Lancashire homeowners given green light to build bigger extensions

Homeowners in Lancashire have been given the green light to build bigger extensions without planning permission.Temporary rules were enforced in England to allow bigger single-storey rear extensions without a full planning application – and these are being made permament.Extensions of up to 6m can be added to terraced and semi-detached homes.Detached houses are able to build even bigger additions of up to 8m long, reports the BBC.Neighbours will still be consulted on the structures and are able to raise objections.A total of 110,000 people have taken advantage of the temporary rules since 2013, which doubled the previous limits of extensions that didn’t require planning permission from the local authority.Homeowners now just have to notify the council of the building work beforehand and council officials then infrom the neighbours, instead of waiting potentially months for approvalHowever, planning spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents UK local councils, Martin Tett fears that councils will have less of a say on the impact to the local area, but acknowledged how the relaxed rules were popular with homeowners.The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was also removing other planning rules to allow business owners to respond to changes in England’s high streets.This change means shops can be converted into office space without a full planning application being made.Shops, offices and betting shops will also be able to temporarily change to community uses such as libraries or public halls.