Check if planning permission is needed

The pre-application advice service is temporarily suspended. This is necessary for the Council to undertake the work to improve the speed and quality of the pre-application planning advice offered by implementing a properly resourced and chargeable pre-application service. Once this is implemented. which is expected to be 1 October 2024, the details will be published on the Council’s website, and this will include details of the fee needed. Prior to this the Council is unable to offer pre-application planning advice.

To assist you in preparing your planning application the council’s planning policies and constraints can be viewed on the website. The ‘Apply for planning permission’ page of the website will also assist you in understanding the types of documents required to be submitted with your application to ensure that it is valid.

The planning portal offers an interactive house feature which provides details of permitted development rights for householders. The Technical Guidance for permitted development is also a useful tool to help you understand if planning permission would be required for your proposed development.

If you have a planning query, please either email planning@southderbyshire.gov.uk or contact our planning team on 01283 228706, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8.45am and 5pm, Wednesdays between 9.30am and 5pm and Fridays between 8.45am and 4.30pm.

If your enquiry relates to a current application, we will book you an appointment with your case officer. If you reach our voicemail, please leave a message and we will aim to call you back on the same/next working day.

It is important for householders and businesses to find out if you need planning permission before you make improvements or changes to a property.

Householders

We offer planning and building regulations guidance for many common building work projects. You can also check other important matters you should think about before starting work.

Restricted Permitted Development rights

In some cases we may have restricted or removed Permitted Development rights for a particular area, building or piece of land. This is normally done to protect the character of the area.  If the restrictions are for a particular building, they will be shown on the original planning permission for the property as a condition. If the restrictions are for an area, they will be in the form of an Article 4 Direction.
Enquiries relating to whether you need permission for the creation or alteration of an access (‘dropped kerb’ enquiries) will not generally be dealt with. For this we have a Standing Advice Note. (pdf, 162kb)

Businesses

The construction of new buildings nearly always needs planning permission, although some warehouse and industrial buildings and alterations are classed as 'permitted development'.

Planning permission is often not needed if you want to work from home. If you are a Council tenant, see our Running a business from your Council home page.

A wide range of advice is also available on common building work projects.