Rear extensions and side returns
A single-storey rear extension is one of the go-to ways to gain a bigger kitchen or living area, while a side-return extension closes off the narrow strip of garden running down the side of the house, a trick commonly used on terraced and semi-detached homes to open up a cramped kitchen.
Permitted development and planning permission
A good number of single-storey extensions come under permitted development, within limits on depth, height and how much garden gets built over, and those limits sit tighter for terraced and semi-detached houses than for detached ones. Anything that pushes past those limits needs a full planning application, and GOV.UK's guidance sets out the general rules on when that's required.
Party walls and neighbours
An extension going up on or close to a boundary, or touching a shared wall, brings the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 into the picture, which lays down a formal route for telling neighbours and sorting out any objection before building begins. GOV.UK's guidance on the Act spells out when a notice is needed and what it has to include.
Foundations and matching materials on the Weald
Foundation depth depends on ground conditions and anything nearby, including trees, whose roots can affect how the soil behaves, something worth flagging on the heavier clay found across much of the Low Weald around Cranleigh. Matching brick, tile-hanging or roof tiles to the existing house is usually part of the design discussion with an installer, particularly where the extension is clearly visible from the street.
Frequently asked questions
Do rear extensions usually require planning permission?+
Frequently not, provided the work stays inside permitted development limits, though those limits shift depending on house type and what's already been built. It's worth checking with the council for your specific property.
What's a side-return extension?+
It's a build that closes up the narrow passage running along the side of a house, a method often used on terraced and semi-detached homes to open up a kitchen or living area.
Will I need to notify my neighbours?+
Where the extension sits on or near a shared boundary, or affects a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can require formal notice, so it's best raised with your installer at an early stage.
Useful local links
- Waverley Borough Council – Do I need planning permission? — The planning authority covering Cranleigh and most of the surrounding villages, including Ewhurst, Alfold, Dunsfold, Bramley and Wonersh.
- Guildford Borough Council – Do I need planning permission? — The planning authority covering Guildford, Shere, Peaslake and Chilworth, a separate borough from Waverley.
- Mole Valley District Council – Do I need Planning Permission? — The planning authority covering Ockley, Walliswood, Okewood Hill and part of Holmbury St Mary, a separate district from Waverley.
- GOV.UK – Planning permission: when you need it — Government guidance on when planning permission is required in England and Wales.
- GOV.UK – Party Wall etc. Act 1996 guidance — Government guidance on notifying neighbours and resolving disputes over shared or boundary walls, relevant to attached garage conversions.
- Planning Portal – Garage conversion — National guidance on when planning permission is needed for a garage conversion in England.
- Planning Portal – Outbuildings — National guidance on permitted development rules for garden buildings and outbuildings, including height and coverage limits.
- Surrey Hills National Landscape — The designated landscape covering many of the villages around Cranleigh, including Ewhurst, Peaslake, Hascombe and Shere.