At a glance
Category
Planning
Who this guide is for
Homeowners whose project needs a planning application
Where you apply
Your local planning authority, usually via the Planning Portal
Typical household fee
A few hundred pounds for a householder application
Statutory decision period
8 weeks for most householder applications
Difficulty
Intermediate
Reading time
8–10 minutes
Quick answer
How do I apply for planning permission?
You submit an application to your local planning authority — normally online through the Planning Portal — with scaled existing and proposed drawings, a location plan, the correct fee and the relevant ownership certificate. The authority validates it, consults neighbours and consultees, then issues a decision, usually within eight weeks.
Most home projects use a householder application. Larger works, new dwellings and flats use a full application instead.
Step 1: Confirm You Actually Need Permission
Before you spend anything, check whether the work falls within permitted development rights. If it does, you can either build without an application or apply for a Lawful Development Certificate to prove it formally.
- Permitted development rights may be removed in conservation areas, on listed buildings or by an Article 4 direction.
- Flats and maisonettes have no householder permitted development rights.
- A Lawful Development Certificate is normally half the fee of a householder application and is valuable evidence when you sell.
Step 2: Consider Pre-Application Advice
Most councils offer a paid pre-application service where a planning officer comments on your proposal before you submit. It is not binding, but it flags the issues an officer will focus on later.
Step 3: Prepare the Drawings and Documents
Applications are refused validation more often for missing documents than for design reasons. A typical householder submission includes:
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Location plan | Identifies the site on an up-to-date OS base, usually 1:1250, with the site edged red |
| Block / site plan | Shows the proposal in its plot, usually 1:200 or 1:500 |
| Existing plans and elevations | Scaled drawings of the property as it is today, usually 1:50 or 1:100 |
| Proposed plans and elevations | The same views showing the completed proposal |
| Design and access statement | Required only for listed buildings and some designated areas |
| Ownership certificate | Confirms who owns the land and whether notice has been served |
| Fee | Paid on submission; the application is not valid until it is received |
Specialist reports are sometimes needed — for example a heritage statement, a bat or ecology survey, a flood risk assessment or an arboricultural report where trees are affected.
Step 4: Submit and Get Validated
Applications are usually submitted through the Planning Portal, which forwards them to your council. A validation officer checks the paperwork before the clock starts.
- Submit the forms, drawings and fee online.
- The council checks validity, typically within one to two weeks.
- If anything is missing, you are asked for it and the application waits.
- Once valid, the application is registered and the statutory period begins.
Step 5: Consultation and Case Officer Review
Once registered, the council publicises the application. Neighbours are notified by letter, a site notice may be displayed, and consultees such as highways or the conservation officer are asked to comment. The consultation period is normally 21 days.
A case officer is assigned, visits the site, reads the comments and weighs the proposal against the local plan and national policy. Only planning matters count — loss of a view, competition to a business, or a builder's reputation are not material considerations.
- Material: overlooking, loss of light, scale and massing, design in context, highway safety, heritage impact.
- Not material: property value, boundary disputes, private covenants, disruption during construction.
Step 6: The Decision
Most householder applications are decided by officers under delegated powers. A minority go to the planning committee, usually where there are many objections or a councillor requests it.
- Approved with conditions — the normal outcome. Read the conditions carefully.
- Refused — the notice sets out the reasons, which tell you what to change.
- Withdrawn — sometimes suggested by the officer so you can revise and resubmit rather than collect a refusal.
Permission normally lasts three years, within which you must make a material start on site.
Understanding and Discharging Conditions
Conditions are legally binding. Some are pre-commencement, meaning the details must be approved before any work begins; others must be met before occupation.
Discharging conditions is a separate application with its own fee and typically takes up to eight weeks, so build it into your programme.
If You Are Refused
A refusal is not the end of the project. You have three practical routes:
- Amend and resubmit — most councils allow one free resubmission of a similar scheme within twelve months of the decision.
- Negotiate — ask the case officer what changes would make the scheme acceptable before redrawing.
- Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate — free to lodge, but must be within twelve weeks for a householder refusal and typically takes several months.
Appeals are decided on planning policy, not on how strongly you feel, so a professional planning consultant is usually worth the fee if you go down that route.
Common Mistakes
Warning · Common mistake
Submitting Sketches Instead of Scaled Drawings
Hand sketches without a scale bar and dimensions will fail validation. Use a designer or architectural technician.
Warning · Common mistake
Assuming the Eight Weeks Starts at Submission
The clock starts at validation. Incomplete submissions can sit unregistered for weeks.
Warning · Common mistake
Ignoring Pre-Commencement Conditions
Starting work before a pre-commencement condition is discharged can make the entire development unlawful.
Warning · Common mistake
Arguing Non-Planning Points With Neighbours
Objections about value, covenants or building noise carry no weight. Focus on overlooking, light and scale.
Warning · Common mistake
Forgetting Building Regulations
Planning permission says you may build it. Building Regulations control how it is built, and you need both.
Before You Start Checklist
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Frequently asked questions
Ask Mason
Ask Mason about how to apply for planning permission
Not sure which application type you need or what to submit?
Tell Mason:
- What you want to build and roughly how big it is.
- Your property type and whether it is listed or in a conservation area.
- Whether the house has been extended before.
- Whether you already have drawings, and who produced them.
- Your target start date on site.
Mason can suggest the likely application route, the documents you will need and the realistic timescale before work can begin.
Mason cannot make a planning decision or replace advice from your local planning authority.
Disclaimer
This guide provides general information for homeowners in England and Wales. Planning fees, procedures and local validation requirements change and vary between authorities. Always confirm the current requirements with your local planning authority or a qualified planning professional before submitting an application.