Make a planning application

How to apply for planning permission

To apply for planning permission you will need to send us:

a completed application form
the correct fee
plans of the site to scale 1:1250 or 1:2500
any relevant supporting information known as validation criteria

You may also want to get advice on your application before you submit it.

Application fees and how to pay

Use the fee calculator to calculate how much you need to pay with your application.

If you send us your application through the Planning Portal, you pay online there
If you don't apply via the Planning Portal, you can pay online using our payment system

How to apply

Apply for planning permission via the Planning Portal

Please ensure you check the validation criteria to see what information you will need to send in with your application.

If you prefer to complete a paper form, you can download a planning permission form then either post it back to us or deliver it by hand.

What happens next

We will check your application and get in touch with you if there is any information missing. A planning officer will assess your proposal and may visit the site to put up the site notice.

All applications will be made available to view and comment on through public access.

For most standard or small planning applications you should have a decision in eight weeks. Larger or more complex applications may take up to 13 weeks.

Some planning applications might need to be decided by planning committee. If this is the case we will let you know and invite you to speak to the planning committee.

Our approach to dealing with your application

If we make the decision that a planning submission is unacceptable, we do not have to take part in negotiations to resolve any planning issues. Any negotiations will be carried out at our discretion.

We will not enter into negotiations to resolve identified planning issues when:

a proposal is judged to be fundamentally unacceptable in principle, or
there are three or more issues (potential reasons for refusal) to be overcome

Applications that are unacceptable in principle will be refused. An application which is acceptable in principle but which has three or more potential reasons for refusal should be withdrawn and resubmitted following further discussion.

We will enter into negotiations to resolve identified planning issues when the issues:

do not relate to the principle of development
are limited to one or two in number
can be resolved through one submission of one set of revised plans and/or documents (per issue)

Even in cases where an application is acceptable in principle, and planning concerns are limited to one or two issues, there is still a risk that negotiations will become drawn out over months or even years. For this reason, only one-round of amended plans will be accepted.

In all cases, we will only enter into negotiations or seek amended plans if an extension has been agreed in writing beforehand allowing sufficient time for:

submission of amended plans
associated re-consultation (if applicable)
officer review and determination of the application

If your application was the subject of a formal pre-application submission and a genuine attempt has been made to address our concerns, we are likely to apply the above approach in a significantly more flexible manner, depending on the circumstances of the case.