PLANNING RULES FOR SATELLITE DISHES AND AERIALS

FOR BUILDINGS OVER 15M IN HEIGHT:

For Buildings over 15m in height the restrictions are more relaxed:

• there will be no more than four antennas on the building;
• the size of any antenna is not more than 130 centimetres in any linear dimension (not including any projecting feed element, reinforcing rim, mounting and brackets);
• the cubic capacity of each individual antenna is not more than 35 litres;
• an antenna fitted onto a chimney stack is not more than 60 centimetres in any linear dimension; and
• an antenna mounted on the roof does not stick out above the roof more than 300 centimetres above the highest part of the roof.

PROTECTED AREAS

If you live in any of the areas listed below, additional limitations on ‘permitted development’ will apply:

• Conservation Areas
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• National Parks
• the Broads
• World Heritage Sites

In these areas, antennae cannot be added if they are:

on a chimney, wall or roof slope which faces onto, and is visible from, a highway;

in the Broads, on a chimney, wall or roof slope which faces onto, and is visible from, a waterway;

Contact your local authority or seek professional advice if you live in these areas or live in a property that is Listed. 

CONDITIONS

In all locations, development is permitted for antennas on or within the curtilage of a house only subject to the following conditions:

An antenna installed upon a building shall, so far as practicable, must be sited so as to minimise its effects on the external appearance of the building.

An antenna no longer needed for reception or transmission purposes must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable.

REMOVAL OF PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS

Permitted development rights can also be removed by your local planning authority, either through the addition of a Condition on a previous planning permission, or through imposition of an Article 4 Direction. 

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY BEFORE STARTING WORKS

For the purposes of planning, contact with the local planning authority is generally only necessary before carrying out permitted development where:

• ‘prior approval’ from the local planning authority is required under PD rules
• a ‘neighbour consultation scheme’ is in place
• the local planning authority has a Community Infrastructure Levy in place which requires developers to contact the local planning authority before carrying out permitted development. Failure to do this may result in the local planning authority imposing a surcharge on a developer
• the permitted development rights require the developer to notify the local planning authority of a change of use

Schedule 2 of the GPDO sets out when any advance notification is required.  If you are in any doubt, contact your local planning department or seek professional advice.

PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FOR FLATS, SHOPS AND OTHER PREMISES

Permitted development rights under Part 1 of the GPDO only apply to houses – they do not apply to flats, maisonettes or other buildings. 

The rules above also do not apply to Converted houses or houses created through the ‘permitted development’ rights for:

• ‘Changes of use’ (Schedule 2, Part 3, Classes M; N; P; PA and Q) or
• ‘New Dwellinghouses’ (Schedule 2, Part 20)

Check out our guides to non-householder PD rights (through the menu at the top of this page). 

CIL

If a development is over 100 sq m in size, it may be liable for a charge under the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

Check with your local planning authority whether they use CIL in your area and whether it applies to permitted development. 

AND FINALLY …  

PD rights are subject to change.  The guide above is for general information only and does not constitute advice.  Local and site-specific circumstances can differ and affect whether a planning application is needed.

Other consents (such as Building Regulations or notifications under the Party Wall Act) may also be needed. 

To determine whether planning permission or other consents are required, seek professional advice or clarification from your local authority before starting works.