Planning permission may be required for a wide variety of development, whether it be new building works or changes in the use of land or buildings. However, there are many kinds of alterations and additions to buildings and changes in the use of land or buildings for which you do not need to apply for planning permission.

In some cases where you do not need to apply for planning permission you will still need to apply for Building Regulations approval; approval to carry out works to protected trees; or some other form of statutory consent. It is the applicant's duty to ensure that all necessary consents are in place before carrying out a development.

To assist you to determine whether or not planning permission is required, the Department for Communities and Local Government produce the following Guides:

• Planning - a guide for householders
• Planning - a guide for business

The Planning Portal provides a introductory description of the planning system. It explains how/why to apply for planning permission and much more.

Due to current workload pressures and our statutory responsibility to give priority to determining planning applications, we are unfortunately unable to deal with any new requests for either pre-application advice or enquiries relating to the need for planning permission at the current time.

Should you wish to submit either an application for planning permission or apply for a certificate of lawful proposed development you can download the forms here. Applications can also be made online via the link to the Planning Portal website.

Guidance for common projects, for example loft conversions, householder extensions and porches can be found on the Planning Portal website.

Pre-application discussion is important. If you require a meeting to discuss your proposal or are seeking the views of a Planning Officer on a preliminary development proposal you will need to complete and submit a Pre-Application Planning Enquiry Form first and provide details of the scheme. The Case Officer will then be able to assess your proposal and respond accordingly or, if appropriate assess the merits of holding a meeting and identify the other Council Officers who may need to attend.

Filling in the forms accurately and submitting clear plans helps everyone:

• It helps applicants to explain their intentions
• It helps the planning office understand what is involved and assess it fully
• It helps people whose views are sought about a proposal to give proper advice in the shortest possible time

Building Regulations approval is a separate matter from obtaining planning permission for your work. Similarly, receiving any planning permission which your work may require is not the same as taking action to ensure that it complies with the Building Regulations. You can learn more about the difference between Planning Permission and Building Regulations here.

Further information is also available from Trafford's Building Control Service.