Extension in Dorset
Do you need planning permission for a single-storey extension in Dorset? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how Dorset Council’s designations change them, and what decides an application, grounded in the official guidance and quoted verbatim.
Do you need planning permission for a single-storey extension in Dorset?
Many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development under Class A, within set limits on depth, height and how much of the garden they cover, so no planning application is needed. In Dorset this matters: the borough has 311 conservation areas and 78 Article 4 directions, and inside those the permitted development route narrows or is removed, so a single-storey extension can need a full application where it would not two streets away.
The starting point
Many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development under Class A, within set limits on depth, height and how much of the garden they cover, so no planning application is needed.
“This provides permitted development rights for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a house.”PD technical guidance, Class A · full text in the library → · official source →
How Dorset’s designations apply
| Designation in Dorset | Published |
|---|---|
| Conservation areas | 311 |
| Article 4 directions (PD removed) | 78 |
| Listed building outlines | 8,980 |
Because extension depends on permitted development rights restricted on article 2(3) land, the conservation areas above are decisive: inside one, expect to need a full application. Counts are read live from planning.data.gov.uk; your report checks them against your exact address.
What Dorset weighs
Where an application is needed, design does the deciding: depth against the neighbouring rear walls, loss of light, roof form, and materials against the parent building.
See a single-storey extension in a real report
London’s most common project: a kitchen extension behind a Victorian terrace in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction. 262 nearby decisions, 81% approved.
Get a planning report for your Dorset address
A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Dorset address, quotes the Dorset Council and national policies that apply to a single-storey extension, and (on Pro) shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.