In article , Peter Crosland
writes

These days the title may say freehold but you really hold a 999
year lease from your local council who can determine what you
can and can't do.

That statement is completely untrue! If the building is not listed, and does
not affect the setting of a listed building, or in a conservation area, and
you own the freehold then subject to obvious things like not damaging other
people's property then you can of course demolish it. Certain buildings may
have covenants to protect the interests of others but these do not normally
affect the right to demolish.

Prior approval is required if it has a volume greater than 50m3 (Town and Country
Planning (Demolition-Description of Buildings) Direction 1995).

Presumably the DIY angle here is that we all really want to drive a jcb for a day?
--
fred