We have planning permission for two dwellings, but can we just build one?

2 Answers

1. Martin Gaine says:

   12th February 2024 at 9:20 am

   Hi Ashley,

   If the two dwellings are entirely separate, you can, in principle, build one and not the other. This would be on the basis that you have started, but simply not finished, the project.

   You need to be careful that there are no conditions on the approval that both dwellings needed to be built together.

   If the dwellings are connected in any way (a pair of semis, for example), you couldn’t really build one without fundamentally changing the design and appearance of the other, so a fresh planning application would be required in those circumstances.

   If in doubt, it is always best to get formal confirmation from the council. Planning law is complicated and ever changing and there is always a possibility that the planners would find a reason to argue that both houses should have been built together.

   Best of luck with your project plans,

   Martin Gaine (Build It’s planning expert)

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2. Ashley Build It Wright says:

   8th May 2024 at 2:24 pm

   Thanks very much for this, Martin. I hope that asking the question of the planners doesn’t prompt them to find a reason against this…

   All the best

   Ashley

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