Do I need planning permission?

Find out whether you need planning permission for your proposal and what to do next. Including guidance on temporary pop-up campsites.

You can do some work without needing to apply for planning permission. We call these permitted development rights (PD). Conditions and limits apply to these so it is important to check. The Planning Portal website provides guidance on a range of projects. From home improvements to commercial and residential developments. It explains PD rights.

Although these apply to many common projects for houses. They do not apply to flats, maisonettes or other buildings. Commercial properties have different PD rights to dwellings.

The Planning Portal may tell you to check with your Local Planning Authority. That's us. In this case, or if you are unsure please use our pre-application service.

Extensions to your home

PD rules allow you to extend a house without needing to apply for planning permission. Conditions and limits apply. Read the Planning Portal extensions guidance. It also explains about prior approval applications for larger single storey rear extensions. Or an extra storey on your house. You may want to exceed these limits. In which case you will need an application for householder planning permission. If you do need permission you must get it before you start work.

Other common projects

View the full list of over 50 common projects on the Planning Portal. It includes guidance on:

Doors and windows.
Outbuildings, greenhouses and enclosures.
Fences gates and garden walls.
Working from home.
Changes of use.
Garage conversions.
Roof alterations.
Adverts, signs and other information for businesses.
Planning terms used on the Planning Portal.

Works to agricultural buildings or land

The Planning Portal common projects section mostly applies to home improvements, rather than agricultural proposals. Refer to the Portal if you are installing equipment to generate energy, such as non-domestic solar panels. For anything else the planning legislation explains permitted development rights for agricultural works. For details refer to The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 6 (Agricultural and forestry).

Local restrictions may apply that remove or reduce what you can do to your property under PD rights. We explain these below.

This means you may need to submit an application. Even if the work would not usually need planning permission.

It is a criminal offence to carry out works to a listed building (including buildings and structures attached to or within its curtilage) without consent. If the proposed works fall under 'permitted development' they will not require planning permission. However any proposals to alter, extend or change a listed building requires listed building consent. This also applies to structures attached to and in the curtilage of a listed building.

Listed building consent is dealt with under legislation that protects the listed building, its setting and its architectural or historic interest. This applies equally to the interior and the exterior of the building. Obtain an application form or read further advice on listed buildings.

Some permitted development rights are removed within conservation areas in Northumberland, meaning you may have to submit a planning application for work which normally does not need one. Use our interactive map to check if your property is in a conservation area.

This is usually applied over an area, and works by removing permitted development rights on certain types of minor alterations or extensions. It only usually relates to parts of a building facing a street or public footpath, but can cover the rear of buildings or developments such as sheds. This means you will need to submit a planning application for work which normally does not need one.

Article 4 areas only exist for:

Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Blyth (Bath Terrace),
Holy Island,
Longhirst and
Whalton.

You can check if your property is affected by Article 4 (2).

Three areas have been designated as ‘protected landscapes’. PD rights are more restricted in these areas.

Any works within the Northumberland National Park should be checked with the Northumberland National Park Authority rather than us. The Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are managed by us.

Check if your property is within any of these 3 areas by entering your postcode in the constraints checker (look at both the Conservation and the Environment section).

Please view the Trees and Hedges section of our website to find out what is meant by a protected tree, if your tree is protected and how to apply for any proposed works.

You will also need to check if certain works to your property are restricted by conditions on earlier planning approvals.

Use our public access system to do a property search, check the property history for previous planning applications and read all the conditions on the original or subsequent decision notices to check if any permitted development rights have been removed. For example, advice on permitted development rights might state you don’t need planning permission for a new window as long as it is of similar appearance to those already used on the property, however a condition shown on a decision notice for a previous application might state ‘no extension, enlargement; or other alteration of the dwelling shall be carried out without the prior written consent of the Council’. If this is the case you will need to apply for planning permission.

Once you have checked the Planning Portal and local restrictions you can decide what to do next.

We offer a ‘do I need planning permission’ enquiry service. You may wish to use this service if you are unsure. Or if the Planning Portal advised you to check with us. We can tell you if the works come under permitted development rights. Or if you need to make a planning application or a prior approval application.

This is the only way to ask our advice. We cannot answer this question over the phone or by email. It takes research and further detail to assess this.

You cannot use it to confirm permission was not required for works already carried out. But you can submit a lawful development certificate (LDC) on the Planning Portal. If granted, enforcement action cannot be carried out against the development.

Use our pre-application service for ‘detailed advice’ to find out if your planning application is likely to be supported (and reasons why) also, what may be done to make your scheme more acceptable.

Whether or not you need planning permission you should be aware that you may need additional consents not dealt with by Planning Services:

Building regulations approval, as this is different from planning permission and is dealt with by a separate Building Control department within the Council. The common projects section of the Planning Portal does also explain where building regulations apply.
Rights of way: Permission may be required from the Council to build over/across or modify a public right of way.
Permission to drop a kerb and or widen a driveway. Email Highways Development Management to discuss your intentions first as they can also advise on the need for planning permission.
Works to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings may require a Party Wall Agreement from all adjoining owners.
Covenants and private rights such as restrictions in the title to your property, conditions in the lease or access over land you do not own can be checked by a solicitor.
Building over water/sewerage systems may require agreement from Northumbrian Water.

Further consents are explained on the Planning Portal.

You can open a temporary campsite under permitted development (PD) rights. Meaning you may not need full planning permission. But there are limits and rules you must follow.

You can operate a site for 28 days or 60 days. The days do not have to run back to back. Meaning you could split the allowance and open on weekends only. Bear in mind any days where tents or facilities remain on site count towards your allowance. Outside of these times you must put the land back to its original state.

If you want to open longer or site caravans you will likely need to apply for full planning permission. You may also need a caravan or campsite licence from the Licensing Department.

If you stay within the rules and limitations you do not need to notify our planning department.

You can use the land for no more than 28 days in total in any calendar year.
Only tents are allowed. Trailer tents are fine too.
The number of pitches is unlimited.
You are not required to provide toilets and wash facilities. If you do they must be in movable structures.
You cannot use a building or land within the curtilage of a building. Such as your garden for example.
The 28 day rule applies until 25 July 2024. After this date only the 60 day rule applies.

Read about the rules on temporary use in Class B of the planning legislation.

These rules came into force on 26 July 2023. This is still permitted development but you must notify us in writing before operating a site. First check if any part of your site is in a flood zone. If it is you will need to apply for prior approval instead of notifying us in writing. Open the Environment Agency’s Flood Map for Planning in a new window.

You can use the land for no more than 60 days in total in any calendar year.
Tents, campervans and motorhomes are allowed but caravans are not.
No more than 50 pitches are allowed.
You must provide toilet and waste disposal facilities on site.
You can include any moveable structure reasonably necessary. Such as toilet or shower facilities. Or even a plastic cellular grid system used as a temporary car park.
You cannot operate on the site of a listed building or scheduled monument. Or on a site of special scientific interest. Check for these on our planning constraints map.

Read about the rules on temporary use in Class BC of the planning legislation.

Notify us under the 60 day rule

You must notify us in writing in each calendar year before operating a 60 day campsite. There is no fee for this. You must include:

a copy of the site plan which includes details of toilet and waste disposal facilities.
the exact dates when the site will be in use.

Email your notification to planning@northumberland.gov.uk. Work can only start once we have received your notification.

Apply for prior approval in flood zone 2 or 3 under the 60 day rule

Under the 60 day rule if your site is within flood zone 2 or 3 you need to submit an application to us for ‘prior approval’. Check if your site is in a flood zone. Open the Environment Agency’s Flood Map for Planning in a new window.

You must include a site-specific flood risk assessment . It must have provision for warning and evacuation. This allows us to check the proposal is acceptable with the Environment Agency.

Complete the application form. Application for Prior Approval of a proposed: Temporary recreational campsite in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3 (opens in a new window).
Gather the documents described under the ‘checklist’ section of the form. This must include a flood risk assessment and plan of the site.
Pay the fee of £120 using our secure online payments page.
Email your completed application form and documents to planning@northumberland.gov.uk. Include your payment reference number.

Work cannot start until either:

you have received our written approval, or
56 days have expired since we received the application and we have not approved or refused it.

We can remove permitted development rights under an article 4 direction. Including the right to temporary campsites. This may mean you need to apply for planning permission. We cannot tell you over the phone or by email if there is an Article 4 direction on a piece of land. The only way to find out is to use our pre-application advice service. We can confirm if you need planning permission. Or check if there are any planning restrictions on the land.

If you think a site does not follow the 28 or 60 day rules we can investigate. Report a breach of planning to our Enforcement Team.

We cannot investigate the following under planning legislation:

Antisocial behaviour, flytipping or statutory nuisance (such as noise, odour, light or smoke). Report this online to the Public Protection Service.
Blocked or damaged public rights of way. View a map of public rights of way in Northumberland or report a problem to the Countryside Team.
Dangerous highways access. Permitted development rights do not include any restrictions about highway safety. They do not have to carry out works to improve an access.