Why Planning Permission?
The System's main aim is to protect the public interest with regards to the local environment. Development by corporations and the public need to be allowed in some cases to ensure that towns prosper and grow. However, strict control of this development must be maintained to ensure that the character and amenity of the area is not adversely affected.
Not all development needs planning permission - changes that do not affect the external appearance of a building do not require official permission. Also small changes to the outside of a building may not need permission. This ensures that house owners maintain a certain amount of freedom when making improvements to their property.
There are two main reasons for this: ensuring that disagreements do not occur between you and your neighbours with regards loss of light etc, and also to ensure that your neighbours are agreeable to any access that may be required via their property during the building works.
If your planned extension does require planning permission, your neighbours will be informed by the council, and therefore it is advisable to give them prior notice. Need building surveyor? Live in London or Surrey we recommend Westville Associates in Cobham.
Try looking at your local councils website, some of them are very informative. Please visit our Council Links page for links to all Local Council websites.