Berkshire
A Royal County in the Thames Valley, famed for Windsor Castle, the River Thames, and its attractive commuter villages.
Planning Permission in Berkshire
Planning permission in Berkshire is administered across six separate unitary authorities, each with their own Local Plan policies, validation requirements and Community Infrastructure Levy schedules. Understanding which authority covers your plot is therefore the essential first step before embarking on any planning application for a self-build home.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has one of the most technically demanding planning environments in the county. Its planning and development pages set out the council's requirements for full planning applications, which include a design and access statement aligned with the Windsor and Maidenhead Design Guide, a heritage impact assessment where the proposal affects the setting of listed buildings or conservation areas, a Green Belt assessment where applicable, and a flood risk assessment for any site close to the River Thames or its tributaries. The council operates a pre-application advice service with a tiered fee structure, and engagement at this stage is particularly important given the complexity of the policy environment.
West Berkshire Council's planning service covers the most rural part of the county and is the authority most likely to be dealing with open countryside or AONB planning applications. Its Core Strategy and Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document set out the policy framework within which new residential development is assessed. Policy CS14 is the primary design policy, requiring development to be of high quality and to respect the character of the area. Within the North Wessex Downs AONB, Policy CS19 applies additional landscape protection policies that must be addressed in any design and access statement.
Community Infrastructure Levy rates in Berkshire vary significantly by authority and by zone within each authority. Reading Borough Council charges CIL at rates that reflect the high land values of its urban core, while West Berkshire's CIL schedule distinguishes between different market zones across the rural area. All six authorities offer the self-build CIL exemption for qualifying applicants who intend to occupy the completed home as their principal residence for a minimum of three years. The exemption form must be submitted and approved before any development commences - starting work without the exemption in place risks the full CIL liability becoming payable.
Wokingham Borough Council's Local Plan Update and its associated policies are the relevant framework for applications within the borough. Wokingham has produced a comprehensive suite of supplementary planning documents including its Residential Design Supplementary Planning Document, which provides detailed guidance on matters including house frontages, garden sizes, parking provision and sustainability standards. Self-builders in Wokingham should familiarise themselves with this SPD early in the design process as officers will assess applications against its requirements.
Bracknell Forest Council covers the new town of Bracknell and its surrounding villages. The council's Core Strategy policies and its Local Plan are the primary planning framework. Bracknell Forest has invested in urban regeneration and has a relatively progressive attitude toward contemporary design in appropriate locations, which can benefit self-builders proposing architecturally distinctive homes on infill plots within the settlement boundary.
Slough Borough Council, covering the densely developed urban area of Slough, is unlikely to be relevant to most rural self-builders but does maintain a self-build register. Opportunities in Slough tend to be limited to backland plots, gap sites and conversion projects rather than greenfield self-build.
Reading Borough Council, as the county town, offers the greatest range of urban infill opportunities for self-builders comfortable with a town centre or suburban setting. The council's planning portal provides access to its Local Plan, design SPD, CIL charging schedule and pre-application advice service. Reading has a relatively efficient planning service with defined timescales for processing householder and full planning applications.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has one of the most technically demanding planning environments in the county. Its planning and development pages set out the council's requirements for full planning applications, which include a design and access statement aligned with the Windsor and Maidenhead Design Guide, a heritage impact assessment where the proposal affects the setting of listed buildings or conservation areas, a Green Belt assessment where applicable, and a flood risk assessment for any site close to the River Thames or its tributaries. The council operates a pre-application advice service with a tiered fee structure, and engagement at this stage is particularly important given the complexity of the policy environment.
West Berkshire Council's planning service covers the most rural part of the county and is the authority most likely to be dealing with open countryside or AONB planning applications. Its Core Strategy and Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document set out the policy framework within which new residential development is assessed. Policy CS14 is the primary design policy, requiring development to be of high quality and to respect the character of the area. Within the North Wessex Downs AONB, Policy CS19 applies additional landscape protection policies that must be addressed in any design and access statement.
Community Infrastructure Levy rates in Berkshire vary significantly by authority and by zone within each authority. Reading Borough Council charges CIL at rates that reflect the high land values of its urban core, while West Berkshire's CIL schedule distinguishes between different market zones across the rural area. All six authorities offer the self-build CIL exemption for qualifying applicants who intend to occupy the completed home as their principal residence for a minimum of three years. The exemption form must be submitted and approved before any development commences - starting work without the exemption in place risks the full CIL liability becoming payable.
Wokingham Borough Council's Local Plan Update and its associated policies are the relevant framework for applications within the borough. Wokingham has produced a comprehensive suite of supplementary planning documents including its Residential Design Supplementary Planning Document, which provides detailed guidance on matters including house frontages, garden sizes, parking provision and sustainability standards. Self-builders in Wokingham should familiarise themselves with this SPD early in the design process as officers will assess applications against its requirements.
Bracknell Forest Council covers the new town of Bracknell and its surrounding villages. The council's Core Strategy policies and its Local Plan are the primary planning framework. Bracknell Forest has invested in urban regeneration and has a relatively progressive attitude toward contemporary design in appropriate locations, which can benefit self-builders proposing architecturally distinctive homes on infill plots within the settlement boundary.
Slough Borough Council, covering the densely developed urban area of Slough, is unlikely to be relevant to most rural self-builders but does maintain a self-build register. Opportunities in Slough tend to be limited to backland plots, gap sites and conversion projects rather than greenfield self-build.
Reading Borough Council, as the county town, offers the greatest range of urban infill opportunities for self-builders comfortable with a town centre or suburban setting. The council's planning portal provides access to its Local Plan, design SPD, CIL charging schedule and pre-application advice service. Reading has a relatively efficient planning service with defined timescales for processing householder and full planning applications.
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