The demolition of buildings and structures can constitute a form of development which requires approval from the Council.

There are some exceptions to this set out in the Town and Country Planning (Demolition – Description of Buildings) Direction 2014. This states that the demolition of the following does not require permission from the Council:

(a) any building the cubic content of which, measured externally, does not exceed 50 cubic metres;

(b) the whole or any part of any gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure, provided that it is not located in a conservation area

For the demolition of other buildings or structures, approval will be required from the Council either in the form of a Prior Approval Application or Planning Permission.

Prior approval is required for the demolition of the following:

- any unlisted building not in a conservation area;

Planning permission is required for the demolition of the following:

- any unlisted building in a conservation area
- the whole or any part of any gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure in a conservation area

It should be noted that the demolition of a listed building will always require listed building consent.

Please note that the legislation relating to demolition is complex and the above only represents a brief summary. If you are unsure of whether or not permission is required for a proposed demolition it is recommended that you contact the planning department

If the demolition is being undertaken in conjunction with a redevelopment project the proposed demolition works should be included within the proposal and referred to in the description of the development.

In addition the court of appeal has also concluded that demolition works come within the scope of the EIA directive. The effect is that where demolition works are likely to have significant effects on the environment, the Local Planning Authority must issue a screening opinion on whether an environmental impact assessment is required.