Got an approval but it came with a list of conditions? Here's what they mean and which ones you must act on before you start work.
A condition is a requirement attached to your planning permission. The council approves your development, but only if you comply with certain requirements. Some conditions must be met before you start work. Others apply during construction. Some continue to apply after you've finished.
A 'condition precedent' must be satisfied before any work begins. If you ignore it and start work, the entire permission is invalid — meaning everything you build is unauthorised. The most common condition precedent requires you to get council approval for materials or submit more detailed drawings before starting. Read every condition carefully and identify which ones are precedent conditions.
Almost every planning permission includes a condition saying you must start work within three years of the decision date. 'Starting' generally means breaking ground in a meaningful way — not just digging a small trench. If you miss this deadline, your permission lapses and you must reapply.
A very common condition requires external materials (brickwork, roof tiles, window frames) to match the existing building. You may need to submit samples to the council for approval before ordering materials. Don't just assume your builder knows this — check the condition wording.
The council can take enforcement action. For minor breaches, they'll usually write to you first. For serious breaches — particularly starting work before discharging a precedent condition — they can require you to demolish or restore. This is a real risk. Read every condition before you start.
Paste your approval notice and we'll decode every condition into plain English with specific actions required.
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