Planning permission for your project, from first sketch to decision
For homeowners, landlords and businesses who need their council’s approval. Compare quotes from professionals who can prepare your drawings and application and see it through to a decision.
Planning permission is your council’s formal consent for building work, or a change of use, that counts as development. Many extensions, loft conversions, new homes, conversions and commercial alterations need it, although some smaller projects can go ahead under permitted development instead. A good professional first checks whether you need permission at all and which type of application fits, then designs a proposal that works for you and respects local policy, prepares accurate drawings and supporting documents, submits the application and deals with the planning officer until a decision is made.
How a professional can help
- Working out whether you need permission: They check your property’s permitted development rights, its planning history and any conditions or Article 4 directions that affect it, so you only apply when you actually need to.
- Choosing the right type of application: Householder, full or outline, perhaps alongside listed building consent: the right route depends on the property, the scale of the work and how much detail you want to commit to at this stage.
- A design that fits local policy: They read your council’s local plan, design guides and recent decisions nearby, and shape the proposal so it meets your brief while dealing with likely concerns such as overlooking, scale and appearance.
- Complete drawings and documents: Location and site plans, existing and proposed floor plans, elevations and sections, plus any statements on the council’s validation list, so the application isn’t held up as incomplete.
- Talking to the planning officer: While the council considers the application, they answer queries, respond to consultee and neighbour comments, and propose amendments where the council will accept them, so a fixable issue doesn’t end in refusal.
- Understanding the decision: They explain any conditions attached to an approval and what must be done before work starts, or the options open to you if the application is refused.
Is this right for you?
- You know what you want to build but aren’t sure whether it needs planning permission or which application to make.
- Your project is more than a simple extension, such as a new home, a conversion or work to commercial premises.
- You’ve tried applying yourself and the council has said the application is invalid or needs more information.
- You want one person to handle the whole process, from first sketches to the decision notice.
How the project usually runs
- Site visit and planning check: Your professional visits, discusses your brief and budget, and reviews the planning history, constraints and policies that apply to the site before any design work starts.
- Survey and concept design: The existing building is measured and early options are sketched. Where it helps, they may suggest asking the council for pre-application advice on the preferred option.
- Application drawings and reports: Once you agree a design, they prepare the plans, elevations and supporting documents, arrange any specialist reports, and complete the forms and ownership certificates.
- Submission and consultation: The council checks the application is valid, notifies neighbours and consultees, and the case officer assesses it. Your professional handles questions and any agreed amendments.
- Decision and next steps: With permission granted, you move on to Building Regulations drawings, discharging any conditions that must be met before work begins, and getting builders’ quotes.
What affects the cost
- The type and scale of the project, from a single extension to a new building or several homes.
- Whether a measured survey of the existing building is needed, or accurate drawings already exist.
- How many design options you want to explore before settling on one to submit.
- Specialist reports the council asks for, such as heritage, ecology, trees, flood risk or highways.
- How sensitive the site is, for example in a conservation area, next to listed buildings or with a refusal in its history.
- Whether the fee covers pre-application advice, amendments during the application and help with conditions afterwards.
What to know before you apply
- Planning permission is separate from Building Regulations approval, and most projects that need one also need the other.
- Some work can go ahead under permitted development, but those rights are reduced or removed on some properties, and in England flats and maisonettes don’t have householder permitted development rights.
- Each UK nation has its own planning system and every council has its own local plan, so the same proposal can be treated differently in different places.
- A permission normally comes with a deadline for starting work, so check the date on your decision notice.
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for my project?
It depends on what you’re building, the type of property and where it is. Some extensions and alterations can go ahead under permitted development, while others need an application. Flats, listed buildings, conservation areas and properties where rights have been removed are treated differently. A professional can check your property’s history and constraints and tell you which route applies, and in many cases you can confirm it formally with a certificate of lawfulness.
How long does a planning application take?
Councils have target periods for deciding applications, which vary with the type and size of the project, and the clock only starts once the application is validated. Allow extra time before that for surveys, design and any specialist reports, and afterwards for discharging conditions. Your professional can give you a realistic timetable for your council, but nobody can promise a decision date.
Do I have to own the property to apply?
No. You can apply for planning permission on land you don’t own, but you must notify the owner and confirm on the application form that you have done so. Permission normally belongs to the land rather than to the person who applied, so it passes on if the property is sold.
What happens if my application is refused?
The decision notice gives the council’s reasons. You can often address them with a revised design and a fresh application, or you can appeal. In England and Wales, appeals go to an independent body and must be made within strict deadlines from the date of the decision, so get advice quickly. Your professional can tell you which option has the stronger case.
Can I start work before I get permission?
It’s possible, but risky. If permission is refused, the council can take enforcement action requiring the work to be changed or removed. Even once permission is granted, some conditions must be met before work begins, and starting without dealing with them can leave the work unauthorised.
What drawings does a planning application need?
Most applications need a location plan, a site plan, and existing and proposed floor plans and elevations, all drawn to scale. Sections, roof plans and street scenes help for some projects. Your council publishes a local validation list setting out what it expects, including any statements or reports, so check it or ask your professional.
Available across the UK
Professionals cover the whole of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Planning and Building Regulations differ between the four nations, and your professional will work to the rules that apply where your property is.
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