CLASS F:- Development consisting of:-

(a) the provision within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse of a hard surface for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse as such; or

(b) the replacement in whole or in part of such a surface.

To you and I this means drives, paths, paving and patios. There will be exceptions but this is what it means to most people and extension or landscaping projects.

The Legislation breaks this down into several classifications that at first hand appear fairly generous but it is not until you read the restrictions, it becomes clear that there are some very definitive constraints. 

The Governments approach in their wording is to tell you with a very 'broad brush' what your are allowed to build & then want to install the 'masking tape' to define the areas where the 'broad brush' can only be applied.

We will not repeat the wording of PD legislation here as you can read it for yourself elsewhere on this web site. 

Purpose and use must be 'incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse as such'.  NOT commercial.

Class F itself is carried forward from the old PD rules but the new PD rules introduce measures to mitigate the flooding that can be a result of surface water run-off from paved over front gardens.

The new hard surface shall be made of porous materials or provision shall be made to direct rain water run off from the hard surface to a permeable or porous area or surface within the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.

This dual approach for letting rain water run off to enter the sub soil for longer term storage & thereby reducing flood risk by either the use of porus surface material or leading rain water to a porus area within the curtilage allows for some design flexibility & selection of materials.