Communities housing minister Caroline Flint has unveiled a package of new development rules which will reduce regulation for home improvements.

New planning regulations laid before Parliament on 10 September will mean that from October, the majority of homeowners will not need to seek planning permission before extending homes. But larger more intrusive extensions will still require permission.
 

“The new rules will cut out planning permission for about 80,000 households a year and crucially saving as much as £1000 in some cases – a real difference to already stretched family finances making home improvement an increasingly attractive option,” Ms Flint commented.

The new rules will now allow both and be based on straightforward measurements for what is permissible for loft conversions and rear extensions. Flint says that no-one undertaking these types of home improvements will be required to pay any additional council tax on their homes.

The move will see a quarter of householder applications removed from the planning system each year, and could save up to £50m.

The regulations will also remove the need for planning permission for new driveways over five metres if they are constructed from more sustainable materials that allows water to soak through to the ground. The regulations aim to reduce the flood risks caused by surface water run off. New driveways or parking areas over five square metres will not require planning permission if they are constructed using surfaces that allow the water to soak through the ground. Two thirds of the homes affected by the floods last year (about 55,000) were due to surface water run-off causing £3bn of damage.

By giving only permeable surfacing automatic permission homeowners will be encouraged to consider the impact of their surface water drainage much more carefully and to ensure the effects of that run off reduces the likelihood of neighbourhood flooding.

Surface water can be drained using permeable surfaces such as concrete block paving with gaps, porous asphalt or gravel, wheel track only paving or through installation of ‘soak-away’ systems.

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