Check if you need planning permission

It is important to find out if planning permission is needed before making any changes to a property including its use or physical alterations.

If you carry out work without permission, you could be subject to planning enforcement action by the Council and you may be required to restore the land to its previous state or use.

The Planning Portal provides helpful guidance on whether permission is needed for home and commercial projects.

Some types of development do not need planning permission. This is called ‘permitted development’.

Permitted development rights

Certain types of extensions and change of use, subject to certain limitations and conditions, do not require planning permission from the Council. These forms of development are called permitted development and are set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (the GPDO) and the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended).

For householders, details about these rights and conditions relating to their use can be found on the Interactive House on the Planning Portal.

A limitation or condition of permitted development can be the need to submit an application for ‘Prior Approval’ for specific elements of a development.

For more information see the Prior approval page on the Planning Portal.

To confirm that your proposal is permitted development, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate on the Planning Portal.

Lawful development certificates

If you would like formal confirmation that your proposal falls under permitted development, you should apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development.

This will require you to submit drawings of your proposals and pay a fee. See our Lawful development certificate page for further information.

Properties which may not have permitted development rights

Flats

Permitted development rights do not apply to flats. This means that if you want to carry out any external works to your flat, you will need planning permission. The Planning Portal’s page on this provides further guidance.

Properties in conservation areas

Planning permission rules may be different if your property is in a conservation area. Find out if your property is in a conservation area.

Our pre-application advice service is recommended if you are proposing to make changes in a conservation area.

Property is a listed building

A listed building is identified and protected for its special architectural or historic interest, its close association with nationally important buildings or events, or its value as part of a group of buildings.

Listed buildings are graded I, II* and II, but there is no legal difference in their protection:

• Grade I buildings are those of exceptional interest
• Grade II* are particularly important buildings of more than special interest
• Grade II are of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them

When a building is listed, all of the building itself, anything fixed to it, and also most buildings and structures in its grounds (the curtilage) are part of the listing. The inside as well as the outside of a building is listed.

To find out the grading of your listed building, visit the Historic England's website.

If your house is a listed building, you will more than likely need listed building consent to carry out works, even if the works fall under permitted development.

We strongly recommend our pre-application advice service if you are proposing to make changes to a listed building or structure, or to a building within the setting of a listed building which may be curtilage listed.

Article 4 directions

An article 4 direction is made by the local planning authority and restricts the scope of permitted development rights either in relation to a particular area, site, or type of development. Where an article 4 direction is in effect, a planning application may be required for development that would otherwise have been permitted development. Article 4 directions are used to control works that could threaten the character of an area of acknowledged importance, such as a conservation area.

Oxford currently has three article 4 directions in place. These are as follows:

• Change of use of a C3 dwelling house to a shared rented house (C4 HMO) restriction - this covers the whole of Oxford
• Jericho
• Osney

Properties which have had their permitted development rights removed

Some properties may have had their rights removed through conditions on the original, or subsequent, planning permission. You can find out if the permitted development rights for your house have been removed by checking your property's planning history on our planning applications system.