Is planning permission required?

Meaning of development

Pursuant to section 57 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990), planning permission is required for ‘the carrying out of any development of land’.

Development is defined in TCPA 1990, s 55(1):

  1. the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or

  2. the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or other land

TCPA 1990 therefore controls two distinct types of development: operational development and material changes of use.

Operational development

Operational development includes building operations, engineering operations, mining operations and other operations.

See Practice Note: Operational development.

Building operations

Building operations include demolition, rebuilding, structural alterations or additions to a building or any work normally undertaken by a builder. Whether building operations constitute development may depend on the size, permanence and physical attachment of the building.

The main exceptions are works to maintain, improve or alter only the interior of a building or works of maintenance or alteration where they do not materially affect the building’s external appearance (although works

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High Court gives guidance on the new duty to ‘seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty’ of AONB for planning authorities (CPRE Kent v SSHCLG)

Planning analysis: Section 85(A1) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRWA 2000) came into effect on 26 December 2023 following amendments to that Act made by section 245 of the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023). The provision requires relevant authorities to ‘seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty’ of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (‘AONB’) when exercising functions affecting such land. This case concerned a challenge to the November 2024 decision of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (‘the Secretary of State’) to grant planning permission for the construction of 165 dwellings and associated works in the High Weald AONB. The grounds of challenge were that the Secretary of State had breached the CRWA 2000, s 85(A1) duty (Ground 1) or alternatively, had given inadequate reasons for concluding that the duty had been complied with (Ground 2). The main issue for the High Court was whether the words ‘seek to further’ contained in the amended section 85(A1) duty had altered the substance of the duty so as to require a decision-maker to refuse planning permission for development if it is found that the proposal would cause harm to an AONB by failing to conserve or enhance its natural beauty. In dismissing the claim and upholding the Secretary of State’s decision, the judge provided guidance on the requirements of the CRWA 2000, s 85(A1) duty in the context of planning decisions affecting AONBs. Written by Max Millington, barrister at Cornerstone Barristers.

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