Protected trees, high hedge complaints and TPO applications
If you currently have a planning application involving protected trees, a High Hedge complaint, or TPO application, please expect a delay with any consultation or decision. We are currently diverting all our resources into dealing with the affected trees in the Norton / Stourbridge area following wildfires. We would appreciate your patience given the unprecedented demand and will respond to matters in due course.
If you intend to work from home you will require planning permission to do so if the overall character of your house changes from the primary and predominant use as a dwelling house. Instances where this would occur include a use that attracts a marked rise in traffic or people calling, a use that involves activities unusual in a residential area or a use that could disturb your neighbours.
However, many businesses can exist invisibly within houses or in outbuildings in the garden without any formal change of use occurring in planning terms. More information on working from home is provided in the Department of Communities and Local Government booklet;
Under normal circumstances you do not need planning consent to convert an attached garage into a room unless;
A condition imposed on the planning permission under which your house was built specifically required the garage to remain available for the parking of a motor vehicle
A condition on the planning permission under which your house was built or an Article 4 Direction has removed your permitted development rights
Any external works (e.g. fitting a bay window in place of the garage door) would bring the resultant building closer to the highway than the existing building and the resulting building is less than 20m from the back of the highway.
Planning permission may be needed to convert a detached garage to living accommodation. Please contact us to check.
Planning permission is not normally required to construct a hardstanding or drive in a garden, however if a vehicles/footpath crossing is required to a classified road then planning permission will be required.
In all cases the council of this Directorate will have to be contacted to arrange for the construction of aVehicle Crossing(dropped kerb) to be carried out. A charge is made for this service.
The council wants to encourage tenants with business ideas and has therefore drawn up guidelines for tenants who are thinking of running a business from their home.
Theguidelinesclarify what conditions tenants must satisfy in order to run a business from their council property.
