When it's worth getting one
- Your project is close to a limit — a 2.9 m extension, a dormer near 50 m³.
- You're not sure whether the house has been extended before.
- You might sell within the next few years.
- A neighbour is likely to complain.
- You're in or next to a conservation area or Article 4 area.
How to apply
Apply through the Planning Portal, or directly to your council. You'll need existing and proposed drawings, a site location plan, and a short description of why the work is permitted development — the class and the limits it meets. The fee is half the equivalent planning application fee.
Councils aim to decide within eight weeks. There's no public consultation: the question is purely legal, whether the work meets the rules.
Your exact limits
House type, plot size, Article 4 and trees — worked out for your address.
£14.99one-off
Get my reportProposed and existing use
A certificate for proposed work (section 192) is what most homeowners need. There's also a certificate for existing development (section 191), to regularise work already done that's been in place long enough to be immune from enforcement.
Projects this affects
Common questions
- Is an LDC the same as planning permission?
- No. It confirms you don't need planning permission. If the council refuses, it means the work isn't permitted development — you can then apply for permission instead.
- Can I start work before the LDC is granted?
- Legally yes, if the work really is permitted development. But you lose the point of the certificate if it's refused halfway through the build.