Brent serves more Planning Enforcement Notices than any other council in England
Brent is our busiest borough for enforcement appeals. We help homeowners and developers who have fallen foul of the planning enforcement system. In some cases, we can work with the council to resolve enforcement problems. In others, we apply for retrospective planning permission. Often, we submit a planning appeal. The main reason Brent is so […]
Barnet served more planning enforcement notices than almost every other council in 2022
Just Planning is an appeal specialist and we appeal dozens of planning Enforcement Notices every year. Barnet is one of our busiest council areas and government figures have revealed that they issued Enforcement Notices than almost any other council in England in the year to June 2022. There were 3,501 Enforcement Notices issued in England […]
New permitted development right to add two extra floors to blocks of flats
The government has introduced a new permitted development right allowing developers to add two extra floors to detached blocks of flats. The new permitted development right comes into force on the 1 August 2020 and is set out as Class A, Part 20, Schedule 2 of the General Permitted Development Order (the GPDO). The wording […]
A rash of recent planning appeal results in Redbridge
Just Planning has won a number of planning appeals in the London Borough of Redbridge in recent months. Redbridge has been taking a fairly strict approach to double-storey side extensions in particular (recently refusing permission for one because they didn’t like the slope of the roof) and is also fairly rigid when it comes to […]
Are Pre-Apps Pointless?
Councils have been promoting their pre-application services in recent years because they can now charge for them and they are a valued source of income (planning application fees are otherwise set nationally and only cover an estimated 50% of the cost of running a planning department). Some councils, mostly in London, now charge eyewatering fees […]
What to do when your permitted development rights have been removed by condition
How can a planning condition remove your permitted development rights? When planning permission was first granted to build your house, or when permission was granted to extend your house, the council may have imposed a planning condition removing your permitted development rights, so that you will need planning permission even for very small extensions and […]
The London boroughs of Hillingdon, Greenwich & Richmond feature highly in our recent planning appeal successes…
We have had a number of appeal successes in June and July (see our recent successes page for a sample), and 3 London boroughs in particular have appeared several times. Top of the list is Hillingdon. The planners in Hillingdon continue to object to double-storey side extensions and to new infill dwellings. We wrote about […]
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 […]
Recent planning appeal successes for first floor extensions to bungalows
Adding a second floor to a bungalow is a great way to add extra space, often doubling the floor area without increasing the footprint. Planning permission is required for a full second storey, but not necessarily for a loft conversion or dormer roof extension (which may be permitted development). Bungalows are not always the most […]
Do I need planning permission to use a study as a second bedroom?
Surely one does not need planning permission for a second bedroom? We were recently asked to provide advice to a client who had bought a property that had been developed as a one bedroom flat, with a study. The buyer was worried that, since permission had never been granted for a second bedroom, it may […]
