Permitted Development Enquiries

New legislation affecting permitted development comes into effect from October 2008. Advice that you have been given in the past may no longer apply under the current rules. Please check with us if you need clarification.

Permitted Development

In certain cases, a dwelling can be enlarged, improved or altered without the need for planning permission, subject to certain criteria. These rights are called permitted development rights. The regulations on permitted development are quite complicated and it is always worthwhile seeking advice from the Planning Section on whether what you intend to do requires permission or not.

Confirmation of Permitted Development

If you require formal confirmation of whether or not permission would be required for your proposed work, then you may submit your proposals to our office and allow us to make make the judgement. You will subsequently receive a letter from us stating that permission is or is not required for your proposal. If no permission is required, you may wish to retain the letter as proof of this. There is no charge for this service.

Submitting the Details

Please use one of the forms below to submit the details of your proposed scheme. You will also need to include a drawing or sketch, with all the relevant measurements. Metric units should be used throughout.

Paper Form

The following form may be downloaded and printed out and filled in by hand. Copies of this form are also available from our office.

HOUSE EXTENSION ENQUIRY FORM
(PDF file, new window)

Please send the completed form to Regeneration Division, Chief Executive's Department , Town Hall, Darlington, DL1 5QT. If you prefer, you can hand it in at our Customer Service Centre or fax it to our office on 01325 388616.

Online Form

Alternatively, the following online version of the form is available:

HOUSE EXTENSION ENQUIRY FORM
(Eform, new window)

Please ensure that you have all the relevant details near to hand before proceeding.

In order to make use of this facility, you will need to have the means of providing an appropriate plan or drawing in a suitable electronic format, e.g. JPG/GIF images or Word/PDF documents. Please note that Excel, Works and CAD documents are not acceptable.

Points to Note

This service is free of charge.
It is essential that a drawing or sketch is included, with all relevant measurements (in metric units).
If you wish to alter the details of your proposal after we have advised that no permission is required, then you will need to submit your revised scheme to us before beginning any works.
Normal permitted development rights do not apply in a Conservation Area. Nor do they apply to Listed Buildings.
If any structural work is involved, Building Control Consent may be required too.
Permitted Development Rights may be removed for specifically defined areas (under Article 3 or Article 4) so that permission would be required for many types of minor works that would otherwise not need permission. In 2006, an Article 4 Direction was made for Northgate Conservation Area.
New legislation affecting permitted development comes into effect from October 2008. Advice that you have been given in the past may no longer apply under the current rules. Please check with us if you need clarification.