Planning advice and enquiries

Check if you need planning permission

You can get advice about planning permission by requesting planning advice from the Council.

Find general advice on whether you will need planning permission, including a list of common projects, on the Planning Portal website.

Projects which may not need planning permission (permitted development)

You can carry out certain types of work on houses without planning permission.

This is known as 'permitted development rights'.

These rights do not apply:

  • To apartments, maisonettes and flats (including 'Tyneside flats')
  • To listed buildings
  • To buildings within a conservation area
  • To business premises

The planning team has the power to remove permitted development rights when planning permission is granted, or by an Article 4 direction. 

For more information on permitted development rights and an Article 4 direction, see Planning Portal: Permitted development rights.

Request planning advice from the Council

The Council's Planning Team can give you advice about planning permission before you make an application.

This is known as our 'pre-application enquiry service'. 

There is a charge for using this service.

We are unable to offer planning advice by phone or email.

Why use this service

Our pre-application enquiry service can help you to understand:

  • if you need planning permission
  • if your proposals would be acceptable
  • if there are any reasons why we could not support your application, and how you can overcome any issues.

What you will get

Householders

You can ask for advice on carrying out works to your home, such as extensions or other common projects.

We will help you to understand:

  • if you need planning permission
  • if your proposals are likely to be accepted 
  • if there are any reasons we could not support your application, and how to solve these issues 
  • if any permitted development rights have been removed from your property

Business, commercial and non-householders

For business, commerical and non-householder enquiries:

  • We will consult with a range of specialists and provide detailed analysis of all key planning issues.
  • We will give advice on whether your proposals are likely to be accepted.
  • If there are any reasons why we could not support your application, we will tell you why and provide recommendations on how to solve these issues.

How to apply

Householders

  1. Complete the household planning enquiry form providing as much information as possible. 
  2. Send your completed form to planningapplications@southtyneside.gov.uk.
  3. Pay the fee.

Business, commercial and non-householders

Please provide as much information as possible about your proposal to planningapplications@southtyneside.gov.uk and pay the appropriate fee.

You should include:

  • Contact details for you or your agent, including contact address, phone number and email address.
  • The address and a site location plan of the property / site.
  • A description of the proposal.
  • Drawings of the proposal. If you don't supply scaled drawings (for example, a proposed site layout for an extension or alteration) this could impact the quality and detail of the service.
  • Any other specific material you would like us to consider, for example, any specialist reports that you have had produced.

For major or strategic development proposals, we might need more information. We will let you know what extra information you need to provide.

Fees

You must pay the fee before we can offer advice.  

You can pay by:   

Fees

Type of development  

Cost  

Householder enquiry service  

£50  

Commercial development - Change of use  

£113  

Minor development:

  • Residential development of 1 to 2 dwellings  
  • Residential development on sites of less than 0.25 hectare in area  
  • Non-residential development of less than 250 square metres    
  • Non-residential development of sites less than 0.25 hectare in area  
  • Change of use, less than 250 square metres  
  • Other minor development including listed buildings, if not a householder development  

£273  

Major development (level 1):

  • Residential development of 3 to 9 dwellings  
  • Residential development on sites of more than 0.25 hectare in area but less than 0.5 hectare in area  
  • Non-residential development of more than 250 square metres but less than 500 square metres  
  • Non-residential development on sites of more than 0.25 hectare in area but less than 0.5 hectare in area  
  • Change of use, more than 250 square metres but less than 500 square metres    

£889  

Major development (level 2):

  • Residential development of 10 to 99 dwellings  
  • Residential development on sites of more than 0.5 hectare in area but less than 2.5 hectares in area  
  • Non-residential development of more than 500 square metres but less than 2,500 square metres    
  • Non-residential development on sites of more than 0.5 hectare in area but less than 2.5 hectare in area  
  • Change of use, more than 500 square metres but less than 2,500 square metres   

£1369  

Strategic development:  

  • Residential development of 100 or more dwellings  
  • Residential development on sites of more than 2.5 hectares in area  
  • Non-residential development of more than 2,500 square metres   
  • Non-residential development on sites of more than 2.5 hectares in area   
  • Change of use, more than 2,500 square metres  

£2052  

Business and commercial advice not falling within any of the above categories  

Price on application  

Further advice after you have received a response letter£40 per hour (all time is rounded up to the next whole hour).

What happens next

We will try to respond to your request within 28 days.

Sometimes major developments will need advice from specialists which may take longer.