§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he has issued to local authorities on height restrictions on new developments adjacent to existing properties. [145531]
§ Ms Beverley HughesWhere new development requires a planning application, it is for the local planning authority to decide it, having regard to the development plan for the area. The Department's Planning Policy Guidance Note 1 says that development plans should contain appropriate and straightforward policies on design, including the relationship of development to neighbouring properties. "By Design", published by the Department and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, emphasises the importance of consideration by local planning authorities of height and massing in relation to adjoining buildings.
293WPermitted development rights granted by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 mean that certain extensions to buildings, and new buildings in gardens, do not require a planning application.