Planning Guides

Everything a homeowner or neighbour needs to understand UK planning — written in plain English, kept up to date.

Understanding Planning Permission

A complete plain-English guide to UK planning permission — when you need it, the types of application, how long it takes, and what happens if you build without it.

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How to Object to a Planning Application

A step-by-step guide to submitting a valid objection to a planning application — what counts, how to write a strong comment, and what happens next.

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Permitted Development Rights Explained

What you can build without a full planning application — the permitted development limits for extensions, outbuildings and lofts, and when those rights are removed.

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What Is a Planning Application?

What a planning application actually contains, how to read one on the public register, and how to make sense of the reference numbers, statuses and decision notices.

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Planning Conditions & Appeals

What planning conditions are, how they are discharged, and how the appeals process works when an application is refused.

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Planning Checks When Buying a Home

The planning checks every buyer should make before purchase — past applications, enforcement, conditions, and what nearby proposals could mean for your new home.

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