Permitted Development Rights (Extension) Bill

In February 2025, a substantial amendment to Permitted Development rights for home owners was submitted to the House of Lords. The first haf of the bill pertains to Planning Authorities in what they can and can't do in imposing restrictions, and also presented charges for certain aspects. Essentially, the government is saying, 'Don't be too restrictive, but if you need to raise some funds for the extra processes, go ahead'. Read more on the parliament website document (link below).

The second part deals with what can be done. The most exciting parts of this include: raising the eaves and ridge height of a building by up to one metre allowing for loft extensions on properties that fall short of the required height; modifying the shape of the roof to hip, gable or mansard; side extensions or rear extensions up to 4 metres to the full height of the house. While there are a few restrictions in place, these are significant allowances to create substantially larger homes.

The following are copied extracts of the bill. For the full bill please go to the parliament website here: https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/56171/documents/5069

How long before the bill is passed? You can view the staged process here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3761

"Make provision to extend permitted development rights to allow householders

to improve and extend their residential properties; and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and

consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present

Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Permitted development rights

(1) Subject to section 4, the Schedule lists additional permitted development

rights that are available to any householder (“the new permitted development

rights”) as long as the building regulation compliance required is adhered to,

and the planning authority is provided with a written report from a building

surveyor, on completion of the work, to that effect.

(2) New permitted development rights do not apply to listed buildings."

"2 Planning authority requirements

...(7) A planning authority may not impose any restrictions on a new permitted

development right other than as set out in subsections (1) to (6)." Read more.

"3 Permitted development rights: restrictions

(1) A new permitted development may not—

(a) erase a right of way or easement,

(b) infringe on a right to light,

(d) infringe on any other private right (such as a covenant) without the agreement of all other parties concerned, which may not be

unreasonably withheld." Read more.

"4 Permitted development rights: flood zones

Residential buildings within flood zones 2 and 3 which are well serviced by

public transport (as specified by regulations made by the Secretary of State)

may only make use of the new permitted development rights if the property

is simultaneously modified to be flood resilient to a standard specified in

regulations to be made by the Secretary of State.

SCHEDULE - PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS

1 The following are new permitted development rights—

(a) raising the eaves and ridge height of a building by up to one metre;

(b) modifying the shape of the roof to hip, gable or mansard;

that do not—

(i) extend more than four metres from the house as it existed on 1 January 1974 or the date when the house was first built, whichever is the later,

(ii) take up more than 25% of the area of land around the house,

and

(iii) extend within three metres of a back boundary, except with the agreement of the relevant neighbouring landowners, which may be unreasonably withheld;

(d) rear extensions that extend the property by a maximum of eight metres for detached houses or six metres for semi-detached and terraced houses, not exceeding a height of three metres at the eaves on the boundary and a maximum height of four metres;

(e) raising a party wall (and only a party wall) to 0.15 metres above the three metres on the side walls;

(f) adding a floor (with an area of less than 200 square metres unless it is to form a separate dwelling) to a bungalow;

(g) increasing the height of a building to no more than four stories in town centres;

(h) adding the following modifications—

(i) air-source heat pumps;

(ii) solar panels that do not rise more than 0.15 metres above the roof finish surface;

(iii) electric vehicle charging points.

2 In connection with the new permitted development rights—

(a) a party wall can be raised to 0.15 metres above the highest point

of the sloping front or back roof angle;

(b) the eaves may be additionally raised if required to protect a

neighbouring property;

sole owner of the wall."