Do you need planning permission to remove pebble-dash or render?

Often you don't – but across London, and especially in the East London boroughs we cover, a lot of houses sit in conservation areas or Article 4 areas, where you usually do. This is a summary for houses in England; always check with your council for your own property.

Houses outside conservation areas

Under householder permitted development, external work is allowed without planning permission as long as the materials are of similar appearance to the existing house (GPDO 2015, Class A). The Planning Portal says replacing render with a similar render is permitted development, but changing the type or colour of render is likely to change the appearance and so need planning permission (Planning Portal).

Conservation areas, National Parks and AONBs

Here, cladding any part of the outside of a house with stone, artificial stone, pebble-dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles needs planning permission (Planning Portal).

Article 4 directions

Article 4 directions remove some permitted development rights. Waltham Forest says Article 4 directions now cover most of its conservation areas, including Chingford Green, Forest School, Leytonstone, Orford Road, Ropers Field, Thornhill Road, Woodford Green, Browning Road and Walthamstow Village. In some of these, even painting the front of a house needs permission (Waltham Forest). Newham has Article 4 directions on the Woodgrange Estate, Romford Road and Durham Road conservation areas (Newham Council).

Flats and listed buildings

• Flats and maisonettes don't have householder permitted development rights (Waltham Forest), and the outside walls are usually the freeholder's responsibility.
• Listed buildings need listed building consent for work that affects their character, inside or out (Planning Portal).

Building Regulations

Re-rendering a whole wall can count as renovating a "thermal element" under the Building Regulations (regulation 23). Approved Document L says that where more than 50% of an element's surface (or more than 25% of the whole building envelope) is renovated, the wall should normally be upgraded towards a U-value of 0.30 W/m²K, where that's technically, functionally and economically feasible (Approved Document L). In practice this can mean adding external insulation. Ask your specialist whether your job needs a building regulations application, or check with the council's building control team.