You do not need to apply for planning permission for repairs, maintenance or minor improvements, such as painting your house.
If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external.
If you live in a Conservation Area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or World Heritage Sites, you will need to apply for planning permission before cladding the outside of your house with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles.
Outside these areas, cladding may be carried out without having to apply for planning permission provided the materials are of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the house.
External wall insulation
External wall insulation (EWI) comprises a layer of insulation material that is normally attached to external walls with mechanical fixings and adhesive, and then covered with protective layers of render or cladding. The finish covers the whole exterior of the building, including existing brickwork.
EWI must not project more than 16cm from the external wall of your property. EWI which projects greater than 16cm will require planning permission. If you live in a Conservation Area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or World Heritage Sites, you will also need to apply for planning permission.
Welsh Government has produced a leaflet which can help you think about the issues around installing external solid wall insulation on your home.
Householder guide
The Welsh Government has produced a technical guide, and a householder guide, available here, to help you understand how permitted development rules might apply to your circumstances.
Removal of permitted development rights
You need to be aware of whether the permitted development rights have been removed from your property by the Local Planning Authority. If they have been removed, you must submit a planning application for the work.
The Local Planning Authority may have removed some of your permitted development rights as a condition of the original planning permission for your property. This information will be available on the planning register held by the Local Planning Authority. Permitted development rights may also have been removed by an 'Article 4' direction. These are most common in conservation areas where the character of an area could be threatened by unmanaged development. Your solicitor should have informed you of whether an article 4 direction exists when you purchased your property, but you can check with the Local Planning Authority if you are not sure.