Planning Permission and Applications

How to Make a Householder Planning Application

Plans and drawings
We will need three copies of the following plans or drawings.

For all applications

  • A site location plan.

This should be an extract from the up-to-date Ordnance Survey plan at a scale of 1:1250 (or 1:2500 on large sites in rural areas).

You should mark the application site boundary with a red line. This is usually the boundary of the site that you own or control. It must include all the land that is necessary to carry out the proposed development, including land required for access from the public highway, car parking, land for landscaping and any garden or other open areas around buildings. The boundary of any adjoining land that you own or control but do not require for the proposed development should be marked with a blue line.

We need this plan so we can accurately and precisely identify the land to which the application relates. It needs to be up to date so that it shows existing buildings. We have found that the only satisfactory way of doing this is to ask for a copy of the Ordnance Survey plan on which you can mark your site boundary. A planning permission is a legal document and it is important that the site boundaries are shown accurately. We are required by law to keep a register of planning permissions and pending applications. This register is the subject of local land searches. It is therefore to your benefit that the boundary of your application is accurately recorded. Our agreement with the Ordnance Survey allows us to provide applicants with a suitable extract. We make a charge for this. You can also buy an extract from one of the OS's Superplan agents. The local agent is Traveller Ltd., 55 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6EF. Telephone: 0191 261 5622. Email: info@newtraveller.com.

Making Householder Planning Applications Index

For alterations and extensions to existing buildings

  • Detailed floor plan and elevation drawings of the existing and proposed situation.

These will be at a scale of no less than 1:100. The boundaries of the property should be shown. These plans must also show adjoining properties so that we can make an assessment of the impact of a proposal on its neighbours. If any new or altered means of access from the public highway is proposed, the details must be shown. The north point should be shown.

The scale of existing and proposed drawings should be the same to enable to comparisons to be made. The existing and proposed drawings can be on separate sheets. If they are on the same sheet, the existing and proposed drawings should be arranged so as to allow for easy comparison. The proposed work should be clearly marked.

If there is a significant change in level across the site appropriate details (e.g. a site section drawing) should be provided. This is often an important issue where it is proposed to build an extension on a boundary.

Making Householder Planning Applications Index

For works within an existing developed site (e.g. fences, garages, outbuildings)

  • Detailed plan and elevation drawings of the proposal.

These will be at a scale that is appropriate to what is proposed. For example, detail of a fence should be at a scale of 1:20, or a garage should be at no less than 1:100. Sufficient detail must be given to show where the proposed work is located within the site. For a householder application, a layout plan of the site at a scale of 1:100 will usually be adequate.

Making Householder Planning Applications Index