The government changed planning regulations to allow more household projects to continue without the need to apply for planning permission. The Housing and Planning Minister said these new rules will cut out planning permission for 80,000 households a year, saving people over 1,000 pounds in costs.

The rules do not mean people can extend without care. It is important to follow guidelines on size, position, and design. This helps people avoid future hassle and expense of applying for planning permission after an extension project becomes unruly.

Extensions without planning permission are only allowed in houses. Living in a flat or maisonette means people need to check the government’s advice on the planning portal. Those who are allowed to extend can do so without an application for planning permission can do so as long as it does not cover more than half the area of land around the original house.

An original house means as the home was first built or as it stood on the first of July in 1948 if the home is older than that. Any existing extension by the home’s previous owner counts toward the total allowance. The extension should not be forward of the principal elevation of the house, such as the front. However, it should also not be forward of the side of the house if it is what fronts the road.

An extension cannot be higher than the highest part of the roof. Two story extensions must be a minimum of seven meters away from the rear boundary. Side extensions have to be single story. They are also only allowed to be a maximum of four metes high and no more than half of the width of the original house. People also need to follow the rules on roof pitches, eaves heights, and materials used.

People need to remember that, for loft extensions, they cannot extend beyond the plane of the roof slope on the side of the house that faces the road, or go higher than the existing roof. There are materials requirements, side facing window glazing requirements, and setting back the extension of the roof requirements.

A single story or more than one stores rear extension in a terraced house can only go a maximum of three metes beyond the rear wall of the original house. The maximum height of a single story extension is four meters. Loft conversions have a maximum volume of 40 cubic meters, including additions by the previous owners.

For semi-detached houses, a single story or more than one story rear extension can go a maximum of three meters beyond the rear wall of the original house. The maximum height of a single story extension is four meters. Loft conversions can have a maximum of 50 cubic meters, including additions by previous owners.

Detached houses are allowed a single story rear extension to go a maximum of four meters beyond the rear wall of the original house. If it is more than one story, the maximum is three meters. The maximum height of a single story extension is four meters. Loft conversions are allowed a maximum volume of 50 cubic meters, including additions from previous owners.