Town planning

The majority of building, engineering, mining and other operations that include changes of use in, on, over or under land, as well as some demolition operations, constitute ‘development’. Planning permission will normally be required for these activities. In addition, most development in conservation areas or alterations to listed buildings will be subject to regulatory control.

However, there are certain types of development that can be considered ‘permitted development’, for which planning permission is not needed. There are also certain classes of use where changes of use can be made within and between use classes, where planning permission is similarly not required. 

This section considers

• governmental control;
• use classes and permitted development;
• plan-making;
• planning applications;
• enforcement;
• environmental assessments;
• heritage protection; and
• appeals and challenging planning decisions.

This section is maintained by Glenn McGill of MD2 Consulting Ltd.

RICS standards and guidance: Financial viability in planning

RICS standards and guidance: Neighbourhood planning: involving businesses and landowners