Apply for planning permission
The best way to apply for a wide range of planning permission is online, using the Planning Portal. The Planning Portal will allow you to complete the relevant form, attach your documents and submit your payment. You can also apply online to discharge a condition.
If your application cannot be submitted online, you will be also able to download and print paper forms for submission from the Planning Portal website.
Check if Building Regulations approval is needed
Please remember that most projects such as building new homes, or making structural alterations to a property (e.g. extensions, loft conversions, new windows and doors, changing the use of a room to build a bathroom) will also need approval under the building regulations. This is a separate process to Planning and should be done after obtaining planning permission, but before you start the work.
What to include in your planning application
The information you need to submit depends on the type of planning application being made.
Before you send in your application, please use the links below to check local and national requirements and our Types of application section to make sure you've included everything we need.
Local and national requirements
Costs and how to pay
The cost of your planning application will depend on the type and scale of your development. How you pay for your application depends on how you apply.
From 6 December 2023 in line with the Government’s policy, there will be a change in the planning fees structure. The changes to planning application fees are made by the Government via the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. Full information on the fee changes and related regulations can be found on the Planning Portal.
Find out more about our fees and how to pay on our Pay for a planning application page.
After you apply (Validation)
Once your application has been submitted, it will be registered and the Validation Team will check that everything that is required to validate the application has been provided.
If information is required that has not been provided, we will get in touch with you or your agent to inform you of this and to explain how the required information can be provided.
Once an application is deemed valid, you or your agent will receive an acknowledgement letter by email (if an email address has been provided) or post. This will let you know the name of the planning officer who will be determining your application.
Can I make changes after validation?
The opportunity to make significant changes to an application after validation is limited. Revised plans which require re-consultation may not be accepted because the reconsultation may not be able to be carried out and a decision made inside the 8, 13 or 16 week target.
Applicants however may be able to make changes to the proposals and plans to address issues raised by Officers and Consultees if time permits during the process of consideration.
In every case the submission of revised details must be accompanied by a written explanation and schedule clearly setting out the proposed changes. Fresh drawings or modifications that significantly alter the nature or description of the proposal will not normally be accepted after validation. If such a change is unavoidable, the Council may ask for a new application. Where an application has been validated but needs significant alteration to make it acceptable, or where pre-application advice to overcome problems has not been followed, the Council will consider the application as submitted and this may result in a recommendation of refusal. The applicant may, however, withdraw the application and submit a new application for a revised scheme before a decision is made. There is normally no fee for the first such resubmission.