What consents you may need before you build

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Before you start work you should make sure that you have all the necessary consents. It is possible that you will require permission under the Building Standards, Planning and Road legislation. The most common types of application are described below. Advice is available elsewhere on this website using the links provided but you should contact us to discuss and get advice on your proposals - contact details for all the relevant staff are provided on the pages relating to each service. Contacts for general enquiries are shown on the contacts page.

Permissions under planning law

Any works which can be classed as development generally requires planning permission. The word development is defined as "the carrying out of building , engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of a material change in the use of any building or other land." Planning permission is usually required for new developments, including external alterations or extensions. In order to check whether you will require planning consent it is advisable to contact staff in the development control section. The more common types of application are listed below.

• Planning consent - is likely to be required for developments as described above.
• Advertisement consent - is required for the erection of signs and other advertisements.
• Listed building consent - is required for works which will affect a building included in the List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Merit or their surroundings.
• Conservation area consent - is required for the demolition of a building in a conservation area.
• Treeworks consent - is required if you want to do works to a tree covered by a tree preservation order.
• Prior notification - may be required for the construction of agricultural building or for works and for works by statutory undertakers - generally companies engaged in providing services such as gas, electricity, telecoms and water. Prior notification is also required for the proposed demolition of residential property where there isn't already a planning application for development.

Advice on all the above applications is available from the development control section. More information is available on the planning applications pages.

Permissions under the building standards

• A building warrant may be required before you begin work involving the alteration, extension, conversion or demolition of a building.
• If a building warrant has been issued for work you will have to submit a completion certificate for acceptance by the council that the building works have been carried out in accordance with the approval.

Advice on Building Standards is available on the Building Standards pages.

Permissions under roads legislation

If you are undertaking work which involves the construction of a new road, or which affects an existing road you may require consent under roads legislation. The following consents may apply to development proposals and associated works:

• Roads construction consent - is required for the construction of a new road or the extension of an existing road.
• Section 56 consent - under the Roads (Scotland) Act is required to connect a new access to an existing public road.
• a temporary traffic order to carry out works can be applied for where temporary alteration to traffic flows are needed to allow a development to go ahead.

You may also need permission under roads legislation to place or maintain objects in, and or over a road. More information on this is available on this website under Transport and streets - permissions and permits

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