How does the Planning Application process work?
- How to submit a Planning Application
- The Planning Application Process
- Validation Checklist
- Apply Online
How to submit a Planning Application
To submit a Planning Application for your proposal, you should apply online via the Planning Portal website (external link).
Depending on the nature of your proposal, you will be required to submit the following information.
Householder Applications
If you are applying as a homeowner for changes to your own home (where the property is a single dwelling which has not been subdivided into flats) you or your architect must provide the following information:
- The relevant Application Form
- Location plan at a scale of 1:1250 with a red line around the site in question.
- Block plan at a scale of 1:500 or 1:200 showing the direction of North, the proposed development in relation to the site boundaries and written dimensions.
- Existing and proposed plans (elevations, floor plans, roof plans and section where appropriate). All plans / elevations must have a scale bar, and all proposed drawings must in addition have at least one metric dimension.
- Fee: £206
In addition to these, you may have to provide information on:
- A Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Liable form – if your development is larger than 100sqm (gross internal area) of new development
- Design and Access statement- in a Conservation Area where the floor space created by the development is 100sqm or more
- Heritage statement
- Basement Impact Assessment- for basement development
- Flood risk assessment using EA standing advice- in Flood Zones 2 and 3
- Archaeological assessment- within Areas of Archaeological Potential
- Aboricultural Impact Assessment and Method Statement- any development proposing tree works: including applications to alter tree with a TPO or works to trees in a conservation area
Non-Householder Applications
If you are applying for a proposal for commercial uses, or to build or convert to residential housing, you must provide the following information:
- Site plan at a scale of 1:500 or 1:200 showing the direction of North, the proposed development in relation to the site boundaries with written dimensions
- Existing and proposed plans (elevations, floor plans, roof plans and a section where appropriate). All plans/elevations must have a scale bar and dimensions.
- Ownership certificate and notices
- Agricultural land declaration
- Fee
- Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Form - where the development is more than 100 sqm (gross internal area of new development and/or proposing 1 or more new dwelling(s) - even if the floorspace of the new dwelling is under 100sqm). For more information please see the Community Infrastructure Levy page.
- Design and access statement – required for the following applications:
- major developments (those which involve the creation of 10 or more residential units; residential development of on a site of 0.5 hectares or more; non-residential development on a site of at least 1 hectare; and the creation of change of use of 1000 square metres or more of gross floor space not including housing)
- Listed building consent
- Proposals where any part of the development is in a Conservation Area and consists of:
- the provision of one or more dwelling houses; or
- the provision of a building or buildings where the floor space created by the development is 100 square metres or more
For further information please see our local list of validation requirements at the foot of the page.
If you require any assistance or advice prior to submitting your application, you may wish to look through our pre-application guidance section or book a pre-application advice meeting.
You can also buy site plans and access the relevant forms and fees online.
The Planning Application Process
Once you have submitted your planning application, it will go through a number of steps:
- Validation/Checking: applications are checked to make sure all required documents and fees are there, and checked for any potential issues which need addressed to ensure compliance with policy, if considered ‘valid’ and likely to be acceptable they are registered, applications are only checked when an officer is available so there can be a number of weeks before an application is validated and checked.
- Registration: the application is entered into the register of applications and customers are informed formally that their application is registered, their application reference number, their case officer, and the deadline for the application
- Consultation (a minimum of 21 days following registration): details of the application will be published so that local people are aware of the proposals and have the opportunity to comment on the proposed development - in line with our Statement of Community Involvement (details for this can be found on the Statement of Community Involvement page). The publicity can take the form of planning lists, site notices, emails and other electronic notifications, adverts in the local press and the website. Consultees are given a minimum of 21 days to comment on an application although comments may be accepted after this period if a decision has not yet been made. Consultations will also take place where necessary with the statutory agencies, utility companies and other council departments.
- The council will hold a Development Management Forum for some large scale or contentious proposals, most often at the pre-application stage, to allow consultees to raise issues of concern about a proposal.
- Decision (usually no more than 8 weeks after receipt for householder or minor applications, and 13 weeks for a major application): the Planning service under delegated powers will issue a decision notice to the client, to state whether the application has been approved or refused, and if there are any conditions that the applicant must meet. We aim to make decisions as soon as possible after the consultation has ended.
“Call-ins” A councillor, or recognised residents’ association or community group may request that an application is decided by the Planning Sub-Committee, i.e. Councillors. Notice of the ‘call-in’ must reach the Planning Service within the 21 day consultation period. Individual members of the public cannot themselves call-in an application.
The Head of Development Management, alongside the Chair of the committee will decide if the decision should be taken to committee based on the following criteria:
- If the proposal is a significant development which has substantial local interest
- if the officer recommends approval despite the proposal being contrary to local policies in the Local Plan
Validation Checklist
The National Planning Policy Framework states that local planning authorities should publish a list of their validation information requirements for applications for planning permission. These requirements should be kept to the minimum needed to make decisions, and should be reviewed every two years. The 'local list' of planning application requirements sits alongside the ‘national list’, which is set by Government and is the same across all Local Planning Authorities in England.
Our up-to-date 'local list' was subject to external consultation in between 14 May and 11 June 2021, and took effect on 21 July 2021.
The revised local list sets out the requirements in full and is available here:
Apply Online
To submit a planning application you can apply online via the Planning Portal website.