The short answer
They are three separate things, run by different people, controlling different aspects of your project. Planning permission decides whether you can build in principle; building regulations control how it is built to be safe and sound; and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 protects your neighbour’s property while you carry out work affecting a shared wall, the boundary, or their foundations. A typical extension or loft can need all three.
Why it matters
A quick comparison:
- Planning permission — granted by the local council. It concerns land use, size, appearance and impact on the area. Some work is “permitted development” and needs no application.
- Building regulations — a separate approval through building control, about structural safety, fire, insulation, drainage and the like. Almost all building work needs it, whether or not it needs planning.
- Party Wall Act — not a council matter at all. It is between you and your neighbour, dealt with by notice and, if needed, surveyors and an award. It covers work to a party wall, building on the boundary, and excavation near a neighbour’s foundations.
They do not substitute for one another. Planning permission does not satisfy the Act; an award does not satisfy building control; permitted development does not remove the Act. For an extension or loft, the safe assumption is that you may need all three — so line them up early.
What to do now
- Where a surveyor is needed, a single agreed surveyor acting for both owners is usually quicker and cheaper than two — the route Coburns recommends.
- List your project and check planning (or whether it is permitted development).
- Arrange building regulations approval.
- Check whether the Party Wall Act applies, and serve notices if so.
- Sequence them so none holds up your start date.
Common mistakes
- Assuming one approval covers the others.
- Thinking the council handles party wall matters.
- Starting work on planning consent alone.
- Forgetting building control sign-off.
When to call Coburns
We handle the party wall side. Tell us your plans and we will confirm what is notifiable and serve the notices — so that part is sorted while you deal with planning and building control.