Many extensions in Chorley go ahead without a full planning application, because they fall under permitted development rights. Those rights come with strict size limits and exceptions, and getting them wrong can mean an enforcement notice or problems when you sell. Here is what you can usually build, what can catch you out, and the checks worth doing before any digging starts.
Permitted development rights let you extend a house, but not a flat or maisonette, within set limits without applying to Chorley Council for planning permission. The limits are measured from the original house, meaning the house as first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948. Any extension a previous owner added counts towards your allowance.
For most Chorley homes the main limits look like this:
If you want a deeper single storey rear extension, the larger home extension scheme allows up to 8m on a detached house and 6m on a semi or terrace. You must notify Chorley Council first under the prior approval process. The council writes to your adjoining neighbours, who have 21 days to comment, and a decision should be issued within 42 days.
The fee is modest compared with a full householder application, but you cannot start work until you have approval, or the 42 days pass without a decision. Plenty of terraced and semi detached owners in areas like Adlington, Euxton and Coppull use this route for open plan kitchen extensions.
Permitted development rights are not universal, and several local situations remove or restrict them. It pays to check these before you design anything.
Permitted development needs no application, but we strongly recommend applying to Chorley Council for a Lawful Development Certificate. It costs half the normal householder planning fee and confirms in writing that your plans are lawful. Solicitors acting for buyers often ask for one, and it protects you if a neighbour complains later.
Allow around eight weeks for a decision. Starting work before then is legal if you are within the rules, but the certificate removes any doubt.
Skipping planning does not mean skipping paperwork. Every extension needs Building Regulations approval, either through Chorley Council's building control team or a private approved inspector. This covers foundations, structure, insulation, drainage, fire safety and ventilation, and you will need a completion certificate at the end.
If you are building on or near a shared boundary, the Party Wall Act may require you to serve notice on neighbours at least one or two months before work starts, depending on the type of work. If your extension sits over or close to a public sewer, which is common on older Chorley terraces, you will also need agreement from United Utilities.
As for cost, a typical single storey rear extension around Chorley often lands somewhere between £1,800 and £2,600 per square metre for a standard finish. The final figure depends on ground conditions, the kitchen or bathroom fit out, glazing choices and access to the site, so always get a detailed, itemised quote.
Look at the original planning permission for your house on Chorley Council's planning portal and check your title deeds for covenants. If you are unsure, a Lawful Development Certificate application will give you a definitive answer.
Under standard permitted development, neighbours are not consulted and cannot block it if you are within the limits. Under the larger home extension scheme they can object, and the council will then consider the impact on their light and privacy.
Chorley Council can ask you to submit a retrospective planning application, and if that is refused it can issue an enforcement notice requiring changes or removal. It can also cause delays when you come to sell, so it is far cheaper to check first.
Tell us about your project. John personally reviews every enquiry and replies within the working day.
