Planning Permission Isn’t the Same as Building Regulations, and That Trips People Up

We explain this distinction to almost every new client, because the two processes get confused constantly, and they cover completely different things.

Two separate approvals

Planning permission is about whether a project is allowed to happen at all: the size, appearance, and impact of what you’re building. Building regulations approval is about whether what gets built is actually safe and sound: structure, fire safety, insulation, drainage, ventilation and access. You can have planning permission and still need separate building regulations approval, and in some cases you need building regulations approval without needing planning permission at all.

Why permitted development still needs building regs

This is the part that catches people out most. Even if your extension or loft conversion doesn’t need planning permission because it falls under permitted development, it will almost always still need to comply with building regulations. Skipping this step can cause real problems later, particularly when selling the property, since a lack of building control sign-off tends to come up in searches.

What’s actually in a set of building regulations drawings

Structural calculations, beam and foundation details, insulation and thermal performance (Part L), fire safety and escape routes, drainage layouts, and enough technical detail for a builder to price and construct the work accurately. It’s a different level of detail to a planning drawing, which is more about how the finished project looks and fits its surroundings.

Full plans or building notice

There are two routes through building control: full plans, where drawings are checked and approved before work starts, or a building notice, which involves less upfront checking but more risk if something doesn’t comply once work is underway. We generally recommend full plans for anything beyond a simple project, since it catches problems on paper rather than on site.

If you’re not sure whether your project needs building regulations approval, planning permission, or both, get in touch and we’ll walk you through it.