Planning Consultant for the Broads
Riverside chalets, moorings and boatyards
The Broads Authority is the planning authority for the rivers, marshes and waterside villages of the Broads, taking in parts of six Norfolk and Suffolk councils. It applies its own Local Plan for the Broads, with policies on moorings, riverside chalets, dark skies and peat soils found nowhere else in the county.
Cedar Planning is led by Dan Malloy MRTPI, a Chartered Town Planner. We work across Norfolk every week, and prepare Broads applications from boathouses on the Bure to holiday lodges on the Waveney.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
Who decides planning in the Broads, and on what policies
The Broads has a status equivalent to a National Park, and the Broads Authority is its local planning authority. Its executive area overlaps Broadland, South Norfolk, North Norfolk, Great Yarmouth, Norwich and East Suffolk. Where a site falls inside the Broads boundary, the application goes to the Authority rather than the district, even if the rest of the village is decided by the district council.
That boundary tends to follow the rivers and marshes, so it can split a settlement. A riverside plot in Horning or Wroxham may be in the Broads while a house a few streets back is not. The first job on any enquiry is to confirm which authority is responsible, using the Authority's mapping or its planning team, because the policies, forms and fees all follow from that answer.
Applications are assessed against the Local Plan for the Broads, adopted on 17 May 2019 with a plan period to 2036. It combines strategic policies, numbered SP1 to SP16, with 51 development management policies and site allocations for places such as Acle, Beccles and Brundall. Neighbourhood plans made for Broads parishes also form part of the development plan.
A replacement plan covering 2021 to 2041 was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 16 February 2026. Two Inspectors were appointed in March 2026, schedules of proposed modifications were published in August 2026 and the hearings are programmed for February 2027. Until it is adopted, the 2019 plan carries full weight, though the emerging policies are already a material consideration.
Check the boundary before you draw anything
A scheme designed for a district council can fall at the first hurdle if the site is actually in the Broads, where permitted development is tighter and design expectations differ. We confirm the deciding authority before any drawings are commissioned.
Planning issues particular to the Broads
Much of the executive area lies in Flood Zone 3. Policies SP2 and DM5 require a site-specific flood risk assessment, and replacement homes usually need raised floor levels, a refuge and a flood response plan.
Policy DM10 protects peat soils, which store carbon and are easily damaged. The Authority's Peat Development Guide, adopted in March 2021, explains the survey work expected before foundations or excavation.
The Horning Knackers Wood water recycling centre has no spare capacity, and a joint position statement presumes against schemes that increase flows. Even a replacement dwelling may need to show reduced water use.
Policy DM22 controls light pollution in a landscape valued for its dark night skies. The Authority's Towards a Dark Sky Standard guidance informs glazing, external lighting and rooflight design.
Planning services for Broads sites
Most of our Broads work involves waterside property, where flood risk, landscape and ecology are assessed together. We tailor each service to the Local Plan for the Broads and the Authority's design guidance.
Planning Applications
Full applications for replacement chalets, boatyard buildings, holiday units and new moorings, supported by the flood, landscape and ecology evidence the Broads Authority needs to validate and determine them.
View serviceHouseholder Applications
Extensions and alterations to riverside homes, where reduced permitted development means many projects need permission. We check scale against Policy DM43 and the Broads Design Guide and Code before submission.
View serviceHeritage Statements
Assessments for listed windpumps, drainage mills, staithes and buildings within the Authority's 25 conservation areas, applying Policy DM11 and explaining significance clearly for officers.
View serviceLawful Development Certificates
Certificates confirming existing uses or proposed works, useful for chalets and boathouses with long histories of residential or holiday occupation where the lawful position is unclear.
View serviceFeasibility Studies
Early appraisal of waterside plots, boatyards and farm buildings, testing flood risk, nutrient neutrality, peat and the development boundary before you commit to purchase or design fees.
View serviceLocal Plan Representations
Representations and hearing statements on the replacement Local Plan for the Broads, including policies on residential moorings, holiday accommodation and site allocations.
View serviceThe Broads policies that shape most applications
Waterside development is steered by Policy DM28 on development on waterside sites, while Policy DM33 covers moorings, mooring basins and marinas. The Authority's Mooring Design Guide and River Bank Stabilisation Guide, both adopted in November 2015, sit behind these policies, and Policy DM32 deals with quay heading and bank protection. Poorly specified piling details are a common reason for requests for further information.
For homes, Policy DM35 directs new residential development to defined development boundaries, and Policy DM40 sets the tests for replacement dwellings. Riverside chalets are a particular theme: the Waterside Bungalows and Chalets Guide, adopted in November 2016, explains how the Authority expects replacements to respect the modest, low-profile character of these buildings. Larger replacements can be supported, as a replacement chalet at Ropes Hill in Horning recommended for approval in 2024 showed, but only where height, massing and flood design are justified.
Design across the area is judged against Policy DM43 and the Design Guide and Code for the Broads, a Supplementary Planning Document adopted on 14 March 2025. Policy DM16 protects landscape character, and Policy DM13 the natural environment, both of which carry particular weight given the Broads' national park status.
Key policy areas we navigate
Policy DM37 allows new residential moorings only in a basin, marina or boatyard close to a development boundary or key services. The Residential Moorings Guide, adopted in July 2021, sets out management, facilities and flood requirements.
Policy DM30 governs new holiday units and resists the loss of existing ones. Changes of use need evidence under the Authority's Marketing and Viability Assessment Requirements Guide, adopted in November 2021.
New overnight accommodation in affected catchments must be nutrient neutral to protect the Broads SAC and Ramsar site. Norfolk Environmental Credits offers mitigation; see our nutrient neutrality guide.
New homes and tourist accommodation contribute to the Norfolk GIRAMS tariff, or to the Suffolk Coast RAMS for sites in the Suffolk part of the Broads, before permission can be granted.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
The Broads combines national park level landscape protection with international wildlife designations and some of the highest flood risk in the region. An application that overlooks one of these layers is likely to be delayed or refused, and the Authority's small, specialist team expects complete information from the outset.
Permitted development is also narrower here. The Broads is Article 2(3) land, so side extensions, roof extensions and many forms of cladding need permission, and Class MA and Class Q conversions are unavailable. We identify these limits early so your budget and timetable are realistic.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Planning Consultants Across Norfolk
We cover every council area in Norfolk. See our main Norfolk planning consultant page. If your application has been refused, see our The Broads planning appeal page.
The Broads Planning FAQs
How do I know whether my property is in the Broads?
The Broads Authority publishes a map of its executive area, and its planning team will confirm on request. If any part of your site lies within the Broads, speak to us early, as the Authority, not the district, will usually decide the application.
Can I replace my riverside chalet with a larger home?
Possibly. Policy DM40 allows replacement dwellings, but the Authority expects the new building to respect the character described in its Waterside Bungalows and Chalets Guide. Flood design, water use and neighbours' light all need addressing. We test options at feasibility stage before you pay for full drawings.
Can I live on my boat on a Broads mooring?
Only with planning permission for a residential mooring. Policy DM37 limits these to basins, marinas or boatyards near a development boundary or within walking distance of key services, and the site must offer proper facilities, parking and a flood plan.
Do permitted development rights apply to my house in the Broads?
Some do, but they are reduced. As Article 2(3) land, the Broads excludes roof extensions under Class B, side extensions and several cladding materials. A Lawful Development Certificate gives certainty for works that do qualify.
Does the new Broads Local Plan affect my application now?
It can. The 2019 plan remains the development plan, but the submitted replacement is a material consideration whose weight grows as the examination progresses. New proposals on water efficiency, biodiversity net gain and residential moorings may already influence officers, so we address both versions where relevant.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
Tell us about your Broads site, or book a free 15-minute call; our rural planning and heritage services support many waterside schemes.