Plan to succeed
E-planning system in Scotland has made planning easier
Applications are now easier than ever, so do not be daunted by the thought of planning permission.
A wealth of information about the subject is available online.
At its most basic, you need permission for a new building, or to make a major physical change to an existing one, like a change of use from industrial, commercial or agricultural into domestic or a large alteration to an existing property. This could be a complete renovation of a run-down home, a large extension, an extra storey or significant outbuildings.
‘Permitted development’ allows small alterations and extensions. It cannot be stressed enough that you need to make sure what you are doing falls under permitted development rights. Nothing is more costly or heartbreaking than being issued with an enforcement notice and being ordered to demolish.
Even if the work falls under the category of permitted development, it pays to get a Certificate of Lawfulness. This says the work has been carried out lawfully and is a significant help when you come to sell the property. A lack of this certificate can cause headaches when it comes to mortgages and insurance. If you are buying a property which has had permitted development work carried out, always check to make sure this certificate is there.
If you want to build new, extend or convert a listed building, in or out of a conservation area, you will also need extra consent. In some cases this also applies to the interior; anything that affects the fabric of an historic property.
Planning permission in principle - formerly known as outline planning permission does what it says. It establishes that, yes, in principle, what you are proposing to build is acceptable. Approval of matters specified in a condition then goes on to approve the conditions involved in the planning permission in principle. Work should only begin when this approval is in place. Pre-application advice offered by planning officers is available through your council. The best advice is always talk to your council first.
Need permission? The answer lies online
One of the biggest changes in planning – and a welcome one - is the move online.
Ninety per cent of all planning applications are now handled by eDevelopment. scot, the online service run by the Scottish Government. All the nation’s local authorities and planning authorities use this service as does the construction industry, agents, home owners and self-builders.
The system can be used to make payments, submit extra information and amended and updated plans as and when needed. It also handles building warrant applications.