Does a condition removing PD rights expire?

No. It runs with the land and binds every future owner until the council grants permission to vary or remove it.

Can I apply to remove the condition?

Yes, with a section 73 application — though it's usually simpler to apply for permission for the specific extension you want.

Have my permitted development rights been removed? Checking planning conditions

Have your rights been removedby a planning condition?

The short answer

Possibly — especially if your house was built after the 1980s. Councils often attach a condition to the permission for a new estate removing some or all permitted development rights. It isn't in any national dataset: you have to check the original planning decision.

Updated Sep 2026Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s.70England only

Why councils do it

On tightly planned estates, or where a house was approved as a careful fit on a small plot, the council may want control over future extensions. It adds a condition such as: “Notwithstanding the provisions of the GPDO… no extensions shall be erected without the prior written permission of the local planning authority.”

How to check

Find the planning application that built your house on the council's online planning register — search by address or the estate name.
Open the decision notice and read the conditions. Look for “GPDO”, “Schedule 2” or “permitted development”.
Note which classes are removed — it may be all of Part 1, or just extensions or outbuildings.
Your conveyancing solicitor may have flagged it when you bought.

Your exact limits

House type, plot size, Article 4 and trees — worked out for your address.

£14.99one-off

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If they've been removed

You can still build — you just need to apply for planning permission, usually a householder application. Councils approve many of these; the condition is about control, not a ban.

Projects this affects

Rear extension →Garden room →Loft conversion →All projects →

Common questions

Does a condition removing PD rights expire?: No. It runs with the land and binds every future owner until the council grants permission to vary or remove it.
Can I apply to remove the condition?: Yes, with a section 73 application — though it's usually simpler to apply for permission for the specific extension you want.