Planning permission

If you plan to carry out building work in France you will usually need planning permission. You will also need to be sure that any land or property you plan to buy is likely to be approved for development.

The route to getting planning permission in France is relatively straightforward but can seem to be a confusing maze at first sight.

You will come across terms such as ‘Certificat d’Urbanisme’, ‘Coefficient d’Occupation des Sols’, ‘Réglementation Thermique’ or ‘Monument Historique’ and may wonder what significance they have for your project. It is important to understand them, as otherwise you could encounter problems later on. For this reason, some clients may wish to employ an architect to advise them at the purchase stage in order to avoid later complications.

If you wish to manage your own planning application process, you will find useful information on these topics and more at the following links:

AngloInfo Dordogne
French-Property.com

We also work with a partner who can offer you assistance with the planning application process for a reasonable fee. Hannah Durrant acted as an interpreter for our barn conversion project and on clients’ projects. She understands the French planning system and speaks fluent French. She recently wrote about planning a renovation for Living France magazine.

Our partner can support you through the planning application process from start to finish. Here are some examples of how she can help:

• Requesting a ‘Certificat d’Urbanisme’ for the land or property you intend to buy, in order to check its development status;
• Advising on whether you need a ‘Permis de Construire’ or a ‘Déclaration Préalable de Travaux’;
• Advising on the new ‘Réglementation Thermique’ rules
• Liaison with the planning authorities and the local Mairie on your behalf;
• Drawing plans for your building from your designs, to a maximum of 169m2 (beyond which you would need an architect to draw and submit your planning application);
• Putting together the planning application with all the necessary components;
• Depositing this with your local Mairie (it will be submitted there even if it is then forwarded to the local planning authority for approval);
• Following through the process with the planning authority if there are any queries.

If you require this kind of support for your project, please click here: planninginfrance.com.