Understanding how the planning system works will help you better plan your project long before you are ready to submit an application. It’s important to understand the planning policies that are relevant to your site, so you and your architectural designer can shape the proposals to maximise the chances of securing permission. You also need to understand the level of detail that will be required by the local authority and the surveys and reports that need to form part of an application to ensure it is validated.
Planning application fees are fixed and set nationally through the Fee Regulations. You can calculate fees for local authorities in England using www.planningportal.co.uk/app/fee-calculator but there are equivalent Planning Portal sites for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The application fee is just one component of preparing a planning application. For a full list of requirements for a valid planning application, search your local authority Validation Checklists for each application type. In addition to the location plan, site plan, elevations, floorplans and key sections of the proposed development, there will be a raft of other documents and reports required, ranging from ecology surveys to details of access, parking and landscaping.
WHAT IS PLANNING PERMISSION?
Planning permission is the legal process of determining whether proposed developments should be permitted. The definition of ‘development’ includes construction of new buildings, changes of use of land and buildings, and work that falls with the definition of ‘engineering operations’. Specified categories of development are granted an automatic planning permission by law under The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, and therefore do not require any application for planning permission. These categories are referred to as permitted development. Building a new home without planning permission is unlawful and could be subject to enforcement action by the local authority. Failure to secure permission retrospectively for unlawful development can lead to any buildings having to be altered or removed altogether, and the land returned to its former state.
Decisions on whether or not to grant planning permission
