Prior Approval
Certain types of development can receive planning permission through national legislation without the need for a comprehensive planning application. This is referred to as ‘Permitted Development.’
To qualify for these permitted development rights, each ‘Class’ outlined in the legislation comes with specific limitations and conditions that development proposals must adhere to. For some of the classes, one requirement is to submit an application to the Local Planning Authority for ‘Prior Approval’, or to determine whether or not ‘Prior Approval’ will be required.
This process allows the Local Planning Authority to assess the proposal, considering potential impacts on specific factors (such as transport, highways and ecology) and determine how these impacts might be mitigated.
Although the process shares similarities across various permitted development rights, each right has its own distinct requirements for the prior approval application.
The following types of development demonstrate what can be achieved via Prior Approval, so long as the necessary criteria is met:
- Home extensions
- Change of Use of an existing building to a dwelling
- New agriculture and forestry buildings
- Solar development
- Demolition
It should be noted that this list is in no way exhaustive and other forms of development are possible via Prior Approval. If you would like to understand how Prior Approval can benefit you and your property, do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our expert team and we can talk you through the options that are available to you.
