Proposals by the government to amend development rules to allow householders to build larger extensions to their homes are out for consultation.
Interested parties have until April 9 to give their views. Here, KPPC Senior Associate Town Planning Consultant Adam Bennett explains the proposed changes in more detail and what they mean.
“The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) is consulting on proposed changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (GPDO) (2015) (as amended).
This would see householder permitted development rights at Part 1 of the GPDO expanded to enable larger extensions; which will better allow the needs of property owners and their families to be met, but also provide more flexibility around the design and detailing of extensions particularly where these would not be visible from the street scene and would have no impact upon local character, expansion of rights to build upwards and demolish and replace existing buildings at Part 1, Class AA and Part 20 of the GPDO to increase the scope of buildings that can benefit from this right.
The consultation was launched on 13th February 2024 and will run until midnight on 9th April 2024, providing the public, stakeholders and professionals with the opportunity to voice their views.
DLUHC make clear that their intention with the suggested relaxation of GPDO Part 1 permitted development rights is to ‘provide householders with further flexibility to meet the needs of growing families and maximise the potential of existing homes’.
With respect to the relaxation of the limitations applying to Part 20 of the GPDO, DLUHC note that ‘to support the delivery of new homes, we are seeking views on whether the existing building upward rights can be amended to increase the scope of buildings that can benefit from the rights. We are consulting on changes to the demolition and rebuild right to increase the scope of buildings that can benefit from the right and allow for a larger rebuild footprint’.
Other more minor changes to the GPDO would:
(1) provide further flexibility to households and businesses wishing to install electric vehicle charging outlets
(2) allow for units necessary for the operation of electric vehicle charge points such as equipment housing or storage cabinets
(3) remove the limitation imposed on air source heat pumps that they must be positioned at least one metre from the boundary of a property.”
Adam will be writing more about the different sections in detail to give additional information about the proposed changes.
You can also contact us to find out more about how this may benefit or adversely affect your property or project.
Call us on 01202 538800 or email info@kppcltd.co.uk.
