lawful development certificate is recommended as this is the only way to get a legal determination that your extension is permitted development. This will likely be required should you wish to sell the property at any stage in future and it protects you from any retrospective planning issues, enforcements or penalties.

Building regulations approval will likely also be required once planning permission is approved, depending on the extent of the works.

If there are any hidden constraints that limit or remove your permitted development rights, full planning permission may be required even if your project complies with all the permitted development criteria.

If you would like to find out what is required for your porch, the likelihood of success or the costs associated with applying for planning permission please contact us to speak with one of our expert planning consultants today.