neighbourhood Consultation Scheme

The neighborhood consultation scheme explained

We’ll Make this short and sweet 😊

So, you might have heard of the neighborhood consultation scheme that the government has in place to allow homeowners to extend their single-storey rear extensions up to 8 meters.

Also known as ‘Larger home extension’ scheme the government aims to relax the current permitted development rights to facilitate the growing needs of the UK population.

In principle, this is defined as extending beyond the rear wall of the original house* by:

Over four and up to eight meters for detached houses; and

Over three and up to six meters for all other houses

What is needed for the application?

A full set of plans which should include site location plan, existing and proposed floor plans, and elevations.

How much does it cost?

Once upon a time, it used to be free however now the government is charging £96 for the application fee.

You can claim an exemption to this fee if :

· The proposal is for extensions and alterations to a disabled person’s dwelling house to improve access, safety, comfort, etc; or

· An application for planning permission (for which a fee is payable is being made by the same applicant on the same date for the same site, buildings or land as the prior approval application.

How long does this all take?

The council has a 42 day determination period in which the application has to addressed. Within this time frame the adjoining neighbors have a 21 day period in order to submit their comments.

Due to the current situation with COVID-19 these time scales may vary.

Can my neighbor reject the application?

Sure they can, however each project is assessed under their own merits. If the council feels that your neighbor’s concerns are valid then potentially the application may be rejected or would have to be reduced in size.

Is that all there is to it?

We’ve briefly summarized the scheme above however there are a few more bits we don’t want to bore you with! If you would like to learn more then feel free to get in touch!