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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 is within the South Downs National Park, you will need to apply for planning permission to the South Downs National Park Authority.

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.

Apply for planning permission

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.

Once your application has been submitted, it will be registered, and the Validation team will check to ensure we have all the information needed to make your application valid. You will receive an acknowledgment once it is reviewed.

This page is a step by step guide to the planning process and each stage you will go through when you submit an application. Click the links below to skip to the part of the page you wish to read.

Pre-application planning advice

We offer a pre-application planning advice service which we encourage you to consider using ahead of submitting your application. The benefits of engaging with us at this stage are the service will help you:

  • Understand how our policies will be applied to your proposal
  • Identify potential problems and possible solutions before you make an application
  • Reduce the burden of additional costs and reduce the risk of a refusal
  • Provide input from our inhouse specialists where appropriate for example Conservation or Landscape advice
  • Identify proposals which are in principle contrary to policy and therefore not likely to obtain planning permission which will save you the cost and time of pursuing a formal application

You can access this service using the below link.

Get pre-application planning advice

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.

Building Control.

What to include in your planning application

The information you need to submit depends on the type of planning application being made.

Before you submit 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

Types of application

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.

The government are increasing fees from April 2025 these will be available at that time.

Find out more about our fees and how to pay on  our Pay for a planning application page.

If your application is missing information at validation stage

If information is required that has not been provided, your application will be made invalid, and we will get in touch with you or your agent usually by letter or email requesting the missing information or amendments needed.

If the required information is not provided within 8 weeks of the request, and no correspondence is received then your application will be returned to you.

If at a later point it is identified that additional information is needed the case officer will contact yourself or your agent.

Once your application is deemed valid, you or your agent will receive an acknowledgment 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.

Visit the guidance for preparing a planning application section on our website for more information.

Making changes after validation

It is not possible to evolve and amend development proposals as part of the formal planning application process, and any such discussions should instead take place at a pre-application stage.  Is it at the discretion of the Local Planning Authority whether to accept amended plans or additional application as part of an application, or whether the proposed changes are so significant as to materially alter the proposal such that a new application would instead be required.

To prevent unnecessary delays and to reduce uncertainty for all interested parties, amendments which significantly alter the character or description of the proposal will not be accepted.  In these circumstances applications will be determined as submitted. In addition, unsolicited amendments (i.e., in response to representations or consultation responses) will not be accepted unless there have been previous discussions between the agent / applicant and case officer.

There will be occasions where in order to raise the quality and minimise any unacceptable impacts amendments will be sought on an application.  The type of amendments which will be accepted will vary according to the application type and the overall scale of a development, and can be discussed with the case officer as part of the application process.  In all cases where amendments are sought any revised details must be accompanied by a written explanation and schedule clearly setting out the extent / nature of the changes.

Specialist advice

We may seek comments from specialists either from other departments within the Council or external bodies on matters such as highway access and safety, effects on the environment and flood risk. This is part of the decision-making process.

Application publicity

Upon receiving a planning application adjoining neighbours will be notified and are able to submit comments. All Applications are publicised on our website so that progress can be monitored by the public, applicants, and agents. It should be notified that applications will only be advertised in the press or by site notice inline with planning legislation.

It should be noted that the council do not hold record of land ownership so only adjoining neighbours with a postal address will be informed.

Comments and consultation responses are available to view on public access https://www.horsham.gov.uk/planning/planning-applications/view-and-comment-on-planning-applications

How is a planning application determined?

We are required to assess each planning application on its own merits, taking into account national and local Planning Policy as well as other material considerations.

Applications are allocated to a planning case officer, who is the point of contact for making enquiries about the application. The case officer is responsible for assessing the merits of the proposal in terms of planning policy and the comments received as a result of the consultation process.

The case officer will take into consideration all material planning grounds which will include but not limited too:

  • Local and national planning policies
  • Views of other council services like Environmental Health
  • Views of county council services like Highways
  • Views of external bodies like The Environment Agency
  • Comments received from local people - (objecting to an application will not automatically mean that it will be refused)
  • Further advice on what constitutes a material planning ground can be found here: https://www.horsham.gov.uk/planning/planning-applications/view-and-comment-on-planning-applications

The case officer will then make a balanced recommendation based on material considerations – the application will then be either determined by a senior officer with delegated powers or considered by planning committee.

Delegated Powers

Applications determined under delegated powers for minor developments (including householder applications) are generally determined within eight weeks of validation. Applications for major developments are generally determined within 13 weeks of validation. More complex schemes may take longer than this.

The majority of planning applications, approximately 90%, are dealt with by Council officers under delegated powers. The other 10% are determined by Planning Committee.

Planning Committee

The council’s constitution sets out when an application will be elevated to a planning committee.

If an application is going to be determined by the Planning Committee, the applicant or their agent will be notified in line with the Scheme of Delegation which is set out in the Council Constitution on page 41 (Section 3.2.2). Notification will be by letter approximately a week before the committee date.

If you have submitted comments in support or objection of an application that is going to be determined by Committee, you will receive written confirmation of the Committee date and officer recommendation to establish whether you wish to speak on the application at Committee.

There are two planning Committees: Planning Committee (North) and Planning Committee (South). They each meet once a month.

All meetings are held at our offices at Albery House, Springfield Road, Horsham RH12 2GB. The dates are published in our Meetings and Agenda section.

If you do not wish to speak you can attend the planning committee in person or it is available on the Horsham District Council YouTube channel.

Speaking at Planning Committee

If you wish to speak at Committee in support or opposition of an application, you can do this by contacting democratic services following the instructions and deadlines set out in the letter.

Each registered speaker will be limited to 2 minutes in which to make any representations. Unless specified otherwise the total time for such representations and order is as follows:

  • Objectors: 3 speaking slots, each limited to 2 minutes
  • Applicant/Agent/Supporter: 3 speaking slots, each limited to 2 minutes
  • Parish or Neighbourhood Council representative(s): 1 speaking slot limited to 5 minutes

If you have registered to speak, you should arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. You will be given a brief explanation of the arrangements and your attendance will be recorded. You will not be able to present or circulate photographs, plans, documentation or any other visual aids or material at the Committee meeting.

Items will normally be heard in the order set out on the agenda. This means it may be some time before the item in which you are interested is heard.

Following the presentation of the case by the case officer and the comments received from speakers, Councillors will discuss the planning application, involving the officers as necessary. There will be no further right to speak or raise questions.

The Committee will make a decision to either:

  • Refuse the application
  • Permit the application as recommended with or without additional conditions
  • Defer the decision on the application to another meeting, to enable further discussion to take place and/or to obtain additional material
  • Delegate the decision to the Development Manager

Once the Committee has taken a decision, only the applicant or agent has a right of appeal. There is no third party right of appeal.

Committee decisions normally take place within 3 working days of the meeting unless the decision is pending the receipt of additional material or a legal agreement related to the development.

When will I have a decision/how long does it take?

Once an application becomes valid, we aim to issue a decision for householder and other small scale applications within 8 weeks, and 13 weeks for major applications.

On occasions a decision may take longer due to the complexity of the application, whether a legal agreement is required to be attached to the decision or a requirement for it to be determined at one of the planning committees. The case officer will normally advise you of a revised timescale.

How we inform you of the decision

The decision notice will be sent out to the applicant/agent once a decision has been made. It will contain the reasons for approval or refusal of the application, and any conditions attached to the approval.

If you receive a refusal on your application, we now offer a post-refusal advice service for householder and minor schemes.

For any members of the public who are interested in the outcome, the decision notice can be viewed on the public portal.

Appeals

There are no rights of appeal for third parties (objectors) who are unhappy with the planning decision.

If you feel that your application has been unreasonably refused you can appeal to the Planning inspectorate within 12 weeks for a householder application or six months for other application types from the date of the decision, following the guidance detailed in the decision notice.

If an application is appealed all submitted representations will be supplied to the planning inspectorate and you will be informed by letter of how you can engage with appeal process.