Householder permitted development rights: guidance - updated 2021

7. Installing Closed Circuit Television Cameras

7.1 Class 72 extends permitted development rights to include the installation, alteration or replacement on buildings or other structures (such as walls, fences or poles) of CCTV cameras for security purposes, subject to specified limits on size, numbers and positioning.

7.2 This class does not apply within conservation areas or national scenic areas. Nor does it give permitted development rights to poles or other structures specially constructed to hold cameras; these still require planning consent.

7.3 Where CCTV cameras are being installed on a listed building or scheduled monument, they will continue to be subject to listed building consent and schedule monument consent procedures.

7.4 Up to 4 cameras are permitted on the same side of a building or structure and up to 16 cameras on any one building or structure, provided that they are at least 10 metres apart.

7.5 Each camera must be sited so as to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building or structure and cameras should also be removed once they are no longer required for security purposes.

7.6 The field of vision of a camera should, so far as practicable, not extend beyond the boundaries of the land where it is sited or any adjoining land to which the public have access. Intrusion and inconvenience to neighbours should be limited so far as is practicable without compromising the camera's effectiveness for security purposes.

Legislation

Class 72.-

(1) The installation, alteration or replacement on any building or other structure of a closed circuit television camera for security purposes.

(2) Development is not permitted by this class if-

(a) the development is in a conservation area or a national scenic area;

(b) the dimensions of the camera including its housing exceed 75 centimetres by 25 centimetres by 25 centimetres;

(c) any part of the camera would, when installed, altered or replaced, be less than 250 centimetres above ground level;

(d) any part of the camera would, when installed, altered or replaced, protrude from the surface of the building or structure by more than one metre when measured from the surface of the building or structure;

(e) any part of the camera would, when installed, altered or replaced, be in contact with the surface of the building or structure at a point which is more than one metre from any other point of contact;

(f) any part of the camera would be less than 10 metres from any part of another camera installed on a building or structure;

(g) the development would result in the presence of more than four cameras on the same side of the building or structure; or

(h) the development would result in the presence of more than 16 cameras on the building or structure.

(3) Development is permitted by this class subject to the following conditions:-

(a) the camera shall, so far as practicable, be sited so as to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building or structure on which it is situated;

(b) the camera shall be removed as soon as reasonably practicable after it is no longer required for security purposes;

(c) the field of vision of the camera shall, so far as practicable, not extend beyond the boundaries of the land upon which the building or structure is erected or of any area which adjoins that land and to which the public have access.

(4) For the purposes of this class-"camera", except in paragraph (2)(b), includes its housing, pan and tilt mechanism, infra red illuminator, receiver, mountings and brackets.