Yes

The term "development" is very broad and means any of the following:

• building work such as a house, factory, shop, extension etc.
• changing the use of buildings or land (such as dividing a house into flats or using land for a different purpose)
• erecting walls, fences, or other structures
• engineering works, including the re-grading of the landscape
• forming a new vehicular access.

In addition, the Council's consent is also usually required to alter a listed building, to demolish a dwelling house or a building within a conservation area, to fell a tree within a conservation area or one subject to a preservation order, or to display an advertisement. 
 

No

There are, however, a range of minor developments which do NOT require planning permission. These are generally referred to as "Permitted Development" and are subject to the particular proposal meeting very strict criteria relating amongst other things, to its size and detailed position. Permitted development can include the following:

• house extensions and outbuildings
• walls and fences up to 1 metre high abutting a highway and 2 metres high elsewhere

Check with the council before starting work

As the law relating to planning permission is complex you are strongly advised to check with the Council's Development Control Service before carrying out any development to see if planning permission is required for what you want to do. You may also find that you need approval under a Deed of Covenant associated with your property, or under the Building Regulations or other legislation, even where planning permission is not required.. 
 
Even if planning permission is not required for the works you are proposing, we would encourage you to consider very carefully the potential impacts of the works.  Small alterations can, if nor carefully thought out first, spoil the appearance of a house and its immediate surroundings.  For example, a small extension can easily block light from a neighbour's house or garden, while a new window or dormer can spoil the appearance of a whole row of houses or affect a neighbour's privacy.

Please also refer to the Planning Portal - do you need permission? which shows what does not require planning permission.

From 26 February 2010 onwards, new fee levels will apply for applications to extend the time limits for implementing planning permissions and non material amendments, along with a reduction in the maximum fee for other applications submitted under Schedule 1, Part 2 category 9(b), the fee regulations.

Applications which are not exempt from the Fees Regulations and which are not accompanied by a fee, or by a fee appropriate to the development for which permission is sought, will not be processed until the correct fee has been received. A receipt issued by the Council does not imply that the submitted fee is necessarily correct and, if this is so, you will be notified accordingly.

Cheques should be made payable to Central Bedfordshire Council.

List of Planning fees (PDF 24KB)

Fees for requesting copies of planning related documents (PDF 303KB)

The link below will take you to an online service that allows you to view details of planning applications being considered by the Central Bedfordshire Council, including the ability to monitor the progress of an application, view documents relating to planning applications and submit comments on application to us. This information is updated daily.

Disclaimer 
Central Bedfordshire Council seeks to ensure that the information it publishes on its web sites is up to date and accurate. However, the information on these web sites does not constitute legal or professional advice and the Council cannot accept any liability for any loss arising in any way whatsoever out of the use of its sites. The Council cannot be held responsible for the data policies, procedures or contents of any other web sites referenced by or linked to from its own web sites.

Copyright Notice
Plans, drawings and material submitted to the Council are protected by the Copyrights Act (Section 47, 1988 Act). You may only use material which is downloaded and/or printed for consultation purposes, to compare current applications with previous schemes and to check whether developments have been completed in accordance with approved plans. Further copies must not be made without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

Viewing plans and other documents
This service includes the ability to view related documentation such as application forms, site plans, drawings, decision notices and other relevant papers for planning applications.

Commenting on applications
We can only take into account issues that are proper planning matters.  Generally the main ones are as follows: Amenity (impact on neighbours), Design, Highways, Policies, History.
Issues that normally wouldn't be taken into account: Personal circumstances, Whether the applicant or landowner is known/unknown, liked/disliked etc, The right to a view over another person’s land.  How to make a comment on a planning application- procedure (PDF 316KB)

By clicking on this link you are agreeing to these Terms and Conditions

Use the link further below on this page to view details of planning applications, including; application forms; plans and supporting statements; currently being considered by the Council; and decision notices.

This information is updated daily.

In order to view these documents you must agree to the copyright notice below, by clicking on the link further below.

This will take you to our search guidelines which will assist you in finding the information you require. (Please note that not all documents are available online. Some of our files are either still in paper format or have previously been transferred onto microfiche. If you cannot find the information you require please telephone 0300 300 8307 and arrangements can be made for you to view the information at one of our offices)

You will need Adobe acrobat viewer in order to be able to view associated documents. This can be downloaded free of charge from the adobe website.

It is important that you realise that plans, drawing and material submitted to the Council are protected by the Copyrights Act (Section 47, 1988 Act). You may only use material which is downloaded and/or printed for consultation purposes, to compare current applications with previous schemes and to check whether developments have been completed in accordance with approved plans. Further copies must not be made without prior permission of the copyright owner. By clicking on the link below, you agree to abide by this copyright notice before being able to view any documents:

I agree to abide by the copyright notice above

1. Pre-application discussions
2. Application received
3. Validation, Registration and Acknowledgement
4. Consultation and/or statutory publicity
5. Consideration of comments received
6. Application assessed against consultation responses, policies and relevant matters and/or re-consultations and publicity if necessary
7. Negotiations with applicant if necessary
8. Recommendation to Committee if not delegated and/or recommendation to Development Control Manager or Team Leader
9. Decision on behalf of Council
10. Permission and/or permission subject to conditions and/or refusal
11. Right to appeal to Secretary of State for Community and Local Government

Once you decide that you need planning permission, you will have to submit an application. You will have to decide what sort of planning application you need to make. The following are the most common:

• Full - all details of the proposal are submitted at the outset. This is the appropriate application for change of use, developments within a Conservation Area, or affecting a Listed Building and also for a house extension. Any permission is usually valid for three years.
• Outline - used to establish whether the principle of development is acceptable without the expense of preparing detailed plans. An indicative detail will be required of the number, size, scale and location of the buildings. This type of application is not appropriate for house extensions, change of use, or for proposals within a Conservation Area or affecting a Listed Building. 
• Approval of reserved matters - this normally would follow within three years of an outline application being granted permission and covers the detailed matters which were not previously approved
• If your proposal involves a Listed Building, or the demolition of a building within a Conservation Area, you will also need to apply for Listed Building Consent and/or Conservation Area consent