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Check if you need planning permission

Some forms of development may or may not require planning permission. From this page you can check if your proposal requires permission and find out more about permitted development rights.

View our Customer Briefing Notes for the latest changes to the Planning Service.

When you might need permission

Please note this is for guidance only, but generally, you might need planning permission for:

  • Building something new
  • Making a major change to your building – like building an extension
  • Changing the use of your building
  • Works to buildings in a conservation area (you may need conservation area consent)
  • Works to a listed building (you may need listed building consent)

Permitted developments

Not all development requires planning permission, some small alterations and extensions can be carried out without planning permission. These are classed as permitted developments. 

View specific guidance from the Scottish Government on: 

Check if you need prior approval

Some permitted developments might still need prior approval.

With some types of permitted developments, even though you don’t need to apply for a planning permission, you might need to get prior approval. This approval would be for certain details of your proposal, such as how it affects nearby buildings or the environment. In these cases, before starting work, you will need to submit a prior notification. 

Find out more about prior notification and approval.

Request further guidance

To find out if your proposal is permitted development, you can check directly with us and get informal advice. To do so please complete the relevant form:

Completed forms can be emailed to planningonline@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or be posted to our correspondence address. 

We assess your enquiry based on the information that you submit, we don't do a site visit. Therefore, our response is an informal opinion only. We aim to reply to enquiries of this nature within 5 working days.

View planning applications privacy notice (PDF 48.2KB) to find out what we do with your data. 

Certificate of lawfulness: if you need a formal decision

If you need a formal decision or legal certification confirming that you don't need planning permission, you can apply for a certificate of lawfulness via the national planning portal for:

  • Existing use - to get formal consent for unauthorised developments that may now be lawful due to the passage of time
  • Proposed use - to get formal confirmation that your proposed work does not need full planning permission

Applications for certificates of lawfulness are not advertised and there is no need to notify neighbours. Any public comments on certificates of lawfulness will only be taken into account if they relate to the legality of the use or development under planning legislation.