Good news first: a large share of rear extensions in East Riding of Yorkshire never need a full planning application, because they fall under permitted development rights. The catch is that the rules are precise, and getting them wrong can mean enforcement action or problems when you sell. Here is how to work out where your project stands before anyone digs a footing.
Permitted development rights let you build a single storey rear extension without applying for planning permission, provided it stays within national limits that East Riding of Yorkshire Council applies like every other authority. For a semi detached or terraced house, that means extending up to 3 metres beyond the original rear wall. For a detached house, the limit is 4 metres.
There are height rules too. The extension must be no taller than 4 metres overall, and if any part sits within 2 metres of a boundary, the eaves cannot exceed 3 metres. It must also use materials of a similar appearance to the existing house and cannot cover more than half the land around the original dwelling.
If you want more depth, the larger home extension rules allow single storey rear extensions up to 6 metres on a semi or terrace, and up to 8 metres on a detached house. This is not automatic. You must submit a prior approval application to East Riding of Yorkshire Council before starting work.
The council then consults your adjoining neighbours for 21 days. If a neighbour objects, planning officers assess the impact on their light and outlook before deciding. In our experience around Hull, Beverley, Cottingham and Hessle, most prior approval applications on typical suburban plots go through without drama, but a deep extension close to a neighbour's kitchen window can and does get refused.
Some homes lose their permitted development rights entirely, and this catches people out. If your house is in a conservation area, places like the historic cores of Beverley, Howden, Hedon or several Wolds villages, the rules tighten considerably. Listed buildings always need listed building consent on top of any planning requirements.
Flats and maisonettes have no permitted development rights at all, so any extension needs permission. The same often applies to newer estates where the original planning consent removed those rights, which is common on developments built in the last 20 years around Kingswood, Brough and Beverley. Two storey rear extensions also face stricter limits and frequently need a full application.
A householder planning application in England currently costs £258, and East Riding typically decides them within 8 weeks. Budget another few hundred pounds for drawings if you do not already have them.
The safest route is a lawful development certificate from East Riding of Yorkshire Council. It costs half the planning fee and gives you a formal document confirming your extension is lawful, which mortgage lenders and buyers' solicitors increasingly ask for when you sell. It is not compulsory, but for the money involved it is cheap insurance.
Remember that planning permission and building regulations are separate. Even an extension that needs no planning consent must comply with building regulations covering foundations, structure, insulation, drainage and electrics, with inspections along the way. A reputable local builder will factor both into the quote and can tell you early on, usually from a quick look at the property and its history, whether your plans sit within permitted development or need an application first.
The council has 42 days to determine a larger home extension application, including the 21 day neighbour consultation. If it fails to respond within that window, approval is deemed granted, but do not start work until you have confirmation in writing.
Yes. A conservatory is treated exactly like any other single storey rear extension for planning purposes, so the same 3 or 4 metre depth limits and height rules apply.
The council can serve an enforcement notice requiring alteration or demolition, and an unauthorised extension will surface in searches when you sell. You can apply for retrospective permission, but there is no guarantee it will be granted, so it is far cheaper to check first.