Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire at a glance

Nation: Scotland
Price region: Scotland
Postcode areas: G, ML
Towns covered: 27 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a planning application involves

Getting planning permission for a two-storey extension involves checking whether permitted development applies, preparing drawings and supporting information, submitting a householder application to the council and dealing with questions until a decision is made. Many two-storey extensions need permission, especially side, wraparound and front ones.

The main places we list in Lanarkshire are East Kilbride (G74), Hamilton (ML3), Cumbernauld (G67), Coatbridge (ML5), Airdrie (ML6) and Motherwell (ML1). We cover the villages in between too.

Fees

Planning drawings are a guide of £2,000–£3,500, priced in writing before the design stage starts. Householder planning application: £371.

Rules in Scotland

In Scotland, a householder planning application costs £371, and councils have two months to decide. Class 1B permitted development needs 10 m to every boundary, so most two-storey extensions need an application. Planning permission is separate from the building warrant, which is also needed before work starts.

Approval in Scotland: Householder planning application: £371. Councils have two months to decide a local planning application.

Building standards: A building warrant from the council's building standards service before work starts, and a completion certificate at the end. Scotland uses its own Technical Handbooks.

There is no Party Wall Act in Scotland. Shared walls and boundaries are governed by title deeds and common law, so we speak to neighbours early and record the condition of shared structures.

Getting the design right

Check the history first

Planning conditions from when the house was built, earlier extensions and Article 4 directions can all remove permitted development rights. We check the council's records and your house's history before design starts, so the route is clear.

A complete application

Applications that are missing drawings, the right fee or a certificate of ownership are not validated, and the decision clock does not start. We check the council's validation list so the application is complete on day one.

How we work in Lanarkshire

Start at your house
We come to your home in Lanarkshire, measure up, check the ground floor walls and roof structure, and note anything near the boundaries.
Design and approvals
We draw the extension and check it against the rules for Scotland, then apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness, whichever fits.
Price it properly
Once the engineer's calculations are in, we fix the build price in writing, with a clear list of what's included.
Build
Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.

Towns we cover in Lanarkshire