Permitted Development

Living in the Lake District National Park offers many advantages, but sadly the ease of obtaining planning permission is not one of them. Living within the Lake District can sometimes add complexity to the planning process.

The Lake District is England’s largest National Park area and therefore rules will more likely be stricter than, say, a development in an urban space. Even if your project does not require planning permission and is able to be undertaken via the Permitted Development scheme, it is worth considering the following points.

Planning permission is not always deemed necessary in the case of certain projects and the government grants Permitted Development whereby the need to go through the planning process is not necessary. Even though your development may not require planning permission and may be granted Permitted Development, all aspects of your work must be undertaken in accordance with current Building Regulations.

You may live within a Conservation Area (an area may be deemed a Conservation Area due to the character of the buildings, the spaces that the buildings enclose or the views of the buildings/spaces). Whilst it can seem more difficult to gain planning consent for a project in a Conservation Area it is worthy to note that the policies of a Conservation Area can be adapted and therefore change/evolve to meet current demands and lifestyles. A building project/extension that is well designed and innovative can add to the local character and be sympathetic to its surroundings, and therefore can be an asset rather than a detriment to the community.

Another aspect that may arise within the Lake District National Park is that certain trees may be protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). Trees are a very important aspect of our environment and as such individual trees, groups of trees or whole woodlands may be afforded protection. Severe penalties can be enforced if any tree that has protection is lopped, uprooted, damaged or cut down. The local authority can advise on this during the application.

Planning Portal

The Lake District Park’s planning portal offers a very useful resource to potential applicants, and can be accessed on their website here.

The Lake District National Park has more than 1,750 listed buildings. A building can be listed due to its historical or architectural interest and all works, either internally or externally, will require consent before work can commence. Some buildings, even though not listed, lie within the boundary of a listed building and therefore are also protected and would require planning consent.

There can appear to be more hoops to jump through when dealing with projects in the Lake District National Park, but we have extensive knowledge and expertise and we can guide you through the entire process.