Services RSS feedPlanning Enquiries - FAQ's
Planning permission to extend or alter a Flat or Maisonette
Flats or Maisonettes do not have any Permitted Development rights and therefore Planning Permission will be required. All extensions and external alterations (including changing windows and hard standings) will require Planning Permission.
Planning permission for internal alterations
You do not need to apply for planning permission for any building works that are entirely within the home and have no effect on the external appearance of the house e.g.: removal of internal walls, although Building Regulations may be required. However if the property is listed, you will require Listed Building Consent. If the internal alterations are to change the property from a dwelling house to flats/maisonettes/bed sits you will require planning permission to change the use.
Planning permission for gates, fences, and walls
Gates, fences and walls will not require planning permission unless the structures; are higher than 1 metre when next to a highway, are higher than 2 metres elsewhere; your home is a listed building. If your home is a listed building you will need to also apply for Listed Building Consent. If an Article 4 Direction covers your home you may require planning permission. If you live in a Conservation Area you may need planning permission to demolish your front wall if it is over 1m.
Planning permission for vehicle access
Planning permission is not always required for the construction of a vehicular access. If your house is on a classified road you will need to apply for planning permission. If your home is a flat you will need to apply for planning permission. If your house is not on a classified road, and you occupy all of it, you will not need planning permission. If your home is a listed building you will need to apply for Listed Building Consent. Even if you do not need planning permission you will still need separate approval from our Transportation Services Unit.
Planning permission to install a hard standing
You do not need to apply for planning permission to build a hard standing or patio if your home is a house, as long as this is to be used for domestic purposes. If your home is a flat you will need to apply for a hard standing or patio. If your home is a listed building you may also need to apply for Listed Building consent.
My house is overshadowed or overlooked
Sometimes people are troubled by the feeling that the privacy of their homes or gardens has been harmed, as new buildings nearby allow strangers to see in or overshadow them. The DCLG issue factsheets on Overshadowing 
and Overlooking . We hope these factsheets will be helpful.
Finding out if a tree is protected
There are at least three main ways that the council can protect trees:
- The tree[s] can be protected by its inclusion within a Tree Preservation Order [TPO].
- Trees located within a Conservation Area designated under the provisions of the Planning [Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas] Act 1990 are protected.
- Tree can be protected by means of a condition attached to a planning permission.
To find out if a tree is protected, please visit our mapping system Your Poole and enter the appropriate address
Requiring permission to display an advertisement
There are certain categories of signs and advertisements that have 'deemed consent' that is an application need not be submitted to the Council for permission. However the law is complicated and to help people understand the law a booklet has been published by the Government that provides details. This booklet may be downloaded from the Governments own website .
Starting to use or build something without getting the necessary planning permission
The Council are able to take enforcement action against unauthorised development that causes. In other circumstances an application for retrospective planning permission may be appropriate. For further details, please see our Planning Enforcement Policy page.
Requiring Building Regulation Approval although planning permission isn't required
Most domestic works will require Building Regulations approval. Not getting approval for works at the time could cost you more in the long run.
Obtaining proof that planning permission isn't required
Solicitors can request proof that planning permission isn't required and it is recommended that you apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development. This can be for development that has already taken place (CLEUD) or for a new proposal (CLOPUD). Alternatively the Council may have correspondence that confirms planning permission was not required which can be copied for you or you can request formal written confirmation from Planning Design & Control Services by submitting a 'Permitted Development Enquiry'. Further information including charges can be obtained from our Permitted Development Pages.
Obtaining an appeal decision
Planning appeal decisions can be obtained direct from the Planning Inspectorate at:
The Planning Inspectorate
Temple Quay House
1 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol, BS1 6PN
Tel: 0117 372 8627
Remember to quote the planning inspectorates reference and/or the site address. Visit http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/ for more information.
Submitting a detailed site location plan
We require an accurate and up-to-date site location plan to ease identification of your site and surrounding streets. It ensures that we visit the correct location, notify the correct neighbours and avoid any unnecessary delays.
How planning fees are set
Planning fees are set and reviewed by central government and in most cases do not cover the costs of reaching a decision. Further information may be obtained from our Planning Charges page.
Objecting to a planning application
You can write to the relevant case officer quoting the unique reference number or comment on an application online. Please note that all letters received relating to an application are public documents and will be available to the public on the Planning 'working file' and web site. Personal information such as signature, telephone number and email address are concealed before publication on the web site. To object online, please visit our Online Planning Applications page .
Valid factors considered when making an objection
- Objections can only be considered on the grounds of material planning issues such as:
- The appearance and character of the area or street, including the design and materials of buildings, landscaping and tree loss
- Other environmental issues (for example noise)
- Traffic generation and road safety
- Employment and the local economy
- Impact on public services
- Effects on the landscape and the need to protect open land in the Green Belt, or for agriculture
- Impact of a building on its neighbours (for example in terms of privacy)
Invalid factors not included when considering an objection
- The following list is by no means exhaustive. The most common non-planning issues raised in objection letters are:
- The personal circumstances of the applicant as sometimes put in support of an application. These will seldom outweigh the more general planning considerations.
- The fact that development may have already begun (if permission is refused the Council has powers to have the matter rectified).
- "Trade objections" from potential competitors
- Moral arguments (for instance, opposition to betting shops or amusement arcades)
- The loss of an attractive view from private property
- The fear that an objector's house might be devalued
- The fact that the applicant does not own the land
- Allegations that a proposal might affect private rights, such as restrictive covenants, rights of way, or "ancient lights" (these are usually private matters on which objectors may need to get legal advice.
Obtaining location and block plans
The Borough of Poole are able to supply location and block plans to use as part of your application submission. However, there is a charge to cover Ordnance Survey copyright fees and staff time. Further information may be obtained from our Planning Charges page.
Requirements to be notified of a planning application
The government has set out in regulations what minimum notification should include. The Council has decided to notify all occupiers who share a common boundary with the application site. This will not normally include those occupiers who live on the other side of a highway or are separated from the application site by a footpath etc. However, planning officers are able to use their discretion and may notify more widely in some circumstances.
Site notice requirements
Site notices are only required in specific instances, For example where the proposal affects a Conservation Area, a Listed Building, or is a "major" application. There is no general requirement to put up site notices where neighbours can be identified by address and there is no other need to do so.
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