Overview
Householder planning applications are used for proposals to alter or enlarge a single house, including works within the boundary and garden of a house.
The guidance that follows will help you submit a valid householder planning application. It is also a useful starting point when applying for works to a house that is listed, although listed building applications have other requirements that are not covered here.
If you follow this guidance, it does not guarantee that permission will be granted for your planning application – each submission is determined on its own merits in accordance with local and national policies and guidance – but it does mean your application will be validated and proceed more quickly towards a decision.
Making a valid application
When you submit an application the first thing we do is check you've provided all the information we need to assess it. We call this process validation.
An application is invalid if it doesn't have all the information we need. This means we cannot process it until you send us the missing information. The most common reasons why applications are invalid are.
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drawings are not labelled clearly or correctly – all drawings must be given a descriptive label, for example 'existing first floor plan' or 'proposed front elevation', with a plan number
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inaccurate or missing plans and information – you can find more guidance on drawings and information we need within the pages of this section of our website
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drawings not drawn to a recognised scale – all drawings must be to a recognised scale and must clearly state the scale
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incorrect fee or no fee at all – the national Planning Portal provides a fee calculator and a guide you can download at Planning Portal: what it costs
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no red line drawn around the application site on the site location plan – more details can be found in the National Planning Practice Guidance at GOV.UK: making an application
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neighbour windows are not visible on plans – all householder application must follow our design guide for residential alterations and extensions
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scheme proposals are incomplete – your proposal must include all details of your scheme
You can avoid delays to your application by making sure you have covered all the points above when you submit it to us.