General Permitted Development Order or GPDO
The General Permitted Development Order or GPDO for short, gives permission to carry out certain items such as extensions, rear dormers, erect fences, porches, outbuildings, satellite dishes, demolition etc. and much much more for residential, commercial properties and land across the country.
There are many items, both large and small, that can simply be built under permitted development subject to certain restrictions, building regs etc. in many cases, especially with houses, you can just go ahead. Or you might wish to opt for a certificate of lawfulness. Please get a fee proposal from us if you need assistance. We operate across England.
You might like to also check out the ever growing Common Projects section to see what is possible under permitted development.
General Permitted Development Order allows for exciting potential
The GPDO was first introduced in 1948 and there have been many updates since then. These can all be viewed via our GPDO Timeline page.
Your planning portal permitted development rights may be restricted due to either an Article 4 or a previous planning application. So it is worth checking. However unless the permitted development right requires an application (prior approval) there is no need to contact your local authority for permission. You might however wish to apply for a certificate of lawfulness if selling the property for example.
If you need guidance as to how you can maximise the permitted development on your property, consider booking a Zoom session with Ian Walmsley, the founder of Planning Geek.
Parts within the GPDO
There are four schedules and over 20 parts to the GPDO – use the accordion menu below to locate sections. Permitted development classes are within each part. There are 205 sections to the General Permitted Development Order – you can find every single section here on Planning Geek.
Timeline & History of the GPDO
The Town & Country Planning (General Development) Order 1948
The Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1950
The Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1959
The Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1963
The Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1973
The Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1977
The Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988
The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995
The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015
Part 1 – development within a curtilage of a dwellinghouse
Class AA – Enlargement of a dwellinghouse by construction of additional storeys
Class B – Additions etc to the roof of a dwellinghouse e.g. Dormers
Class C – Any other alterations to a roof of a dwellinghouse
Class E – Buildings etc incidental to the enjoyment of a dwellinghouse e.g. Outbuildings
Class F – Hard surfaces incidental to the enjoyment of a dwellinghouse
Class G – Chimneys, flues etc on a dwellinghouse
Class H – Microwave antenna on a dwellinghouse e.g. Satellite dishes
Paragraph I – Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 1
Where you can and can't use the various Classes in this section
Class AA - Drinking establishments with expanded food provision
Class G - Shops, professional, financial, betting offices or payday loan shops to mixed use
Class I - Industrial conversions
Class L - Small HMOs to dwellinghouses and vice versa
Class M - certain uses to dwellinghouses
Class MA - commercial, business and service uses to dwellinghouses
Class N – Amusement arcades or casinos to residential
Class Q - Agricultural building to residential
Class R – Agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use
Class S - Agricultural buildings to state-funded school
Class T - commercial, business and service, hotels etc to state-funded schools
Class U - Return to previous use from state-funded school or registered nursery
Class V - Changes of use permitted under a permission granted on an application
Paragraph W - Procedure for applications for Prior Approval under Part 3
Paragraph X - Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 3
Part 4 - Temporary building and uses
Table for temporary changes by use class
Class A - Temporary buildings and structures
Class B - Temporary use of land
Class BB - Moveable structures for historic attractions and listed pubs, restaurants etc.
Class BC - Temporary campsites
Class C - Use as a state-funded school for 2 academic years
Class CA - Provision of a temporary state-funded school on previously vacant commercial land
Class CB - Temporary provision of buildings for a school with a RAAC-affected building
Class D - Shops, financial, cafes, takeaways etc. to a temporary flexible use
Class E - Temporary use of buildings or land for film-making purposes
Paragraph F - Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 4
Part 6 - Agricultural and forestry
Is the use of my land agricultural?
Class A – Agricultural development on units of 5 hectares or more
Class B – Agricultural development on units of less than 5 hectares
Class C – Mineral working for agricultural purposes
Paragraph D - Interpretation of Classes A to C
Class E – Forestry developments
Class Q - Agricultural building to residential
Class R – Agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use
Part 7 - Non-domestic extensions, alterations etc
Class A – Extensions etc of commercial, business or service premises
Class B – Construction of shop trolley stores
Class C – Click and collect facilities
Class D – Modification of shop loading bays
Class E – Hard surfaces for commercial, business or service premises
Class H – Extensions etc of industrial and warehouse
Class I – Developments relating to an industrial process
Class J – Hard surfaces for industrial and warehouse premises
Class K – Waste deposits from an industrial process
Class L – Development at waste management facilities
Class M – Extensions etc for schools, colleges, universities, prisons and hospitals
Class MA - Alteration etc., of prison fences
Class N – Hard surfaces for schools, colleges, universities or hospitals
Part 8 - Transport related development
Class A – Railway or light railway undertakings
Class B – Dock, pier, harbour, water transport, canal or inland navigation undertakings
Class C – Works to inland waterways
Class D – Dredging by transport undertakings
Class E – Development for the aid of shipping
Class F – Development at an airport
Class G – Air traffic services development at an airport
Class H – Air traffic services development near an airport
Class I – Development by an air traffic services licence holder within an airport
Class J – Development by an air traffic services licence holder on operational land
Class K – Development by an air traffic services licence holder in an emergency
Class L – Development by an air traffic services licence holder involving moveable structures
Class M – Development by the Civil Aviation Authority for surveys etc.
Class N – Use of airport buildings managed by relevant airport operators
Paragraph O – Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 8
Class A – Solar equipment on domestic premises
Class B – Stand-alone solar equipment on domestic premises
Class C – Ground source heat pumps on domestic premises
Class D – Water source heat pumps on domestic premises
Class E – Flue for biomass heating system on domestic premises
Class F – Flue for combined heat and power on domestic premises
Class G – Air source heat pumps on domestic premises
Class H – Wind turbine on domestic premises
Class I – Stand-alone wind turbine on domestic premises
Class J – Solar equipment on non-domestic premises
Class K – Stand-alone solar equipment on non-domestic premises
Class L – Ground source heat pump on non-domestic premises
Class M – Water source heat pump on non-domestic premises
Class N – Flue for biomass heating system on non-domestic premises
Class O – Flue for combined heat and power on non-domestic premises
Paragraph P - Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 14
Class A – Electronic communications code operators
Class B – Other electronic communications development
Class C – Other electronic communications development: microwave antenna
Class D – Driver information systems
Class E – Universal postal service providers
Paragraph F - Interpretation of words and phrases in Part 16
Part 17 - Mining and mineral exploration
Class A – Extensions, alterations etc ancillary to mining operations
Class B – Other developments ancillary to mining operations
Class C – Developments for maintenance or safety
Class D – Coal mining development by the Coal Authority and licensed operators
Class E – Coal mining development by a licensee of the British Coal Corporation
Class F – Coal-mining development on an authorised site
Class G – Coal-mining development by the Coal Authority etc for maintenance or safety
Class H – Waste tipping at a mine
Class I – Waste tipping from a mine on sites used since 1948
Class J – Temporary use of land etc for mineral exploration
Class JA – Temporary use of land etc in respect of petroleum exploration
Class K – Use of land etc for mineral exploration
Class KA – Use of land etc in respect of petroleum exploration
Class L – Removal of material from a stockpile
Class M – Removal of material from mineral-working deposit
Paragraph N – Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 17
Part 19 - Development by the Crown or for national security purposes
Class A – General development by the Crown
Class B – Extension or alteration of an operational Crown building
Class C – Developments on operational Crown land
Class D – Hard surfaces for operational Crown buildings
Class E – Development on operational Crown land relating to an airbase
Class F – Development on operational land within an airbase
Class G – Development on operational land outside an airbase
Class H – Development on operational land by the Crown connected with air traffic services
Class I – Emergency use of land by the Crown connected with air traffic services
Class J – Use of land etc by the Crown connected with air traffic services
Class K – Use of land by the Crown in relation to surveys etc
Class L – Use of buildings by the Crown on an airbase connected to air transport services etc
Class M – Development by the Crown on operational Crown land connected to rail
Class N – Development by the Crown on operational Crown land connected to shipping etc
Class O – Use of land by the Crown for spreading of dredged material
Class P – Development by the Crown on operational Crown land etc relating to aids to shipping
Class Q – Development by the Crown relating to an emergency
Class QA – Development by the Crown relating to a pandemic
Class R – Erection etc of gates, fences etc by the Crown for national security purposes
Class S – Closed circuit television cameras for national security purposes
Class T – Electronic communication apparatus etc for national security purposes
Class TA – Development by the Crown on a closed defence site
Paragraph U – Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 19
Part 20 - Construction of new dwellinghouses
Table of airspace opportunities per property type
Class ZA - Demolition of buildings and construction of new flats or a house in their place
Class A - New flats on detached block of flats
Class AA - New flats on detached buildings in commercial or mixed use
Class AB - New flats on terrace buildings in commercial or mixed use
Class AC - New flats on terrace buildings in use as houses
Class AD - New flats on detached buildings in use as houses
Paragraph B - Procedure for applications for Prior Approval under Part 20
Paragraph C - Definitions of words and phrases used in Part 20
Article 1 – Citation, commencement and application
Article 3 - Permitted Development
Article 4 – Directions restricting permitted development
Article 5 – Directions restricting certain minerals permitted development
Article 6 – Directions: general
Article 7 – Prior approval applications: time periods for decision
Article 7ZA – Prior approval applications: modified procedure in relation to call-in of applications
Prior Approval
Some items within the permitted development (GPDO) require what is called ‘prior approval‘. This involves submitting a request to the local authority. They can only assess the application on items such as flood risk, noise, contamination depending upon the works to be carried out. This prior approval takes 28 or 56 days, depending upon the request. Note: permitted development rights do not apply to flats in many situations.
Revisions
The last major revision to the GPDO was in 2015. This forms a baseline to the current version. Please do not rely upon this original version as there have been many changes. This website will always aim to be up to date with all the changes. Although if you wish to read the original version, you can find it here – however it will bear no resemblance to today’s version. You can view all the various revisions via opur GPDO timeline/ history section.
To date, over twenty revisions have taken place since 2015. Thankfully Planning Geek, will make all the changes on each page as they happen.
Page updated: 29th September 2024