New Build Planning Permission in Jersey: A Step-by-Step Guide

Building a new house in Jersey is harder than building an extension, and the difficulty is front-loaded. Almost everything that determines whether it is possible is fixed before a single line is drawn — by the site.

Step 1: The site decides nearly everything

The single most important question is what zone the land sits in under the Island Plan.

Inside the built-up area, a new dwelling is a proposition the Plan may support, subject to design, density, amenity and access.

In the green zone or the coastal national park, the presumption runs firmly against new dwellings. There are narrow exceptions — replacement of an existing dwelling, conversion of a redundant traditional building — but “there is space for a house” is not one of them.

This is why people who buy land expecting to build sometimes cannot. Check the zoning and the planning history before you buy, not after. We are happy to look at a site before you commit to a purchase, and it is a far cheaper conversation than the alternative.

See the Island Plan explained.

Step 2: Understand what is already permitted

A site’s planning history matters as much as its zoning. Has anything been applied for before? Was it refused, and on what grounds? Is there an extant permission you could build out or vary? Is there an existing dwelling that could be replaced under replacement dwelling policy?

A refusal on the file tells you exactly what the department objected to last time. That is valuable information, free.

Step 3: Pre-application advice

On a new dwelling, pre-application advice is usually worth having. It gives you the department’s view on the principle before you invest in a full design and a full application fee. See pre-application advice.

Step 4: Design, and the reports that go with it

A new dwelling application needs considerably more than an extension. Depending on the site, expect some combination of:

• Full existing and proposed drawings, including site sections and levels
• Design and access statement — expected on new dwellings
• Flood risk assessment where the site is in a flood risk zone
• Heritage statement where there are listed buildings or a conservation area nearby
• Drainage strategy — foul and surface water, including soakaway testing where mains drainage is unavailable
• Tree survey where trees are present
• Ecology information where habitat may be affected
• 3D visualisation — not required, but on a prominent site it answers the “what will it look like from the lane” question better than elevations do

Producing these in-house rather than coordinating five consultants is the difference between a submission that hangs together and one that contradicts itself.

Step 5: The application, and the committee

New dwellings attract more scrutiny, more consultation and more neighbour interest than householder work. Be prepared for the application to take substantially longer than the eight to twelve weeks a householder extension takes, and for it to be determined by the Planning Committee rather than by an officer.

See how long planning takes in Jersey.

Step 6: Bye-law approval — a much bigger job than on an extension

A new dwelling has to satisfy the Building Bye-Laws (Jersey) 2007 in full, from foundations up. That means:

• Foundation design based on the actual ground conditions — see foundation design
• Full structural design and calculations
• Thermal performance across the whole envelope, with SAP calculations
• Fire strategy, escape and compartmentation
• Drainage design, ventilation, sound insulation, accessibility

This is a second full application with its own drawing set. On a new build it is not a formality.

Step 7: Build

By this stage you want a drawing set a builder can price accurately and build from without interpretation. On a new dwelling the cost of vague drawings is not measured in weeks, it is measured in variations.

Across roughly 100 applications a year our bye-law success rate is 100%, and our drawings are produced to construction standard as a matter of course rather than as an extra.

Self-build

If you are project-managing yourself, the drawing set matters more, not less — it is the only thing keeping the trades coordinated. See self-build in Jersey and new build houses.

Buildings in the Grounds

A new home often comes with other structures. Garden rooms, garden offices, outbuildings, a granny flat or annexe and a swimming pool can each need their own permission. For the engineering side, see structural surveys and structural calculations.

Start with the site

Send us the address, or the site you are thinking of buying. We will tell you what the Island Plan says about it before you spend anything else.

Book a free consultation.