If you're planning an extension, a new building, or a change of use for a property, the process can feel daunting the first time round. Here's what actually happens, in order.
Step 1: Check whether you need permission at all
Not everything needs planning permission. Many smaller projects — certain extensions, loft conversions, and outbuildings — fall under permitted development rights, meaning you can build them without applying at all. See our separate guide on permitted development for the detail, but the short version is: always check before assuming either way. Rules depend on your specific property, its planning history, and whether it sits in a conservation area, National Park, or similar designated area.
Your council's website will usually have a free online tool to check this, or you can ask a planning officer directly.
Step 2: Get pre-application advice
This step is optional but genuinely worth doing, especially for anything beyond a simple extension. Most councils offer a paid pre-application advice service where a planning officer reviews your proposal and flags likely concerns before you spend money on drawings and a full application. It won't guarantee approval, but it substantially improves your odds and can save weeks later.
Step 3: Prepare your application
You'll typically need:
- Scaled plans and drawings of the existing and proposed development
- A completed application form
- The correct fee
- For many applications, a Design and Access Statement explaining your design choices and how the development considers its surroundings
- Increasingly, a biodiversity net gain statement, now required for most developments
Missing or incorrect documents are the most common reason applications get delayed before they're even looked at properly.
Step 4: Submit and pay
Applications are submitted to your Local Planning Authority (LPA) — almost always your local council — either online via the Planning Portal or directly through the council's own system.
Step 5: Validation
Before anyone assesses your application on its merits, the council checks it's complete. If something's missing, they'll mark it invalid and return it for you to fix and resubmit — the clock doesn't start until it's valid.
Step 6: Consultation and assessment
Once valid, your application is registered and neighbours are notified, along with any other bodies with a genuine interest (highways, environmental health, and similar, depending on the proposal). A case officer reviews the application against local planning policy and any comments received.
Step 7: Decision
Most councils aim to decide within the statutory time limits — 8 weeks for most applications, 13 weeks for major developments — though it's common for a longer period to be agreed with the applicant, particularly for anything complex.
If refused, you have the right to appeal via the Planning Inspectorate through GOV.UK.
Don't forget Building Regulations
Planning permission and Building Regulations approval are two completely separate processes. Getting planning permission doesn't mean your work automatically complies with Building Regulations (structural safety, fire safety, insulation, and so on) — that's a separate application, normally made after planning permission is granted but before work starts.