Planning permission or building regulations: what is the difference?

Planning permission and building regulations are often confused, but they are two separate systems run under different legislation. Many projects need both, some need only one, and having one does not mean you have the other.

Planning permission: what and where

Planning is about whether a development is acceptable in principle and in its setting. The local planning authority considers things like the use of the building, its size and appearance, the effect on neighbours and the street, and policies such as conservation areas and listed buildings.

Some smaller works to houses can go ahead without an application under permitted development rights. Flats, listed buildings and properties in some conservation areas have more limited rights, so it is always worth checking before you assume.

Building regulations: how it is built

Building regulations set minimum standards for how a building is constructed: structure, fire safety, insulation and energy use, ventilation, drainage, access and more. They apply to most building work, including many projects that do not need planning permission, such as internal structural alterations or a new bathroom with new drainage.

Compliance is checked by a building control body, either the local authority or a registered building control approver. At the end of the work you should receive a completion certificate, which you will need when you sell or remortgage.

Why both matter

A common mistake is to treat planning drawings as if they were construction information. Planning drawings show what a building will look like; they rarely show how it will meet the regulations. That detail comes in the technical design stage, where the structure, fire strategy, insulation and services are resolved so the approved design can actually be built.

Commercial premises

For shops, restaurants and offices, there can be further approvals on top of these two, including landlord consent through a Licence to Alter and, for food and drink businesses, licensing and environmental health requirements.

How we can help

We advise on the planning position at the start of a project, prepare and manage planning applications and carry the design through building regulations and technical design. For many clients the most useful part is knowing early which approvals are needed and how long to allow for them.