Cardiff
The capital city of Wales, a vibrant modern metropolis on the Bristol Channel, home to the Senedd, Cardiff Castle, and a thriving cultural scene.
Planning Permission in Cardiff
Planning permission in Cardiff is obtained from Cardiff Council, the planning authority for the city. Wales has its own planning system, governed by the Future Wales national plan, Planning Policy Wales Edition 12 and a suite of Technical Advice Notes (TANs) that provide detailed policy guidance on specific planning matters. Self-builders in Cardiff must engage with this Welsh planning framework rather than the English planning system.
Cardiff Council's planning portal provides access to its adopted Local Development Plan (2006-2026), its development management policies and its supplementary planning guidance. SPG16 (Residential Design Guide) is a key supplementary document for self-builders, providing guidance on the design quality expected of new residential development across Cardiff's varied character areas. The guide addresses matters including building scale, massing, materials, garden sizes, parking provision and sustainability standards.
Technical Advice Note 12 (Design) is the primary Welsh design policy guidance document, setting out the Welsh Government's expectations for the design quality of new development in Wales. Self-builders and their design teams must demonstrate compliance with TAN12's design principles in their Design and Access Statements. TAN12 requires proposals to address six design qualities: character, sustainability, accessibility, community safety, movement and environment.
Community Infrastructure Levy - known as the Community Infrastructure Levy in Wales, although the legal framework is the same as in England - is charged by Cardiff Council at rates set out in its adopted CIL charging schedule. The self-build CIL exemption is available for qualifying applicants who intend to occupy the completed home as their principal residence for at least three years. The exemption claim must be submitted before development commences, and a completion declaration must be submitted within six months of first occupation.
The Cardiff Bay development is administered under the Cardiff Bay Barrage Act 1993 and associated planning frameworks. Development within the bay area may have specific requirements relating to the barrage and the freshwater lake created by its construction. Applicants for development in the Bay area should engage Cardiff Council's planning service and the Welsh Government's planning policy team at the pre-application stage.
Pre-application consultation (PAC) is a statutory requirement in Wales for certain categories of development. For self-build projects above a specified threshold, a formal PAC process - involving the submission of a PAC application and a period of community consultation - must be completed before a planning application is submitted. Cardiff Council can advise on whether PAC is required for a specific self-build proposal.
Validation requirements for planning applications in Cardiff include a completed application form, location and site plans, a Design and Access Statement compliant with TAN12, and the planning fee. Additional site-specific requirements include a heritage impact assessment for sites near listed buildings or in conservation areas, a flood risk assessment for sites near the Rivers Taff, Rhymney or Ely, an ecological survey for sites with potential for protected species, and a Welsh Language Impact Assessment where the proposal may affect the Welsh language community.
Cardiff Council's planning portal provides access to its adopted Local Development Plan (2006-2026), its development management policies and its supplementary planning guidance. SPG16 (Residential Design Guide) is a key supplementary document for self-builders, providing guidance on the design quality expected of new residential development across Cardiff's varied character areas. The guide addresses matters including building scale, massing, materials, garden sizes, parking provision and sustainability standards.
Technical Advice Note 12 (Design) is the primary Welsh design policy guidance document, setting out the Welsh Government's expectations for the design quality of new development in Wales. Self-builders and their design teams must demonstrate compliance with TAN12's design principles in their Design and Access Statements. TAN12 requires proposals to address six design qualities: character, sustainability, accessibility, community safety, movement and environment.
Community Infrastructure Levy - known as the Community Infrastructure Levy in Wales, although the legal framework is the same as in England - is charged by Cardiff Council at rates set out in its adopted CIL charging schedule. The self-build CIL exemption is available for qualifying applicants who intend to occupy the completed home as their principal residence for at least three years. The exemption claim must be submitted before development commences, and a completion declaration must be submitted within six months of first occupation.
The Cardiff Bay development is administered under the Cardiff Bay Barrage Act 1993 and associated planning frameworks. Development within the bay area may have specific requirements relating to the barrage and the freshwater lake created by its construction. Applicants for development in the Bay area should engage Cardiff Council's planning service and the Welsh Government's planning policy team at the pre-application stage.
Pre-application consultation (PAC) is a statutory requirement in Wales for certain categories of development. For self-build projects above a specified threshold, a formal PAC process - involving the submission of a PAC application and a period of community consultation - must be completed before a planning application is submitted. Cardiff Council can advise on whether PAC is required for a specific self-build proposal.
Validation requirements for planning applications in Cardiff include a completed application form, location and site plans, a Design and Access Statement compliant with TAN12, and the planning fee. Additional site-specific requirements include a heritage impact assessment for sites near listed buildings or in conservation areas, a flood risk assessment for sites near the Rivers Taff, Rhymney or Ely, an ecological survey for sites with potential for protected species, and a Welsh Language Impact Assessment where the proposal may affect the Welsh language community.
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