A Powerful Permitted Development Right: Class MA

On 1 August 2021, the government bestowed a great gift on property developers – it was the first day for a new permitted development right to convert commercial premises into flats. Many developers have built whole businesses around commercial-to-resi conversions. So what is the new Class MA right and what opportunities does it present for […]

Radical changes to the Use Classes Order – What is the new Class E?

It has a been a busy few weeks in planning, and the government has just announced yet more planning reforms. You may be familiar with the Use Classes Order – it divides the ‘uses’ of land and property into different classes. Class A1 covers shops for example, and A3 restaurants. Offices come under B1, flats […]

Adding extra floors to blocks of flats under permitted development

In 2020, the government introduced a permitted development right allowing additional floors to be added to certain detached blocks of flats. The aim was to increase housing supply in built-up areas without requiring a full planning application. The right is set out in Part 20, Class A of the General Permitted Development Order. Although it is […]

Planners targeting Airbnb landlords with Enforcement Notices

A record number of people visiting the UK are taking advantage of cheap and flexible Airbnb rentals, as the short-lets website continues its explosive growth. However, the site’s success is creating a backlash as neighbours complain about noise and disturbance, and the battle is moving to local council planning departments. Renting out your home for […]

Received an enforcement notice? How to persuade the council to withdraw it

Just Planning recently persuaded Enfield, Hounslow, Hillingdon & Ealing councils to withdraw enforcement notices. How? What is a planning enforcement notice? Councils have the power to serve an enforcement notice if they believe that a development (or change of use) has been carried out without planning permission. They may also serve a notice if a […]

Permitted Development Rights – When is an Outbuilding ‘Reasonably Required’?

In the few years, we have won 100% of our planning appeals against councils refusing outbuildings on the basis that they were not reasonably required for purposes incidental to the main use of the house. Houses in England have permitted development rights for various types of development, meaning they can go ahead and carry out […]

Enforcement action against unauthorised dormer roof extensions

Every month, we help homeowners who are facing planning enforcement action after building a dormer roof extension. In most cases, the situation has arisen through an innocent mistake. The homeowner believed the dormer was permitted development and did not require planning permission, only to be told later by the council that this was not the […]

The Sunday Times quotes our research in a 7 page feature on the planning crisis

In the Home section of today’s Sunday Times, journalist Martina Lees provides a detailed analysis of a crisis in the planning system. The article (which can be read here) features our detailed research on the proportion of planning applications approved by various councils up and down the country, the delays in the approval of some […]

Newham Council loses planning appeal and is required to pay our client’s full costs

Newham Council ordered to pay full costs following unreasonable refusal We recently won a planning appeal for a straightforward first-floor rear extension in Forest Gate, in the London Borough of Newham. The refusal was particularly difficult to justify. The extension proposed by our client was virtually identical to a number of others along the same street, […]

Ealing Council wins award for its enforcement work against outbuildings

Like a number of London councils, Ealing is taking a hard line against outbuildings being used as living accommodation without planning permission (so called ‘beds in sheds’). It won an award for its work at the recent Planning Magazine Enforcement Awards. There has been a significant increase in the number of enforcement investigations and enforcement […]