How to Submit a Planning Application in England

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✅ Updated April 2026

How to Submit a Planning Application in England — Step by Step Guide 2026

Everything you need to know about submitting a planning application in England — from calculating your fee to getting a decision from your Local Planning Authority.

📅 2026 Guide 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England Only ⏱️ 10 Min Read

Submitting a planning application for the first time can feel daunting. Between choosing the right form, gathering the correct documents, calculating your fee, and understanding what happens next — there is a lot to take in. The good news is that the process is more straightforward than it looks, and with the right preparation you can submit a well-organised application that gives you the best possible chance of approval.

This guide walks you through every step of submitting a planning application in England in 2026 — from working out whether you need permission in the first place, right through to receiving your decision. Whether you are a homeowner planning an extension, a self-builder starting from scratch, or a developer working on a larger scheme, this guide covers everything you need to know.

💷 First — Calculate Your Planning Fee

Before you start your application, use our free tool to find out exactly how much your planning fee will be.

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Step 1 — Do You Actually Need Planning Permission?

Before you do anything else, it is worth confirming whether your project actually requires planning permission. Many common household projects are covered by Permitted Development Rights — a set of rules that allow certain types of work to be carried out without a formal planning application, provided they meet specific criteria.

Projects that often fall under Permitted Development include:

• Single storey rear extensions up to a certain depth (3 metres for terraced and semi-detached homes, 4 metres for detached)
• Loft conversions that do not exceed the permitted volume allowance
• Small outbuildings and garden structures within size limits
• Internal alterations that do not affect the external appearance
• Certain changes of use between compatible use classes

However, Permitted Development Rights can be removed or restricted in certain areas — including Conservation Areas, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), and properties with an Article 4 Direction in place. If you are unsure, always check with your Local Planning Authority (LPA) before assuming you do not need permission.

If you want formal confirmation that your project is lawful without permission, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC). This is not mandatory, but it gives you a written record that can be useful when selling the property in future.

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Step 2 — Choose the Right Type of Planning Application

Not all planning applications are the same. Choosing the correct application type is critical — submitting the wrong form can lead to your application being invalidated and your fee being wasted. Here are the most common types:

Application Type	When to Use It	2026 Fee
Householder Application	Extensions, loft conversions, alterations to existing home	£548
Full Planning Permission	New builds, commercial, change of use	Varies
Outline Planning Permission	Establish principle of development before full details	By site area
Prior Approval	Certain Permitted Development types requiring prior check	£249
Listed Building Consent	Works to a listed building	FREE
Lawful Development Certificate	Confirm works are lawful with or without permission	Half / full fee

If you are in any doubt about which application type is right for your project, consider seeking pre-application advice from your LPA before spending money on drawings and fees. Most councils offer a pre-application service — though it carries its own charge — and it can save you significant time and money if your project is complex or borderline.

Step 3 — Calculate Your Planning Application Fee

Once you know which type of application you need, your next step is to calculate the correct fee. Planning application fees in England are statutory — set by central government and applied uniformly across all Local Planning Authorities. From 1 April 2026, fees increased by 3.8% in line with the Consumer Prices Index.

The most common fees you are likely to encounter are:

• Householder application (single dwelling) — £548
• New dwellinghouses (1–9 units) — £610 per dwelling
• Operations within curtilage — £272
• Prior Approval (larger rear extension) — £249
• Discharge of conditions (householder) — £89

In addition to the statutory planning fee paid to your council, applications submitted via the Planning Portal also carry a service charge of £75.83 + VAT from April 2026. Use our free Planning Portal Fee Calculator to get an instant, accurate estimate based on your specific project type before you begin your application.

Step 4 — Prepare Your Planning Documents

Every planning application requires a set of supporting documents. Submitting an incomplete application is one of the most common reasons for invalidation — and it means your application clock does not start until all the required documents are received. Getting this right first time is therefore essential.

The standard documents required for most applications include:

📋 Planning Application Documents Checklist

✅Completed application form — available on the Planning Portal

✅Location plan — OS-based map showing the site in context (scale 1:1250 or 1:2500)

✅Block plan / site plan — showing the site boundary and proposed works (scale 1:500 or 1:200)

✅Existing floor plans and elevations — showing the current state of the property

✅Proposed floor plans and elevations — showing the intended changes in detail

✅Design and Access Statement — required for most major applications and some minor ones

✅Ownership certificate — confirming your ownership status of the land

✅Agricultural land declaration — required in all cases

✅Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) form — required by most LPAs

Many LPAs also have their own local validation requirements — additional documents specific to their area. These might include flood risk assessments, heritage statements, ecological surveys, or transport statements depending on the nature and location of your project. Always check your LPA's local validation checklist before submitting.

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Step 5 — Commission Your Planning Drawings

Unless your project is very straightforward, you will almost certainly need professionally drawn plans to support your application. Planning drawings need to be accurate, drawn to scale, and clearly show both the existing and proposed states of the development. Poor quality drawings are a common reason for applications being refused or held up.

You have several options for commissioning your drawings. A qualified architect or architectural technician will produce the highest quality plans and can also advise on the most appropriate design approach to maximise your chances of approval. For simpler householder applications, an architectural technician is often a more cost-effective choice than a fully qualified architect, with comparable quality for straightforward extension projects.

When choosing a professional, look for someone with experience of local applications in your area — knowledge of your LPA's preferences and design guidelines can make a real difference to the outcome.

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Step 6 — Create Your Planning Portal Account

The vast majority of planning applications in England are submitted online via the Planning Portal at planningportal.co.uk. To submit an application, you will need to create a free account if you do not already have one. Registration takes only a few minutes and requires a valid email address.

Once registered, the Planning Portal will guide you through selecting the correct application form for your project. It is important to choose carefully at this stage — submitting the wrong form type means your application may be invalidated, and you could lose your fee.

The portal also has a built-in fee calculator that will calculate your fee as you complete the form. For an advance estimate before you begin, use our free Planning Portal Fee Calculator to confirm the figure.

Step 7 — Complete and Submit Your Application

With your documents prepared, your drawings commissioned, and your fee calculated, you are ready to complete and submit your application. Here is what to expect:

• Complete the application form — work through each section carefully. The form will ask for details about the site, the proposed development, the applicant, and the agent (if applicable).
• Upload your documents — upload all required drawings and supporting documents in PDF format. Most LPAs require PDFs rather than image files. Make sure file sizes are within the permitted limits.
• Review everything — before submitting, review your application carefully. Check that all documents are the correct versions, all form fields are completed, and the fee shown is correct.
• Pay your fee — pay by debit or credit card via the Planning Portal. The statutory fee goes to your council; the service charge goes to the Planning Portal. Both are non-refundable.
• Submit — once payment is confirmed, your application is submitted and you will receive a reference number. Keep this safe — you will need it to track your application.

Step 8 — Validation

After submission, your LPA will check your application to ensure it is valid — meaning all required documents are present and the correct fee has been paid. This is called the validation process. Until your application is validated, the statutory determination clock does not start.

If your application is found to be invalid — for example, if a document is missing or the fee is incorrect — your LPA will contact you to request the missing information or additional payment. You normally have a set period to respond before the application is returned to you.

Once validated, you will receive a formal acknowledgement letter confirming your application reference and the target decision date.

Step 9 — Consultation and Public Notice

Once validated, your application enters the consultation period. Your LPA is required to notify neighbours and relevant statutory consultees (such as the Highways Authority, Environment Agency, or Historic England, depending on your project) and invite comments. A site notice or press notice may also be posted.

The standard consultation period is 21 days. During this time, neighbours and members of the public can submit comments in support of or objecting to your application. All comments are publicly visible on the planning register.

It is worth noting that whilst objections from neighbours are taken into account, they do not automatically lead to a refusal. Planning decisions must be made on material planning considerations — which includes matters such as design, impact on the street scene, overlooking, and loss of daylight — not personal preference or property value concerns.

Step 10 — The Decision

Most householder applications are decided by a delegated planning officer — meaning a council officer makes the decision without it going to a planning committee. Major applications and those that attract significant public interest may be referred to the planning committee for a vote.

The statutory determination periods are:

• Householder applications — 8 weeks from validation
• Minor applications — 8 weeks from validation
• Major applications — 13 weeks from validation
• EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) applications — 16 weeks from validation

If your application is approved, you will receive a decision notice setting out any conditions attached to the permission. Planning permission in England is typically valid for 3 years from the date of the decision notice, within which time you must commence development.

If your application is refused, the decision notice will set out the reasons for refusal. You have the right to appeal the decision to the Planning Inspectorate within 12 weeks of the refusal date for householder applications. Alternatively, you may wish to address the reasons for refusal and submit a revised application — your first resubmission within 12 months is free of charge.

After Approval — What Happens Next?

Receiving your planning permission is a significant milestone, but it is not the end of the process. Before you start building, there are several important steps to take:

• Read your conditions carefully — most permissions are granted subject to conditions. Some conditions must be discharged (formally approved by the council) before you can start work. Use our calculator to check the fee for discharging conditions.
• Apply for Building Regulations approval — planning permission and Building Regulations are separate systems. Most building work also requires Building Regulations approval from your local Building Control body.
• Check if a Party Wall Agreement is needed — if your works affect a shared wall with a neighbour, you may need to serve a Party Wall Notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
• Find a builder — once your permissions are in order, you can proceed with appointing a contractor to carry out the works.

👷 Ready to Find Your Builder?

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Top Tips for a Successful Planning Application

💡 Tip 1 — Use Pre-Application Advice

Before spending money on drawings and fees, consider paying for pre-application advice from your LPA. A brief discussion with a planning officer can identify potential issues early and save you significant cost and time.

💡 Tip 2 — Engage With Neighbours Early

Speak to your immediate neighbours before submitting your application. Addressing their concerns early — perhaps by adjusting your design — can prevent formal objections that might complicate or delay your decision.

💡 Tip 3 — Submit Before April Each Year

Planning fees increase on 1 April every year under the current CPI-linked system. If you are close to being ready, submitting before the end of March can save you money — particularly on larger schemes.

💡 Tip 4 — Check the Local Validation Checklist

Every LPA has its own local validation checklist setting out additional documents required beyond the national minimum. Always check this before submitting to avoid your application being invalidated for a missing local requirement.

💡 Tip 5 — Track Your Application Online

Once submitted, you can track the progress of your application on your LPA's online planning register. This shows when consultee responses are received, when the case officer is assigned, and when a decision is imminent.

Conclusion

Submitting a planning application in England does not have to be stressful. By following the steps in this guide — confirming you need permission, choosing the right application type, calculating your fee accurately, preparing your documents thoroughly, and engaging positively with the process — you give yourself the best possible chance of a smooth, successful outcome.

The most important first step is knowing your fee. Use our free Planning Portal Fee Calculator to get an instant estimate before you begin — it takes less than a minute and covers all major application types in England.

Calculate your planning fee instantly — free, accurate & always up to date.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Householder and minor planning applications have a statutory determination period of 8 weeks from the date of validation. Major applications have 13 weeks, and EIA applications have 16 weeks. In practice, many applications take longer than the statutory period, particularly where LPAs are under-resourced. If your LPA fails to decide within the statutory period, you have the right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination.

Yes — there is no legal requirement to use an architect or agent when submitting a planning application. You can prepare and submit the application yourself. However, you will still need professionally drawn plans to the required scales and standards. For complex projects, using a qualified professional significantly improves the quality of the application and can reduce the risk of refusal.

Planning permission and Building Regulations are two completely separate systems. Planning permission controls what you can build, where, and in what form — it is about the principle and appearance of development. Building Regulations set the technical standards for how buildings must be constructed — covering structure, fire safety, insulation, drainage, and more. Most building projects require both, and getting Building Regulations approval is usually done after planning permission is granted.

No. A neighbour cannot stop a planning application. They have the right to submit a formal objection during the consultation period, but their objection can only be considered if it raises a valid material planning consideration — such as overlooking, loss of daylight, or design impact. Personal matters such as property values, loss of a view, or general dislike of the project are not material planning considerations and cannot form the basis of a planning refusal.

In England, most planning permissions are valid for 3 years from the date of the decision notice. This means you must commence development within 3 years. Once commenced — which means carrying out a material operation on site — the permission does not expire, though Building Regulations approval and other consents may have their own time limits. Outline planning permission is typically valid for 3 years, with a further 2 years to submit reserved matters.

Building without the required planning permission is a planning breach. Your LPA can issue an Enforcement Notice requiring you to undo the works, or in some cases a Stop Notice to halt works in progress. Failing to comply with an Enforcement Notice is a criminal offence. You may also have difficulty selling the property in future if the works are not regularised. If you have already carried out works without permission, you may be able to apply retrospectively for planning permission or a Certificate of Lawful Development.

For most projects, yes. Pre-application advice gives you the opportunity to discuss your proposals with a planning officer before committing to the cost of a full application. It can identify potential issues with your design, flag local policy concerns, and give you a sense of whether the project is likely to be approved. For complex or borderline projects, this intelligence is invaluable. The cost varies by LPA and by project size, but for householder applications it is typically between £50 and £200.

Yes. All planning applications in England are recorded on a public planning register, which is searchable on your LPA's website. You can track the status of your application, view consultee responses, see any objections or representations received, and check the target decision date. The Planning Portal also provides status updates for applications submitted through it.

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