Planning & Regulations6 min

The London Planning Application Process: A Step-by-Step Guide from Submission to Decision

Making a planning application in London is the formal process by which a homeowner or developer seeks the Local Planning Authority's (LPA) permission to carry out development that requires planning consent. The process is managed by the relevant London borough (or the City of London Corporation for properties within the Square Mile) and follows a nationally prescribed procedure governed by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and its associated regulations. For most London homeowners, a planning application arises when a proposed extension, loft conversion, outbuilding, or change to the external appearance of the property exceeds the permitted development limits — or when the property is in a conservation area or is listed, and therefore planning permission is required for works that would otherwise be permitted development elsewhere. Understanding the planning application process — what documents are required, how the determination process works, and what happens after a decision is issued — helps homeowners submit better-quality applications, respond more effectively to issues that arise during determination, and avoid common mistakes that lead to unnecessary delays or refusals.

Key Takeaways

✓Planning applications in England are submitted online through the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk), which is the national digital gateway for planning applications. The Planning Portal submission is then forwarded to the relevant LPA (London borough) for validation and determination. The core documents required for a standard householder planning application (for a residential extension, loft conversion, or similar) are: a completed application form (via the Planning Portal); a location plan (an OS map at 1:1250 or 1:2500 scale showing the application site and its surroundings, with the site boundary marked in red and any other land owned by the applicant marked in blue); a site plan (a plan at 1:500 or 1:200 scale showing the application site, the footprint of existing and proposed buildings, and the relationship to the site boundaries, access, and adjacent properties); existing and proposed floor plans (drawn to a metric scale, typically 1:50 or 1:100); existing and proposed elevations (drawn to a metric scale, typically 1:50 or 1:100, showing all faces of the existing building and the proposed alterations); the planning application fee (for a householder application in 2025–2026, the fee is £258 for the application; for listed building consent, there is no planning application fee, though a separate listed building consent application is required); and a Design and Access Statement (required for applications affecting listed buildings, applications in designated areas, and applications for 10 or more dwellings — a brief statement explaining the design rationale and how access has been considered)
✓After submission via the Planning Portal, the LPA validates the application. The validation process checks that all required documents and the correct application fee have been submitted. The LPA must validate the application and begin the statutory determination period (or request further information/documents if the application is invalid) typically within 5 working days of receipt. If the application is invalid (missing documents or incorrect fee), the LPA will write to the applicant identifying what is missing and the application will not begin its determination period until the missing items are provided. It is therefore important to review the LPA's local validation checklist (most London boroughs publish a local list of validation requirements in addition to the national requirements — available on the borough's website) before submitting, to avoid validation delays. The statutory determination period for a householder planning application (an application for development within the curtilage of an existing dwelling) is 8 weeks from the date of validation. For major applications or applications for listed building consent, the determination period may be 13 weeks. If the LPA has not issued a decision within the statutory determination period, the applicant may appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on grounds of non-determination (failure to determine within the statutory period)
✓The LPA notifies neighbours and statutory consultees of the planning application after it has been validated. Neighbour notification: the LPA is required to notify all "owners and occupiers" of properties adjoining the application site (the immediately adjacent properties) and any other property that the LPA determines may be affected by the proposed development. In London, this typically includes properties: directly adjoining the application site (party wall neighbours, properties to the rear, properties to the side); properties that face the application site across the street (for front elevation changes); and in some cases properties in the wider area where the proposal may have a visual or amenity impact. The neighbour notification letters invite the notified parties to comment on the application within a specified period (typically 21 days from the date of the notification letter). Statutory consultees: depending on the nature of the application and the site's designations, the LPA will consult statutory consultees — organisations with a formal role in the planning process — such as Historic England (for listed buildings or scheduled monuments); the Environment Agency (for sites in flood zones); Thames Water (for applications involving drainage or sewer build-over); Transport for London (for applications with significant highway or transport impacts); the local highway authority (for access and parking); Natural England (for applications that may affect protected species or habitats); and the relevant amenity societies (the Victorian Society, the Georgian Group, the Twentieth Century Society, the Twentieth Century, etc. for works within their areas of interest or affecting buildings they advise on). The LPA must consider all statutory consultee responses in its determination
✓A planning officer is assigned to the application and carries out the assessment. The officer's assessment considers the application against: national planning policy (the National Planning Policy Framework and the Planning Practice Guidance); regional policy (the London Plan); and local policy (the borough's adopted Local Plan, including design guides, supplementary planning documents, and conservation area appraisals). The officer visits the site (or carries out a desktop assessment for simpler applications). The officer's assessment results in a Planning Officer's Report that summarises the planning history of the site, the proposal, the consultation responses received, and the officer's planning assessment, and makes a recommendation to approve (subject to conditions) or refuse the application. Most householder applications in London are determined under delegated powers by the planning officer (i.e., the officer makes the decision on behalf of the LPA without a committee meeting). Controversial or significant applications (including those where the officer's recommendation conflicts with the representations received, or where the proposal is of significant public interest) are referred to the Planning Committee (elected councillors) for determination
✓Planning conditions are requirements attached to a planning permission that must be complied with before the development commences (pre-commencement conditions), during the works (ongoing conditions), or before the development is first used or occupied (pre-occupation conditions). Common planning conditions for residential extensions and loft conversions in London include: materials conditions (requiring the materials used for the extension walls, roof, or windows to match or be agreed with the LPA before construction begins); obscure glazing conditions (requiring windows on side elevations or overlooking positions to be fitted with obscure glazing and fixed shut, or openable only above a specified level); no additional windows conditions (preventing the installation of further windows in specified positions without further planning permission); landscaping conditions (requiring details of soft landscaping or boundary treatment to be submitted and approved); restriction of use conditions (preventing the permitted development from being used for any purpose other than as specified in the permission); and drainage conditions (requiring details of sustainable drainage to be submitted and approved). Breaching a planning condition is not a criminal offence, but it can result in enforcement action, a requirement to cease the breach, or (in serious cases) a requirement to demolish works and restore the site to its pre-development condition. Where a condition requires information to be submitted and approved before development commences (a pre-commencement condition), this approval must be obtained before the start of works on site

1. How to Handle Neighbour Objections to Your Planning Application
2. Planning Conditions: Discharge and Compliance
3. What to Do if Your Application is Refused
4. Frequently Asked Questions

How to Handle Neighbour Objections to Your Planning Application

Neighbour objections to planning applications are common in London. Understanding how objections affect the determination process — and what can and cannot be objected to on planning grounds — helps applicants respond calmly and strategically.

What constitutes a valid planning objection: Only objections that are material planning considerations can influence the planning officer's assessment. Material planning considerations include: the impact of the development on the character and appearance of the area; the impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents (daylight and sunlight impact, overlooking, loss of privacy, noise, traffic); highway safety and parking; flood risk; ecology and trees; and heritage impact. Non-material considerations (things that cannot influence the planning decision) include: the effect of the development on property values; concerns about building disputes, boundaries, or rights of access (private legal matters); the number of objectors (whether one person objects or fifty people object, the decision is made on planning grounds, not by majority); and personal objections to the applicant or their plans that are not related to the planning merits of the proposal.

How to respond to objections: The planning officer's report will summarise all the objections received and address them in the planning assessment. Where objections raise genuine planning concerns (overlooking, loss of daylight), the planning officer will consider whether the application design adequately addresses those concerns. The applicant can respond to objections in writing to the planning officer during the consultation period (and before the application is determined). A constructive response to genuine concerns — for example, agreeing to add obscure glazing to a window that a neighbour has objected to on overlooking grounds — can resolve an objection before the determination and avoid a refusal.

Withdrawing and resubmitting: If significant concerns are raised during the consultation period (by neighbours or statutory consultees) that the planning officer indicates are likely to result in a refusal, the applicant has the option to withdraw the application before the decision is issued. A withdrawn application does not appear on the planning record as a refusal and preserves the option of resubmitting a revised application (free within 12 months of the first validation date for householder applications) that addresses the concerns raised.

Planning Conditions: Discharge and Compliance

After planning permission is granted, any conditions attached to the permission must be complied with. Pre-commencement conditions (conditions that require information to be submitted and approved before development begins) are particularly important — failing to discharge a pre-commencement condition before starting work means the development is being carried out without complying with the permission, which can invalidate the permission and expose the applicant to enforcement action.

Discharging pre-commencement conditions: To discharge a pre-commencement condition, the applicant submits an "application to discharge conditions" to the LPA, accompanied by the information required by the condition (for example, samples or specifications of the proposed external materials for a materials condition). The LPA determines the discharge application typically within 8 weeks. The discharge application is free for householder applications (from 2024, following changes to planning fees). The development can only begin after the LPA has issued a formal written confirmation that the pre-commencement condition has been discharged.

Materials and sample conditions: Materials conditions are common in London conservation area and design-sensitive applications. The condition typically requires the applicant to submit details of the external materials (brick type and bond, roof tile or covering type, window frame material and finish colour) to the LPA and receive written approval before the materials are used. Choosing materials that obviously match the conservation area character (London stock brick, clay plain tile roofing, timber or aluminium sliding sash windows in conservation area colours) is more likely to be approved quickly than specifying modern materials that are clearly out of character.

Ongoing and pre-occupation conditions: Ongoing conditions (for example, a condition requiring obscure glazing in a specified window to be maintained in perpetuity) do not require formal discharge before works begin, but must be complied with throughout the life of the development. Pre-occupation conditions (for example, a condition requiring landscaping to be completed before the extension is first occupied) must be complied with before the development is put into use, and a formal discharge application may be required to confirm compliance with the LPA.

What to Do if Your Application is Refused

Planning refusals are not uncommon for London householder applications — the rate of refusal varies significantly between boroughs and between types of development, but in some London boroughs, householder application refusal rates of 15–25% are reported. A refusal is not the end of the road — but understanding the reasons for refusal and the options available is essential.

Reading the refusal reasons: The decision notice (the formal notice of refusal) will set out the reasons for refusal with reference to the specific planning policies that the development is considered to conflict with. Read the refusal reasons carefully — they identify exactly what the planning officer considers unacceptable about the proposed development. Common refusal reasons for householder applications in London include: the extension is of excessive height, scale, or massing relative to the host building or the street pattern; the development results in unacceptable overlooking or loss of privacy to neighbouring properties; the development has an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of a conservation area; the roof alteration is inconsistent with the roofscape of the terrace.

Options after a refusal: (1) Revise and resubmit: the applicant can submit a revised application (typically free within 12 months of the original validation date for householder applications) addressing the specific refusal reasons. This is the most common response for applications that were refused on design grounds that can be addressed by revisions to the scheme. (2) Appeal: the applicant has the right to appeal a planning refusal to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) within 6 months of the decision date for a householder appeal. The Planning Inspector reviews the application independently and can allow the appeal (granting planning permission, which may override the LPA's refusal) or dismiss the appeal (confirming the refusal). A written representations appeal (the most common route for householder applications) typically takes 6–12 months to determine. The Inspector is not bound by the planning officer's assessment and may reach a different conclusion — particularly if the refusal reasons are based on judgment calls about character and appearance that are not clearly supported by policy. (3) Accept the decision and do not proceed: if the refusal reasons indicate that the proposed development is fundamentally contrary to policy (for example, a proposed development that would clearly harm a listed building's significance), accepting the decision and significantly redesigning the scheme (or abandoning the project) may be more cost-effective than pursuing a sequence of revised applications and appeals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a planning application cost in London?▼

The planning application fee for a standard householder planning application (an application for development within the curtilage of an existing single dwelling house) in England is £258 (as of the 2024 fee increase). This fee applies to extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings, fences and walls over the permitted development height, and similar householder development. Listed building consent (required separately for works to a listed building) does not attract a planning fee. Applications for prior approval under permitted development (for certain larger home extensions under the neighbour consultation scheme, or for Class MA commercial-to-residential conversions) attract a fee of £120. Applications to discharge planning conditions do not attract a fee for householder applications (following the 2024 fee changes). In addition to the planning application fee, the cost of preparing the application documentation (plans, drawings, design and access statement) is typically charged by the architect or architectural technologist — for a standard householder extension drawing package, this might cost £1,500–£4,000 depending on the complexity of the design and the level of drawings required.

Can I make changes to a planning permission after it is granted?▼

Yes — there are two processes for modifying a planning permission after it has been granted: a non-material amendment (NMA) application for minor changes that do not materially affect the development described in the permission (for example, a slight adjustment to a window position or a change in the colour of external materials within an approved palette). A non-material amendment application is relatively quick to determine (typically 28 days) and does not attract a planning fee for householder development. A Section 73 application (an application to vary or remove a planning condition under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) for more significant changes to the design, layout, or conditions of the permission. A Section 73 application results in a new planning permission (with the modified condition or design) being issued alongside the original permission. For London householder development, the fee for a Section 73 application is £258 (the same as the standard householder application fee). Note that a Section 73 application cannot change the description of the development — it can only vary conditions attached to the permission. If the proposed change is of a nature that would substantially change the character of the development, a fresh planning application may be required.

Do I need a solicitor or planning consultant to make a planning application?▼

No — homeowners can submit planning applications themselves, without engaging a solicitor or planning consultant. The Planning Portal is designed to be accessible to non-professionals. However, for more complex applications (applications in conservation areas, applications for extensions to listed buildings, applications that require specialist supporting documents such as a heritage impact assessment, a daylight and sunlight assessment, or a transport statement), engaging a qualified planning consultant or an architect with planning application experience is strongly recommended. A planning consultant can: assess whether the proposal is likely to receive planning permission before the application is submitted; advise on the design modifications most likely to secure a positive outcome; prepare the application documents and supporting statements; manage the relationship with the planning officer during the determination period; and advise on whether to appeal in the event of a refusal. The cost of a planning consultant for a London householder application is typically £1,000–£3,000 for straightforward cases, and more for complex or contentious applications.

Important Note

This guide is for general information only. Building regulations, planning rules, and legal requirements change regularly and vary by local authority. Always seek professional advice specific to your project and location. RCB Design & Build offers free initial consultations — book your free survey.

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