A planning application is the formal request to a local planning authority for permission to build. Most alterations to a property need one. Getting it wrong — wrong route, wrong documentation, wrong argument — costs months and, in the worst case, ends in a refusal that follows the address for years. We handle the whole process: feasibility, drawings, statements, submission, and the case-officer conversations that decide approval or refusal. Fees fixed in writing before we begin. First consultation free.
When you need one
You need an application whenever the works are not covered by permitted development, or when those rights have been withdrawn by an Article 4 direction, a planning condition, or the property being in a conservation area, National Park or AONB.
In practice: most rear extensions above a certain depth, most side extensions, most changes of use, most work to flats, and almost all commercial work. Loft conversions often go through permitted development but the exceptions catch people out. We run the check as part of the free consultation.
The application types
Householder — extensions and alterations to a single house. Shortest route.
Full — flats, new builds, commercial, changes of use, or works beyond householder scope.
Prior approval — where permitted development applies but the authority still checks size, siting and impact. Faster than full, but the tests are real.
Lawful development certificate — confirms works are lawful without needing planning permission. Useful for anything you may need to prove to a buyer or lender.
Pre-application — a paid conversation with the case officer before you submit. On borderline sites, almost always worth it.
What decides approval
Applications are decided on the local plan and on material considerations — the NPPF, neighbourhood plans, heritage, daylight, ecology, highways. A good application evidences its compliance in the officer’s own language. A weak one leaves the officer to do that translation, which they rarely have time for.
The single biggest predictor of approval is not the design; it is the quality of the supporting statements. Most of our time goes on the argument, not the drawings.
What we deliver
- Application forms completed and validated
- Existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections
- Site location and block plans with red-line boundary
- Design and Access Statement where required
- Heritage, daylight, ecology and other supporting reports where relevant
- CIL forms and pre-commencement condition notices
- Case-officer liaison and response to consultee comments
- Amendments or resubmission strategy if refused
How the process runs
Assessment
Site, policy, planning history and constraints checked. The right route confirmed.
Design
The proposal drawn to meet the brief inside the policy tests.
Statements
Supporting statements written to answer the tests the officer will apply.
Submission
Application validated, submitted and its progress managed on your behalf.
Determination
Consultee comments and officer queries handled. Amendments negotiated if needed.
Standards and regulations that apply
The frameworks we work to as standard.
The primary legislation. Every application is made under it.
Updated December 2024. Material to every decision.
The council’s own policy document, which carries statutory weight.
Where adopted, carry the same weight as the local plan.
Removes permitted development rights in specified areas. Common in London.
Changed designer duties on all projects. Coordinated with planning where relevant.
Common questions
How long does an application take? +
Statutory eight weeks for a householder, thirteen for a full application, from validation. Total time from starting design to a decision is usually four to six months on a straightforward project.
What does it cost? +
The council’s application fee is a statutory amount (currently £258 for a householder application; more for full and commercial). Our fee is separate, fixed in writing before we begin.
What if it’s refused? +
Every refusal comes with reasons. Three routes usually follow: an amended resubmission (often at no extra fee within twelve months), a planning appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, or an alternative permitted-development route.
Do neighbours have to be consulted? +
Yes — the authority runs formal consultation. Objections don’t automatically defeat an application, but well-founded ones are weighted. On sensitive projects we recommend a five-minute conversation with neighbours before submission.
Can I appeal a refusal? +
Yes. Appeals go to the Planning Inspectorate and take four to nine months. Well-argued appeals win regularly.
Do I need permission to change use? +
Usually yes. Use Class E (introduced 2020) merged several former uses, making some changes automatic and others restricted.
What is permitted development? +
A set of national rights allowing certain works without an application. Detailed conditions apply, and many properties have had these rights removed by Article 4 or planning conditions.
Do you work outside London? +
Yes. English planning law is national. We work across the UK.
Get in touch and we’ll confirm the route and the fee.