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Conservation Area Windows Independent UK reference
Sources & method

Sources, and how we check them

A site that tells you what planning law says is only worth reading if you can check it. These are the 32 sources this site is built on, and the rules we follow when we read them.

Method

  1. Statute first. For any question about whether permission is needed, we start with the Act or the statutory instrument on legislation.gov.uk, in its latest revised form, and we read the amendments tab. Several of the provisions below have been amended more than once, and secondary commentary is frequently describing a repealed version.
  2. Then national policy and guidance — the National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guidance in England, and the equivalents in the other nations. These are not law, but they are what officers apply.
  3. Then heritage technical advice from Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland and Cadw, for the question of what is likely to be acceptable as opposed to what is legally required.
  4. Then local policy. Because the practical answer is local, we read real published authority guidance, conservation area appraisals and Article 4 directions, and we quote them rather than generalise from them.
  5. We date what we read, and we re-check pages on a schedule. Each page carries the date its content was last checked.
  6. Where sources conflict, we say so. Local authority guidance sometimes contradicts the statutory position — most often by describing a consent that is no longer required. We report both, and explain which is which.

Legislation — England and Wales

The statutory foundation. legislation.gov.uk shows the "latest available (revised)" text; check the amendments tab, because several of these have been amended repeatedly.

National policy and guidance — England

Policy and guidance are not law, but they are what decision-makers apply, and Planning Practice Guidance is regularly updated. Always check the "updated" date on the page.

Heritage guidance

The national heritage bodies publish technical advice rather than rules. Local authorities lean on it heavily, so it is worth reading before you design a proposal — but note that none of these bodies "approves" or certifies commercial products.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Different legislation, different permitted development classes, different consent names. English guidance is not a safe guide in any of the three.

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