DOT Extensions & loft conversions in Ashbourne
Ashbourne calls itself the gateway to the Peak District, and for planning purposes it literally is. A few miles north, villages like Tissington and Fenny Bentley are inside the National Park, where a different authority makes the decisions under tighter rules.
Local information last checked October 2026Ashbourne or the Peak District? Two different planning authorities
| If you live in… | Planning is handled by | Building control |
|---|---|---|
| Ashbourne town and villages outside the Park | Derbyshire Dales District Council | Derbyshire Building Control Partnership |
| Inside the Peak District National Park e.g. Tissington, Fenny Bentley | Peak District National Park Authority | Derbyshire Building Control Partnership |
Inside the National Park, the Peak District National Park Authority, not the district council, decides planning applications. Building control is a separate system and stays with the local building control service.
What changes inside the Park? According to the National Park Authority, these need planning permission there:
- any extension on the front (principal) elevation
- any side extension
- any rear extension of more than one storey
Single-storey rear extensions are limited to 3m (terraced or semi) or 4m (detached).
The Authority publishes its own design guide for alterations and extensions, and the Park has 109 conservation areas.
Done well, with local stone, the right roof pitch and proportions that suit the village, extensions do get approved. Expect more detail in the application, and allow more time.
Sources: PDNPA: planning Q&A · PDNPA: extensions design guide · PDNPA: conservation areas
Three more things we check in Ashbourne
Henmore Brook
In Storm Babet (October 2023), 16 properties in Ashbourne flooded internally, 13 of them homes. The Henmore Brook overtopped at School Lane and Coachmans Close, and the upstream storage reservoir reached its highest recorded level.
If you’re in the town-centre flood warning area, factor it into the design.
A town full of listed buildings
Ashbourne has more than 160 listed buildings, including St Oswald’s Church, the Old Grammar School of 1586 and The Mansion, all Grade I.
The historic centre is a conservation area. If your house is listed, almost any alteration needs listed building consent as well as Building Regs.
The Ashbourne Neighbourhood Plan
Ashbourne’s Neighbourhood Plan was approved at a referendum in May 2021 and formally made on 1 July 2021. Planning applications in the town are judged against it alongside the district’s policies.
What we build in and around Ashbourne
Questions we get asked locally
How do I know if I’m in the Peak District National Park?
Check the boundary map on the Peak District National Park Authority’s website, or ask us and we’ll confirm it for your address. Tissington and Fenny Bentley are inside. Ashbourne town is outside.
Can I build a loft conversion in the National Park?
Roof extensions like dormers aren’t Permitted Development in a National Park, so you’ll need planning permission. A conversion using rooflights and keeping the existing roof shape is often the easier route.
Doveridge has an Ashbourne postcode. Is it the same council?
It’s the same district council, Derbyshire Dales, but Doveridge has its own Neighbourhood Plan. See our Doveridge page.
Also close by
Doveridge
Two miles from Uttoxeter, but a different county and a different council.
See Doveridge →East StaffordshireUttoxeter
Our home patch. Three councils within a few miles, and the Picknall Brook.
See Uttoxeter →Staffordshire MoorlandsCheadle
Conservation area rules on doors and windows, and the old coalfield.
See Cheadle →We’ve linked to the official sources so you can check the detail for your own address. Council rules and fees change, so always confirm with your council before applying.
Planning building work in or around Ashbourne?
We’ll tell you whether you’re under Derbyshire Dales or the National Park, and what that means for your project.
Our services in Ashbourne
Every service below is available in Ashbourne and the villages around it, with a free site visit and fixed-price quote.