Planning Handbook

For all your planning and building regulation advice.
Reach for support on planning permissions and building regulations to start your new building project, whether it's a home extension, corporate project, local, or a regional specialised company.
Our planning handbooks are carefully designed by our team of experienced designers and tailored to specific regions across the country before they are prepared and packaged by our distribution team. This distribution is targeted at planning applicants so you are sure to receive the information you are looking for or have your advertisement seen.

How to Make a Planning Application
Most people use an ‘agent’ such as an architect or building surveyor to apply for planning permission on their behalf. Doing this means your agent receives all council correspondence relating to the application. Planning applications are made in two ways: either online through the national Planning Portal or by submitting paper copies of all documents to the council. You can get a paper application form at the planning department office or download one from your local council’s website.

A ‘full’ application
This applies in most cases where you want to change the use of your house or garden, or when you have prepared detailed drawings outlining your plans.

An ‘outline’ application
This is useful if you want to know the council’s thoughts on your proposal before you make detailed drawings. If you make an outline application, you must make another application for ‘reserved matters’ approval before you can commence building.

Home extensions and ‘prior notification’
You are required to submit a standard planning application to the local planning authority and consult neighbours, unless in certain designated areas. Check the relevant procedure with your local council.

Decision Outcomes
The positive news for those wishing to build or renovate is that councils approve approximately 80% of planning applications, including 90% of applications made by householders.

Once your proposal has gained full planning permission, you will typically have to start building within three years. The council may shorten this time limit or make it longer if appropriate and will explain their reasons for doing this on the decision notice you or your agent will receive. If you do not start developing within this time limit, you will need to re-apply for permission before the time limit runs out.

If you only sought outline planning permission, the council will specify the matters reserved for approval and state the time limit within which you must make an application for these matters.

Appealing a Decision
If you disagree with your council’s decision or if you have not received a decision within the agreed determination period, you can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. It is an independent body which will look at your proposals again. Appealing is a time-consuming process, so it is worth first trying to negotiate with the planning officer who made the decision. When you appeal, the inspector will consider your planning proposal from the very start. They will review all the same issues as the council, including the council’s development plan and all other relevant matters.

When do you appeal?
You can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate if the council you applied to has:

• Refused your application for planning permission
• Given you planning permission but with planning conditions which you believe are unreasonable
• Refused to approve a scheme to which they already gave outline planning permission
• Approved the details of a scheme with planning conditions which you believe are unreasonable
• Refused your proposal to meet a particular planning condition
• Taken longer than eight weeks (12 weeks for larger schemes) to decide your application
• Refused your application to fell or otherwise implicated a protected tree

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