Planning permission

You can perform certain types of work without needing to apply for planning permission. These are called "permitted development rights". Information and guidance on “permitted development rights” can be found on the Planning Portal’s website.

The Council is unable to advise informally whether proposals fall within permitted development.  

You may wish to contact a planning consultant for advice, or if you require a formal decision you can submit an application for a certificate of lawfulness.  

Getting a certificate from the council can be important. If you do not have one, it may delay or affect the sale of your property later on. 

Please note that Permitted development rights which apply to many common projects for houses do not apply to flats, maisonettes or other buildings. Similarly, commercial properties have different permitted development rights to houses. 

Some areas of the borough are subject to Article 4 Directions which remove permitted development rights.  

• Change of use from a single ‘dwelling’ to a house of multiple occupation (HMO). Please visit our Article 4 directions page for more information.
• Changes to properties in the Woodgrange Estate, Durham Road and Romford Road conservation areas. You can view documents regarding the changes on our Conservation areas in Newham page.

There are also instances where a previous planning permission contains conditions restricting permitted development. You will need to apply for planning permission for certain types of work which do not need an application in other areas. For queries regarding this, get in contact with the Planning Duty Officer. 

Party walls 

If you plan to do building work on your property, you will need to think about how it affects ‘party walls’ (those shared with other properties), boundary walls and any excavations (digging work) near neighbouring buildings.  

We do not deal with party wall disputes. If you are worried, you may want to ask a solicitor, a Party Wall Surveyor or the Citizens Advice Bureau for help and information.  

London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) 

If your development proposal falls within the boundaries of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) they will be the relevant Local Planning Authority. Visit the LLDC website for more information.