General Permitted Development Order (GPDO)

The General Permitted Development Order, usually shortened to GPDO, grants planning permission for the classes of development described in Schedule 2, subject to the exceptions, limitations and conditions attached to each right.

Those permissions are commonly called permitted development rights. They cover everything from some house extensions, roof alterations and fences and walls to changes of use, agricultural development, renewable energy, telecommunications, temporary uses and much more.

Permitted development does not mean development is free from rules. The relevant Class must be checked carefully and some rights require notification or prior approval before development starts. Other planning restrictions and separate consents can also apply.

You may also find the Common Projects section useful if you are starting with a particular project rather than a GPDO Class.

How the GPDO works

Article 3 is the provision that grants planning permission for the development described in Schedule 2. Each Part and Class then sets out what is permitted and the relevant exclusions, limits and conditions.

Schedule 1 identifies the categories of land referred to elsewhere in the Order, including article 2(3) land. Schedule 1 defines Article 2 protected land. Schedule 2 contains the permitted development rights themselves. Schedule 3 sets out the procedures for Article 4 directions and Schedule 4 lists earlier statutory instruments revoked so far as they applied to England.

The first General Development Order dates from 1948. Planning Geek keeps the earlier Orders and subsequent history in the GPDO timeline so historic planning questions can be checked against the law in force at the relevant time.

What can restrict permitted development?

A right can only be used where the proposed development falls within the wording of the relevant Class and complies with every applicable limitation and condition. Depending on the Class, restrictions can relate to matters such as size, height, location, previous use, protected land, listed buildings, flood risk or other site characteristics.

An Article 4 direction can remove specified permitted development rights in a defined area. Conditions attached to an earlier planning permission can also restrict later permitted development. The planning history therefore matters as well as the current wording of the GPDO.

Planning permission under the GPDO is only one part of the regulatory picture. Building Regulations, listed building consent, licensing, environmental controls, highways requirements and other consents may still be required where relevant.

If formal confirmation is useful, for example before works or a sale, a Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Use or Development can provide a formal decision on whether the proposed development would be lawful.

Prior approval and notification

Some permitted development rights operate without an application where every requirement is met. Others require the developer to notify the local planning authority, and some require an application for prior approval before development can begin.

For prior approval, the council’s consideration is limited to the matters specified by the relevant Class. These can include, depending on the right, transport and highways, contamination, flooding, noise, design, natural light or other expressly identified impacts.

The decision period also depends on the Class. Where Schedule 2 does not specify a period, Article 7 provides an 8-week period. Some Classes specify a different period and the consequence of a missed deadline also depends on the wording of that particular right.

Where an application is needed, the current charges are on our planning fees page.

GPDO revisions and current legislation

Forthcoming amendment: SI 2026/1056 was made on 25th September 2026, laid on 30th September and comes into force on 21st October 2026. It changes EV charging rights in Part 2, inserts cross-pavement channels in Part 9, extends the RAAC school right in Part 4, changes electricity infrastructure rights in Part 15, and updates Article 2 and Part 20. These English GPDO changes are not yet in force. See the 2015 GPDO amendment archive for the locally hosted instrument.

The current English GPDO is the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. It consolidated the previous 1995 Order for England and has itself been amended many times since 2015, including amendments creating, changing and removing individual permitted development rights.

Do not rely on the 2015 Order exactly as it was originally made for a current proposal. The original version remains useful for historic research and is available on legislation.gov.uk. For the Planning Geek record of the main changes over time, use the GPDO timeline and history.

For the legislation in force for a particular development, always start with the relevant Part and Class in the index above and check the version applicable at the date that matters.

GPDO Page Updated: 1st October 2026