Planning Policy

Porch in Durham County

Do you need planning permission for a porch in Durham County? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how Durham County Council’s designations change them, and what decides an application, grounded in the official guidance and quoted verbatim.

Front entrance and porch of a period house
Porch: small footprint, strict front-elevation limits
The short answer

Do you need planning permission for a porch in Durham County?

A porch is usually permitted development under Class D if it stays under 3 square metres, below 3 metres high, and at least 2 metres from any boundary fronting a highway. Whether a porch needs permission in Durham County still depends on your exact address and the designations on it.

1.0: The permitted development position

The starting point

A porch is usually permitted development under Class D if it stays under 3 square metres, below 3 metres high, and at least 2 metres from any boundary fronting a highway.

“This provides permitted development rights for the erection of a porch outside any external door of a house.”PD technical guidance, Class D · full text in the library → · official source →
2.0: What changes it in Durham County

How Durham County’s designations apply

Designation in Durham CountyPublished
Conservation areas92
Article 4 directions (PD removed)0
Listed building outlines0

In a conservation area or on a listed building the appearance against the front elevation is assessed, even where the size limits are met. Counts are read live from planning.data.gov.uk; your report checks them against your exact address.

3.0: How it’s decided

What Durham County weighs

In a conservation area or on a listed building the appearance against the front elevation is assessed, even where the size limits are met.

Your report

Get a planning report for your Durham County address

A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Durham County address, quotes the Durham County Council and national policies that apply to a porch, and (on Pro) shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.

5.0: Questions

Porch in Durham County, answered

Do I need planning permission for a porch in Durham County?
A porch is usually permitted development under Class D if it stays under 3 square metres, below 3 metres high, and at least 2 metres from any boundary fronting a highway. Whether a porch needs permission in Durham County still depends on your exact address and the designations on it.
Does a conservation area affect a porch in Durham County?
It can. Even where the size limits are met, Durham County Council assesses the appearance of a porch against the character of a conservation area, and on a listed building separate consent is required.
How does Durham County decide a porch application?
In a conservation area or on a listed building the appearance against the front elevation is assessed, even where the size limits are met. A Planning Policy report quotes the specific Durham County Council Local Plan and national policies that apply, verbatim, and shows decided applications nearby.
6.0: More for Durham County

Other projects in Durham County