With all building work, the owner of the property or land in question is ultimately responsible for complying with the relevant planning rules and building regulations, regardless of the need to apply for planning permission and/or building regulations approval or not.
Therefore, failure to comply with the relevant rules will result in the owner being liable for any remedial action, which could go as far as demolition and/or restoration.
The general advice is to always discuss your proposals with our Planning Service and Building Standards before starting work.
Permitted development
In some instances development does not require planning permission. This is referred to as 'permitted development'.
The Scottish Government extended the types of work that can be undertaken at domestic householder properties without the need for planning permission. We advise you to check this information before starting any work.
Further information can be found at Scottish Government: Development management.
How to apply for planning permission
If, after checking the information, you think permission is required you should make an application for planning permission.
Forms and guidance notes can also be downloaded at ePlanning.scot.
Certificate of lawfulness
If you are unsure if planning permission is required and you would like us to assess whether or not your proposal will need permission we can do so via a Certificate of Lawfulness. Please note your Certificate of Lawfulness could be refused in which case you will need to apply for full planning permission and pay the associated fee.
A Certificate of Lawfulness provides you with evidence that an existing or proposed development is lawful and does not require planning permission.
Further information
Further advice on the need for planning permission can be obtained from our pre-application advice service or by contacting the Planning Service. We have a Duty Planning Officer available between 10am and 1pm who can discuss matters with you by telephone.
Further information and assistance is available below: