Permitted Development
Certainty by Design

Our bespoke service ensures your project not only complies with but maximises your Permitted Development rights. — Get Started
A FASTER ROUTE TO BUILD

The Smart Way to Add Space & Value

In the fast-paced environment of London, time is as valuable as space. The traditional planning permission process can be lengthy, often taking several months to secure approval. However, there is a faster, more streamlined route for many common home improvement projects: Permitted Development Rights (PD). These government-granted rights allow homeowners to carry out certain types of work without needing to apply for full planning permission, provided the project adheres to a strict set of rules and limitations.

At Reltic, we have a deep, technical understanding of these complex regulations. Our role is to act as your expert guide, assessing the full potential of your property and designing a scheme that maximises your space while complying with all PD criteria. A Permitted Development London project is not about compromising on design; it’s about using intelligent, expert design to achieve your goals in a more efficient and predictable timeframe. This approach can significantly shorten the pre-construction phase, allowing you to start building your dream space sooner.

Home Extensions Under Permitted Development Rights
THE DESIGN & BUILD ADVANTAGE

A Cost-Effective Route for Your Permitted Development Project

Our integrated Design & Build model is the perfect partner for the efficiency of a Permitted Development project, offering exceptional value and a seamless process.

Where Reltic are engaged to undertake the build, all subsequent project management fees are covered within the build price, making the Design & Build route a very cost-effective choice against a traditional Architect / Contractor model. The speed and certainty of a PD project are perfectly complemented by the efficiency and accountability of our integrated service. By having a single team manage the design, the Lawful Development Certificate application, and the construction, you benefit from a faster, more streamlined journey with complete cost transparency and a single point of contact from start to finish.

COMMON PD PROJECTS

What Can You Build Under Permitted Development?

Many of the most popular home renovation projects in London can fall under PD rights, making them ideal candidates for this faster approval route.

The Dormer Loft Conversion
House Extensions

A House Extension under Permitted Development is a very popular option. For a terraced or semi-detached house, you can typically build a single-storey rear extension up to 6 metres deep (subject to a neighbour consultation scheme). For a detached property, this increases to 8 metres. There are also allowances for two-storey extensions and side extensions, all with their own strict rules on height, width, and materials.

The Velux (Rooflight) Conversion
Loft Conversions

Most Loft Conversion PD Rights are generous, allowing for significant additions of space. You can typically add up to 40 cubic metres of volume for a terraced house, and 50 cubic metres for a semi-detached or detached house. This is usually more than enough to accommodate a spacious master bedroom and en-suite. Dormer windows are generally allowed, provided they are not on the front elevation facing the road.

The Velux (Rooflight) Conversion
Outbuildings & Garden Rooms

You can construct outbuildings like home offices, gyms, or summer houses under your PD rights, for incidental use. The rules govern their overall size, materials, and placement. The key restriction is height, which is typically limited to 2.5 metres if the structure is within 2 metres of a property boundary. Furthermore, all outbuildings combined must not cover more than 50% of the full area of your garden.

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR RIGHTS

What Are Permitted Development Rights?

In essence, Permitted Development is a form of pre-approved planning consent granted by Parliament, rather than the local council, for common home improvement projects.

The UK government recognises that homeowners often wish to improve and extend their properties, and that seeking full planning permission for every small project would overwhelm local councils. To streamline this, they established Permitted Development Rights, which act as a national grant of planning permission for specific types of work, as long as they meet a clear set of criteria. These criteria govern everything from the size and height of an extension to the materials used and its proximity to your property boundaries.

It is crucial to understand that these rules are complex and absolute. A project that exceeds the limitations by even a small margin will lose its PD rights and require a full planning application. Furthermore, these rights can be restricted or removed in certain areas, such as Conservation Areas, National Parks, or for listed buildings. As specialists in Permitted Development for London homes, our team has an encyclopaedic knowledge of these rules. We can quickly assess your property and its planning history to determine exactly what is achievable, providing you with a clear and confident path forward for your project.

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FINANCIAL ADVANTAGES

Key Benefits of Permitted Development

Beyond saving valuable time, choosing a Permitted Development route for your project can offer significant practical and financial benefits.

Greater Budget Certainty and Reduced Risk

  • Permitted Development removes the uncertainty of a subjective planning decision. As the rules are objective, a compliant design is lawful by default. This eliminates the risk of a costly refusal or council-mandated redesign, allowing you to finalise your construction budget with far greater confidence.

Potentially Lower Pre-Construction Fees

  • While still requiring high-quality architectural drawings, the PD process is more straightforward than a full planning application. With a clear set of rules to follow, less time is spent on lengthy negotiations or supplementary reports, which can lead to a more streamlined and cost-effective design phase.

Faster Realisation of Your Investment

  • By shortening the pre-construction phase by several months, you can enjoy your new space far sooner. This faster timeline means a quicker return on your investment, whether that's through your family's enjoyment of a new extension or the faster sale or rental of a renovated property.

See your home in 3D before we build

Before any design or construction work begins, we start with a detailed digital survey of your property. Using advanced scanning tools, we capture accurate measurements and convert them into a precise 3D model – known as Scan to BIM.

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This process allows you to:

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Our 3D scanning technology doesn’t just support design and construction – it also creates stunning virtual tours. Whether you’re planning, promoting or presenting a space, we deliver high-resolution digital walkthroughs straight from the same scan used for your BIM model.

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RESTAURANTS
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FLATS
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HOTELS
" Working with Reltic BIM was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. Their professionalism, clear communication, and forward-thinking use of BIM technology truly set them apart from other firms we've worked with in the past. "
Jake Williamson
" We recently used Reltic for loft conversion and they were extremely throughout and we would recommend them highly to anyone else looking for an honest, reliable and hard working team to transform their loft. "
David Klane
" I have taken Reltic's services twice in recent times. They have very professional service, provide a detailed report and excellent customer service. All my queries and calls were answered quickly. Highly recommended. "
James Patterson
" Working with Adrian is always a pleasure, and I won't ever use another estimator. Each task was completed quickly and precisely. always outperforms bids and prices from competitors. Highly recommended! "
Rob Durham
" Professional individuals. They give exactly what they promise because they are skilled at what they do. You can trust these individuals with all of your work, as they are incredibly dependable and polite, in my opinion. "
Sara Brown
YOUR QUESTIONS

FAQ About Permitted Development

Find clear answers to common questions about the rules, benefits, and process of using your PD rights in London.

No. While the core rights are set nationally, they can be restricted by individual London boroughs through something called an 'Article 4 Direction'. This is common in Conservation Areas, where councils may remove PD rights to protect the character of the area. We always conduct a thorough check of your local council's policies as the first step.

The statutory timeframe for a council to determine an LDC application is 8 weeks. This is significantly faster than the 8-13 weeks often required for a full planning application, and the process is generally more straightforward as the council is only verifying compliance, not making a subjective judgement on the design.

Yes, but you must use materials of a "similar appearance" to those used in the existing house. For example, the brickwork and roof tiles of an extension should match the main property. This is a key criterion for a House Extension under Permitted Development.

If your proposed design exceeds the PD limits in any way - even by a few centimetres - it loses its Permitted Development rights and will require a full planning permission application. As expert London architects for Permitted Development, we can advise you on whether it's better to slightly reduce the design to comply with PD, or to pursue a full planning application to achieve your full ambitions.

 

Yes, absolutely. Permitted Development and Building Regulations are two completely separate approvals. PD relates to planning (the size and appearance), while Building Regulations relate to the technical construction (safety, structural integrity, energy efficiency). All our projects are designed to comply fully with both.

For larger rear extensions (between 3-6m for a terraced/semi-detached house), you are required to undertake the Neighbour Consultation Scheme. This involves the council formally notifying your adjoining neighbours of your plans. For other PD projects, there is no formal requirement to consult neighbours, but we always recommend informing them as a courtesy.

Permitted Development provides a route for approval, but it doesn't guarantee a good design. The benefit of using an architect is that we can creatively design the best possible space within the PD rules. We can maximise light and flow, solve complex layout puzzles, and produce the detailed technical drawings required for both the LDC application and the construction itself, ensuring a high-quality, expertly designed home.

LET’S DISCUSS NEXT PROJECTS

This is the first step to discovering what you can build under your home’s Permitted Development Rights. Please use the form below to provide your property details and a brief outline of what you hope to achieve.

The more detail we have, the more effectively we can assess your options during our initial, no-obligation conversation. A member of our specialist planning team will be in touch within one working day to schedule your free Permitted Development assessment.

    Reltic is a design and build studio creating smart, beautifully crafted homes.

    Contact Info

    020 3576 2851

    office@reltic.co

    Office Address

    4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy St, London W1T 6EB

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