Planning permission
Darlington Borough Council does not offer a Planning Advice service on whether you need permission for a Conservatory / Extension / Garage / Shed or Garden Room.
There are a number of options;
- Review the Planning Portal [external link].
- Submit a Lawful Development Certificate - see separate tab
- Seek professional advice
You can find more information on whether planning permission is needed here
Planning Portal: Do you need planning permission [external link].
Planning permission is usually required when someone is looking to
- Build something new
- make a change to a building eg build an extension or demolish a building
- change the use of a building or land
Please note that minor works to dwellings in Northgate Conservation Area are restricted by an Article 4 Direction.
We get a lot of enquiries asking whether or not planning permission is required to replace a conservatory roof from glass/plastic to tiled, our advice is to Submit a Lawful Development Certificate as the re-roofing could result in the roof design being changed.
This advice is also the same for when considering installing Solar Panels.
For a Lawful Development Certificate see separate tab below
For Dropped Kerb (Vehicle Access) queries please follow this link dropped kerb.
Some development does not require permission.
It is possible to carry out certain alterations to your home only, without any need for planning permission.
You can find out more information on the following links:
- Planning Portal: Interactive Guide [external link].
- The Government's technical advice for householders
[pdf document].
Planning applications received by the Council for domestic schemes will be processed on the basis of planning permission being required for the specified works.
A formal, legally binding determination of whether planning permission is required.
This is also know as a Certificate of Lawful Use.
- Certificate of Lawful Use (Proposed) [pdf document]
- Guidance for Proposed Use [pdf document]
- Certificate of Lawful Use (Existing) [pdf document]
- Guidance for Existing Use [pdf document]
The Council now have a new Conservation officer. To ensure that their work is co ordinated and their expertise is best used, we will no longer be offering free Heritage advice. Formal Listed Building applications will continue to be free of charge.
Should you wish to receive Heritage advice prior to applying [as we always recommend you do to seek to ensure that a satisfactory Listed Building application is submitted] a pre application form should be submitted.
Planning Permission is a legal document that allows a specific development to be carried out at a particular site.
It is issued by the Council as a result of a planning application having been submitted and the proposals being found to be acceptable.
Planning permission is attached to the land itself rather than to the applicant. The work can be implemented by anyone, not necessarily the person who applied for planning permission in the first place.
There are several types of planning application, including Outline Planning Application and Change of Use.
In addition, there are several other types of permissions associated with planning, that are specific to trees, advertisements, listed buildings and conservation areas.
These are all basically similar and are all dealt with under the same system and are processed in the same way.
The fees differ for each type of application and some are them are free of charge.
Most applications are evaluated by professional planning officers, who will either grant or refuse permission according to whether or not the proposal conforms to the regulations, accepted policy and guidelines. Less straightforward applications are decided by the Planning Applications Committee. In rare cases the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities becomes involved.
Our preferred method is to submit an application online through the Planning Portal [external link].
You may make the application yourself following the guidance notes, however, unless the proposal is very simple, it is advisable to seek professional advice.
If you appoint a professional to deal with your application they are referred to as your agent and all correspondence will be with them during the time that the application is being processed.
If you don't use the Planning Portal, you must submit your application on the forms, supply all the information required and sign all sections appropriately. There are guidance notes available for each type of form.
A site location plan and other plans and drawings are likely to be required. The requirements vary depending on the type and nature of the application. Most applications require a fee.
You should ensure that your application is fully complete (see Validation).
Please be aware that your application details will be made available for public inspection (see Publicity and Consultations).
Northern Gas Networks – ‘Built-Over’ Gas services
Northern Gas Networks is the gas distributor for the North of England.
Northern Gas Networks, work hard to tackle the issue of ‘built-over’ gas services. This is where a live gas supply has been built over, usually as a result of a house extension, or similar structural changes to the exterior of a property.
If Northern Gas Networks find that a gas service has been ‘built-over’, we have an obligation to take action to move the gas service. It contravenes Northern Gas Networks’ Policy for built over mains and services – LC25, this policy ensures Northern Gas Network are compliant with the “Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996”, to have a live gas supply running under a property.
It is an unsafe situation as potentially gas could escape from the service pipe directly into the property above, and as the service pipe runs up to the Emergency Control Valve, there is no quick and easy way to isolate the gas supply, or dig down onto the gas supply to physically isolate it.
To move a ‘built-over’ gas service (a gas supply alteration) can cause a large amount of inconvenience for our customers. It is a chargeable job for our customers and can also be hugely disruptive to customers in terms of time to get the work done, and also the upheaval of the physical works on site. Supply alterations are much more complex and costly if there are done as a result of being ‘built-over’.
For further information please see the Northern gas networks website [external link], there is also a fact sheet available [pdf document] explaining the process.
More information
- Dropped kerbs
- Removal of permitted development rights
- Building Control Consent may also be required. This is dealt with separately, outside of the planning system.