Contents
- Development Control FAQ's
- Development Control Enforcement FAQ's
- Building Control FAQ's
- Sustainable Development FAQ's
Planning Services - Frequently Asked Questions
Development Control FAQ's
Q I am proposing development to my property, what am I permitted to do and what are the restrictions?
A Planning permission is Not always required when undertaking development to your property. The Department for Communities and Local Government has created a helpful guide to assist with assessing your permitted development rights.
Q If the development is Not Permitted Development, what next?
A You will have to submit a planning application and have it approved by the council before you carry out the work. Please see our pages
Q How do I work out the cubic content of a proposed extension?
A In order to determine whether Planning Permission is required, you may need to know the exact cubic content of your existing dwelling(s) and structure, including any proposed development. The Planning Portal has created a helpful cubic content volume calculator to help with this calculation:
Q Do I need planning permission to work from home?
A Planning permission is Not Normally required where the use of part of a dwelling house for business purposes does Not materially change the overall character of its use as a residence. For further information, the following guidance is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website:
Q How much will my planning application cost?
A Householder applications currently cost £150.00. For other types of applications, please see a list of our fees.
Q Do I need planning permission to erect signage or advertisements?
A Advertisement Consent is often required to display an advertisement. To find out the types of advertisements that require specific consent, the Department for Communities and Local Government has produced a helpful guide.
Q Can I submit a planning application on-line?
A Yes, we accept planning applications submitted via the Planning Portal. Please make sure you have checked our own requirements before visiting the Planning Portal.
Q My home or place of work is a Listed Building. What does this mean?
A A 'Listed Building' is a building, object or structure that has been judged to be of national historical or architectural interest. They include country houses, buildings designed by prominent architects, churches, public as well as private buildings, cottages, and historic monuments, such as milestones and village pumps.
A building may also be on the 'Locally Listed Buildings' List.
Solihull Council has adopted a Local List of buildings of local historic or architectural interest. While it may Not be appropriate for English Heritage to recognise these buildings nationally they have been recognised for their contribution to the local environment. The Council will seek to ensure that any development affecting a building contained on this list is carried out in a sensitive manner with respect to the character and appearance of the building in question.
Q Is my property or place of work at risk to flooding?
A If you know your postcode you can find out from the Environment Agency's website if your property or place of work is at risk to flooding. We also have further information on our 'Flood Page' that details what the council will do if flooding occurs.
Q What is a Conservation Area?
A A Conservation Area is defined as an area of special architectural or historic interest whose character or appearance is worthy of preservation or enhancement. Their 'specialness' is judged against local and regional criteria.
Q I live next to a property and the owner has made a recent planning application. Why have I not been notified?
A The Council has an obligation to notify neighbours that share a boundary with the site being developed. If you live in such a property that is also new, or one that has been recently renamed, then you would not have been notified of the application. This is because we use the Royal Mail address database when notifying neighbours. The case officer dealing with the application will check to make sure no properties have been missed off of the notification list. Site notices may also be used, along with publicity in the Solihull Times and our web pages.
To check to see if your address is on the Royal Mail database please visit their website http://www.royalmail.com/
Please note that the Royal Mail may take up to 6 months to update their records.
There is further information on how to be added to the Royal Mail database and Council's Street Register on the council’s Street Naming & Numbering page