The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995

Land within the following counties in England —

Land within—

• (a) a National Park;

• (b) an area of outstanding natural beauty;

• (c) an area designated as a conservation area under section 158 of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023 (designation of conservation areas);

• (d) an area specified by the Secretary of State and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for the purposes of section 41(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (enhancement and protection of the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside);

• (e) the Broads.

Land within a National Park or within the following areas—

• (a) In England, the Broads or land outside the boundaries of a National Park, which is within the parishes listed below—

• in the district of Allerdale—Blindcrake, Bothel and Threapland, Bridekirk, Brigham, Broughton, Broughton Moor, Camerton, Crosscanonby, Dean, Dearham, Gilcrux, Great Clifton, Greysouthen, Little Clifton, Loweswater, Oughterside and Allerby, Papcastle, Plumbland, Seaton, Winscales;

• in the borough of Copeland—Arlecdon and Frizington, Cleator Moor, Distington, Drigg and Carleton, Egremont, Gosforth, Haile, Irton with Santon, Lamplugh, Lowca, Lowside Quarter, Millom, Millom Without, Moresby, Parton, Ponsonby, St Bees, St Bridget’s Beckermet, St John’s Beckermet, Seascale, Weddicar;

• in the district of Eden—Ainstable, Asby, Bandleyside, Bolton, Brough, Brough Sowerby, Brougham, Castle Sowerby, Catterlen, Clifton, Cliburn, Crackenthorpe, Crosby Garrett, Crosby Ravensworth, Culgaith, Dacre, Dufton, Glassonby, Great Salkeld, Great Strickland, Greystoke, Hartley, Hesket, Hillbeck, Hunsonby, Hutton, Kaber, Kings Meaburn, Kirkby Stephen, Kirby Thore, Kirkoswald, Langwathby, Lazonby, Little Strickland, Long Marton, Lowther, Mallerstang, Milburn, Morland, Mungrisdale, Murton, Musgrave, Nateby, Newbiggin, Newby, Orton, Ousby, Ravenstonedale, Shap, Skelton, Sleagill, Sockbridge and Tirril, Soulby, Stainmore, Tebay, Temple Sowerby, Thrimby, Waitby, Warcop, Wharton, Winton, Yanwath and Eamont Bridge;

• in the borough of High Peak—Chapel-en-le-Frith, Charlesworth, Chinley Buxworth and Brownside, Chisworth, Green Fairfield, Hartington Upper Quarter, Hayfield, King Sterndale, Tintwistle, Wormhill;

• in the district of South Lakeland—Aldingham, Angerton, Arnside, Barbon, Beetham, Blawith and Subberthwaite, Broughton West, Burton, Casterton, Docker, Egton-with-Newland, Fawcett Forest, Firbank, Grayrigg, Helsington, Heversham, Hincaster, Holme, Hutton Roof, Killington, Kirkby Ireleth, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lambrigg, Levens, Lower Allithwaite, Lower Holker, Lowick, Lupton, Mansergh, Mansriggs, Middleton, Milnthorpe, Natland, New Hutton, Old Hutton and Holmescales, Osmotherley, Pennington, Preston Patrick, Preston Richard, Scalthwaiterigg, Sedgwick, Skelsmergh, Stainton, Strickland Ketel, Strickland Roger, Urswick, Whinfell, Whitwell and Selside;

• in the district of West Derbyshire—Aldwark, Birchover, Stanton; andIn Wales, land outside the boundaries of a National Park which is—

• (i) within the communities listed below—

• in the county borough of Aberconwy and Colwyn—Caerhun, Dolgarrog;

• in the county of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire—Arthog, Betws Garmon, Bontnewydd, Corris, Llanberis, Llanddeiniolen, Llandwrog, Llanfrothen, Llanllyfni, Llanwnda, Penrhyndeudraeth, Waunfawr; or

• (ii) within the specified parts of the communities listed below—

• in the county borough of Aberconwy and Colwyn—those parts of the following communities which were on 31st March 1974 within the former rural district of Nant Conway—Conwy, Henryd, Llanddoged and Maenan, and Llanrwst;that part of the community of Llangwm which was on 31st March 1974 within the former rural district of Penllyn;

• in the county of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire:those parts of the following communities which were on 31st March 1974 within the former rural district of Gwyrfai—Caernarfon, Clynnog, Dolbenmaen, Llandygai, Llanaelhaearn, Llanrug, Pentir, Y Felinheli;that part of the community of Talsarnau which was on 31st March 1974 within the former rural district of Deudraeth;that part of the community of Barmouth which was on 31st March 1974 within the former rural district of Dolgellau;that part of the community of Llandderfel which was on 31st March 1974 within the former rural district of Penllyn;

• in the county of Denbighshire, that part of the community of Llandrillo which was on 31st March 1974 within the former rural district of Penllyn.

H

Development is permitted by Class H subject to the following conditions—

• (a) an antenna installed on a building shall, so far as practicable, be sited so as to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building;

• (b) an antenna no longer needed for reception or transmission purposes shall be removed as soon as reasonably practicable

A

Development is permitted by Class A subject to the following conditions—

• (a) where development is carried out within 400 metres of the curtilage of a protected building, any building, structure, excavation or works resulting from the development shall not be used for the accommodation of livestock except in the circumstances described in paragraph D.3 below or for the storage of slurry or sewage sludge;

• (b) where the development involves—

• (i) the extraction of any mineral from the land (including removal from any disused railway embankment); or

• (ii) the removal of any mineral from a mineral-working deposit,

the mineral shall not be moved off the unit;

• (c) waste materials shall not be brought on to the land from elsewhere for deposit except for use in works described in Class A(a) or in the provision of a hard surface and any materials so brought shall be incorporated forthwith into the building or works in question.

• (2) Subject to paragraph (3), development consisting of—

• (a) the erection, extension or alteration of a building;

• (b) the formation or alteration of a private way;

• (c) the carrying out of excavations or the deposit of waste material (where the relevant area, as defined in paragraph D.4 below, exceeds 0.5 hectare); or

• (d) the placing or assembly of a tank in any waters,

is permitted by Class A subject to the following conditions—

• (i) the developer shall, before beginning the development, apply to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether the prior approval of the authority will be required to the siting, design and external appearance of the building, the siting and means of construction of the private way, the siting of the excavation or deposit or the siting and appearance of the tank, as the case may be;

• (ii) the application shall be accompanied by a written description of the proposed development and of the materials to be used and a plan indicating the site together with any fee required to be paid;

• (iii) the development shall not be begun before the occurrence of one of the following—

• (aa) the receipt by the applicant from the local planning authority of a written notice of their determination that such prior approval is not required;

• (bb) where the local planning authority give the applicant notice within 28 days following the date of receiving his application of their determination that such prior approval is required, the giving of such approval; or

• (cc) the expiry of 28 days following the date on which the application was received by the local planning authority without the local planning authority making any determination as to whether such approval is required or notifying the applicant of their determination;

• (iv)

• (aa) where the local planning authority give the applicant notice that such prior approval is required the applicant shall display a site notice by site display on or near the land on which the proposed development is to be carried out, leaving the notice in position for not less than 21 days in the period of 28 days from the date on which the local planning authority gave the notice to the applicant;

• (bb) where the site notice is, without any fault or intention of the applicant, removed, obscured or defaced before the period of 21 days referred to in sub-paragraph (aa) has elapsed, he shall be treated as having complied with the requirements of that sub-paragraph if he has taken reasonable steps for protection of the notice and, if need be, its replacement;

• (v) the development shall, except to the extent that the local planning authority otherwise agree in writing, be carried out—

• (aa) where prior approval is required, in accordance with the details approved;

• (bb) where prior approval is not required, in accordance with the details submitted with the application; and

• (vi) the development shall be carried out—

• (aa) where approval has been given by the local planning authority, within a period of five years from the date on which approval was given;

• (bb) in any other case, within a period of five years from the date on which the local planning authority were given the information referred to in sub-paragraph (d)(ii).

• (3) The conditions in paragraph (2) do not apply to the extension or alteration of a building if the building is not on article 1(6) land except in the case of a significant extension or a significant alteration.

• (4) Development consisting of the significant extension or the significant alteration of a building may only be carried out once by virtue of Class A(a).

• (5) Where development consists of works for the erection, significant extension or significant alteration of a building and

• (a) the use of the building or extension for the purposes of agriculture within the unit permanently ceases within ten years from the date on which the development was substantially completed; and

• (b) planning permission has not been granted on an application, or has not been deemed to be granted under Part III of the Act, for development for purposes other than agriculture, within three years from the date on which the use of the building or extension for the purposes of agriculture within the unit permanently ceased,

then, unless the local planning authority have otherwise agreed in writing, the building or, in the case of development consisting of an extension, the extension, shall be removed from the land and the land shall, so far as is practicable, be restored to its condition before the development took place, or to such condition as may have been agreed in writing between the local planning authority and the developer.

• (6) Where an appeal has been made, under the Act, in relation to an application for development described in paragraph 5(b), within the period described in that paragraph, that period shall be extended until the appeal is finally determined or withdrawn.

• (7) Where development is permitted by Class A(a), the developer shall notify the local planning authority, in writing and within 7 days, of the date on which the development was substantially completed.

B

Development is not permitted by Class B(e) if the area to be covered by the development would exceed 465 square metres calculated as described in paragraph D.2 below.

B

Development permitted by Class B and carried out within 400 metres of the curtilage of a protected building is subject to the condition that any building which is extended or altered, or any works resulting from the development, shall not be used for the accommodation of livestock except in the circumstances described in paragraph D.3 below or for the storage of slurry or sewage sludge , for housing a biomass boiler or an anaerobic digestion system, for storage of fuel or waste from that boiler or system, or for housing a hydro-turbine.

B

Development consisting of the extension or alteration of a building situated on article 1(6) land or the provision, rearrangement or replacement of a private way on such land is permitted subject to—

• (a) the condition that the developer shall, before beginning the development, apply to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether the prior approval of the authority will be required to the siting, design and external appearance of the building as extended or altered or the siting and means of construction of the private way; and

• (b) the conditions set out in paragraphs A.2(2)(ii) to (vi) above.

B

Development is permitted by Class B(f) subject to the following conditions—

• (a) that waste materials are not brought on to the land from elsewhere for deposit unless they are for use in works described in Class B(a), (d) or (e) and are incorporated forthwith into the building or works in question; and

• (b) that the height of the surface of the land will not be materially increased by the deposit.

D

For the purposes of paragraph A.2(2)(c), the relevant area is the area of the proposed excavation or the area on which it is proposed to deposit waste together with the aggregate of the areas of all other excavations within the unit which have not been filled and of all other parts of the unit on or under which waste has been deposited and has not been removed.

D

In paragraph A.2(2)(iv), “site notice" means a notice containing—

• (a) the name of the applicant,

• (b) the address or location of the proposed development,

• (c) a description of the proposed development and of the materials to be used,

• (d) a statement that the prior approval of the authority will be required to the siting, design and external appearance of the building, the siting and means of construction of the private way, the siting of the excavation or deposit or the siting and appearance of the tank, as the case may be,

• (e) the name and address of the local planning authority, and which is signed and dated by or on behalf of the applicant.

D

For the purposes of Class B—

• (a) the erection of any additional building within the curtilage of another building is to be treated as the extension of that building and the additional building is not to be treated as an original building;

• (b) where two or more original buildings are within the same curtilage and are used for the same undertaking they are to be treated as a single original building in making any measurement in connection with the extension or alteration of either of them.

D

In Class C, “the purposes of agriculture" includes fertilising land used for the purposes of agriculture and the maintenance, improvement or alteration of any buildings, structures or works occupied or used for such purposes on land so used.

A

Subject to paragraph (3), development consisting of the erection of a building or the extension or alteration of a building or the formation or alteration of a private way is permitted by Class A subject to the following conditions—

• (a) the developer shall, before beginning the development, apply to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether the prior approval of the authority will be required to the siting, design and external appearance of the building or, as the case may be, the siting and means of construction of the private way;

• (b) the application shall be accompanied by a written description of the proposed development, the materials to be used and a plan indicating the site together with any fee required to be paid;

• (c) the development shall not be begun before the occurrence of one of the following—

• (i) the receipt by the applicant from the local planning authority of a written notice of their determination that such prior approval is not required;

• (ii) where the local planning authority give the applicant notice within 28 days following the date of receiving his application of their determination that such prior approval is required, the giving of such approval;

• (iii) the expiry of 28 days following the date on which the application was received by the local planning authority without the local planning authority making any determination as to whether such approval is required or notifying the applicant of their determination;

• (d)

• (i) where the local planning authority give the applicant notice that such prior approval is required the applicant shall display a site notice by site display on or near the land on which the proposed development is to be carried out, leaving the notice in position for not less than 21 days in the period of 28 days from the date on which the local planning authority gave the notice to the applicant;

• (ii) where the site notice is, without any fault or intention of the applicant, removed, obscured or defaced before the period of 21 days referred to in sub-paragraph (i) has elapsed, he shall be treated as having complied with the requirements of that sub-paragraph if he has taken reasonable steps for protection of the notice and, if need be, its replacement;

• (e) the development shall, except to the extent that the local planning authority otherwise agree in writing, be carried out—

• (i) where prior approval is required, in accordance with the details approved;

• (ii) where prior approval is not required, in accordance with the details submitted with the application;

• (f) the development shall be carried out—

• (i) where approval has been given by the local planning authority, within a period of five years from the date on which approval was given,

• (ii) in any other case, within a period of five years from the date on which the local planning authority were given the information referred to in sub-paragraph (b).

• (2) In the case of development consisting of the significant extension or the significant alteration of the building such development may be carried out only once.

• (3) Paragraph (1) does not preclude the extension or alteration of a building if the building is not on article 1(6) land except in the case of a significant extension or a significant alteration.

The carrying out of any works for the purposes of inspecting, repairing or renewing any sewer, main, pipe, cable or other apparatus, including breaking open any land for that purpose.

G

Development is permitted by Class G subject to the following conditions—

• (a) in the case of any Class G(a) development consisting of or including the replacement of an existing electric line, compliance with any conditions contained in a planning permission relating to the height, design or position of the existing electric line which are capable of being applied to the replacement line;

• (b) in the case of any Class G(a) development consisting of or including the installation of a temporary electric line providing a diversion for an existing electric line, on the ending of the diversion or at the end of a period of six months from the completion of the installation (whichever is the sooner) the temporary electric line shall be removed and the land on which any operations have been carried out to install that line shall be restored as soon as reasonably practicable to its condition before the installation took place;

• (c) in the case of any Class G(c) development, on the completion of that development, or at the end of a period of six months from the beginning of that development (whichever is the sooner) any plant or machinery installed shall be removed and the land shall be restored as soon as reasonably practicable to its condition before the development took place;

• (d) in the case of any Class G(e) development, approval of details of the design and external appearance of the buildings shall be obtained, before development is begun, from—

• (i) in Greater London or a metropolitan county, the local planning authority,

• (ii) in a National Park in England, outside a metropolitan county, the county planning authority,

• (iii) in any other case in England, the district planning authority .

• (iv) in Wales, the local planning authority.

G

For the purposes of Class G(a), “electric line" has the meaning assigned to that term by section 64(1) of the Electricity Act 1989 (interpretation etc. of Part 1).

G

For the purposes of Class G(b), “electrical plant" has the meaning assigned to that term by the said section 64(1) and “electronic communications line" means a wire or cable (including its casing or coating) which forms part of an electronic communications apparatus within the meaning assigned to that term by paragraph 5 of the electronic communications code set out in Schedule 3A to the Communications Act 2003 (the electronic communications code).

G

For the purposes of Class G(d), (e) and (f), the land of the holder of a licence under section 6(2) of the Electricity Act 1989 (licences authorising supply etc.) shall be treated as operational land if it would be operational land within section 263 of the Act (meaning of “operational land") if such licence holders were statutory undertakers for the purpose of that section.

I

Development is not permitted by Class I if it consists of or includes the erection of offices, or the reconstruction or alteration of offices where their design or external appearance would be materially affected.

J

Development is not permitted by Class J if—

• (a) it would consist of or include the erection of a building, or the reconstruction or alteration of a building where its design or external appearance would be materially affected, or

• (b) it would consist of or include the installation or erection by way of addition or replacement of any plant or machinery which would exceed 15 metres in height or the height of any existing plant or machinery, whichever is the greater.

K

For the purposes of Part 17—

A

Development falls within this paragraph if—

• (a) it is urgently required for the efficient running of the airport, and

• (b) it consists of the carrying out of works, or the erection or construction of a structure or of an ancillary building, or the placing on land of equipment, and the works, structure, building, or equipment do not exceed 4 metres in height or 200 cubic metres in capacity.

1	2	3
Title of Instrument	Reference	Extent of Revocation
The Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988	S.I. 1988/1813	Paragraphs (3), (5), (6) and (7) of article 1 and articles 3, 4, 5 and 6 and Schedules 1 and 2
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) Order 1989	S.I. 1989/603	Paragraphs (2) to (8) of article 2
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1989	S.I. 1989/1590	Paragraphs (3) and (4) of article 2
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) Order 1990	S.I. 1990/457	The whole Order to the extent not already revoked
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1990	S.I. 1990/2032	The whole Order
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) Order 1991	S.I. 1991/1536	The whole Order to the extent not already revoked
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1991	S.I. 1991/2268	The whole Order to the extent not already revoked
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 1991	S.I. 1991/2805	Articles 8, 9 and 10 and the Schedule
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) Order 1992	S.I. 1992/609	The whole Order
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1992	S.I. 1992/658	Article 3
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 1992	S.I. 1992/1280	The whole Order
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 4) Order 1992	S.I. 1992/1493	Articles 8, 9 and 12(2)
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 5) Order 1992	S.I. 1992/1563	Paragraph 2 of the Schedule
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 6) Order 1992	S.I. 1992/2450	Articles 2, 3, 4 and 6
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) Order 1994	S.I. 1994/678	Article 4
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1994	S.I. 1994/2595	Articles 4, 5 and 6 and paragraph (3) of article 7
The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) Order 1995	S.I. 1995/298	The whole Order except article 3(1)

Editorial notes