Planning Applications for London Homes: How to Apply, Costs and Timeframes 2025

THE MAIN PLANNING APPLICATION TYPES FOR LONDON RESIDENTIAL WORKS IN 2025: HOUSEHOLDER PLANNING APPLICATION — THE MOST COMMON PLANNING APPLICATION TYPE FOR LONDON HOMES; COVERS EXTENSIONS, LOFT CONVERSIONS, OUTBUILDINGS, PORCHES AND OTHER ALTERATIONS TO AN EXISTING SINGLE DWELLING HOUSE; CANNOT BE USED FOR FLAT CONVERSIONS OR CHANGE OF USE. FULL PLANNING PERMISSION — REQUIRED WHERE THE PROPOSAL IS MORE THAN A SINGLE DWELLING ALTERATION, INCLUDING FLAT CONVERSIONS, CHANGE OF USE, NEW-BUILD OR LARGER DEVELOPMENT; MORE COMPLEX DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED. PRIOR APPROVAL — A LIGHTER-TOUCH PROCESS FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT WHERE THE LPA (LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY) MUST BE NOTIFIED AND CAN APPROVE OR REFUSE BASED ON SPECIFIC CRITERIA; USED FOR LARGER REAR EXTENSIONS UNDER THE LARGER HOME EXTENSION SCHEME (PREVIOUSLY NEIGHBOUR CONSULTATION SCHEME), FOR CERTAIN HOUSEHOLDER CHANGES OF USE AND FOR PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT. LAWFUL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE (LDC) — NOT A PLANNING PERMISSION BUT A CERTIFICATE THAT A PROPOSED OR EXISTING USE OR OPERATION IS LAWFUL (I.E. WITHIN PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT); IMPORTANT FOR SECURING CERTAINTY ON SALE; RECOMMENDED WHERE DEVELOPMENT APPEARED TO QUALIFY FOR PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT BUT DOCUMENTATION IS NEEDED. LISTED BUILDING CONSENT — REQUIRED SEPARATELY FROM PLANNING PERMISSION FOR ANY WORKS TO A LISTED BUILDING OR ITS CURTILAGE THAT AFFECT ITS CHARACTER; APPLIES TO ALL LONDON LISTED BUILDINGS (THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 18,000 LISTED BUILDINGS IN LONDON).

PLANNING APPLICATION FEES IN ENGLAND ARE SET NATIONALLY BY STATUTORY INSTRUMENT (THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (FEES FOR APPLICATIONS, DEEMED APPLICATIONS, REQUESTS AND SITE VISITS) (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2012, AS AMENDED). AS AT DECEMBER 2023 (THE MOST RECENT SIGNIFICANT FEE INCREASE), THE FEES FOR COMMON LONDON RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS ARE: HOUSEHOLDER APPLICATION (ALTERATION OR EXTENSION TO A SINGLE DWELLING) — £258 (AS AT DECEMBER 2023 FEE INCREASE; VERIFY CURRENT FEE AT PLANNING PORTAL BEFORE SUBMITTING — FEES ARE SUBJECT TO ANNUAL REVIEW). PRIOR APPROVAL — LARGER HOME EXTENSION SCHEME (SECTION 42A) — £206 (VERIFY CURRENT FEE). LAWFUL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE (PROPOSED) — £258 FOR A HOUSEHOLDER LDC. FULL PLANNING PERMISSION (DWELLINGHOUSES — PER DWELLING) — £578 PER UNIT UP TO 50 UNITS (VERIFY CURRENT FEE). LISTED BUILDING CONSENT — NO PLANNING FEE (BUT FULL PLANNING PERMISSION FEE APPLIES IF A SEPARATE PLANNING APPLICATION IS REQUIRED). NOTE: ALL FEES SHOULD BE VERIFIED AT PLANNING.PORTAL.GOV.UK BEFORE SUBMISSION AS THEY MAY BE INCREASED BY STATUTORY INSTRUMENT.

A WELL-PREPARED LONDON PLANNING APPLICATION REQUIRES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS: APPLICATION FORM — COMPLETED VIA PLANNING PORTAL (PLANNINGPORTAL.GOV.UK) OR DIRECTLY THROUGH THE RELEVANT LONDON BOROUGH PORTAL. LOCATION PLAN — MINIMUM 1:1250 SCALE MAP SHOWING THE SITE IN CONTEXT; ORDINANCE SURVEY LICENSED MAP BASE REQUIRED (NOT GOOGLE MAPS). SITE PLAN — MINIMUM 1:500 SCALE SHOWING THE SITE BOUNDARY AND EXISTING BUILDINGS ON AND ADJACENT TO THE SITE. EXISTING AND PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS AND ELEVATIONS — PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS SHOWING EXISTING AND PROPOSED LAYOUTS AT 1:50 OR 1:100 SCALE; THESE ARE THE MAIN TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS AND MUST BE COMPLETE, DIMENSIONED AND TO SCALE. PLANNING STATEMENT OR DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT — A WRITTEN DOCUMENT EXPLAINING THE PROPOSAL IN RELATION TO PLANNING POLICY; REQUIRED FOR ALL BUT THE SIMPLEST APPLICATIONS IN LONDON; ESSENTIAL FOR ANY APPLICATION IN A CONSERVATION AREA. HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT — REQUIRED FOR APPLICATIONS WITHIN OR ADJACENT TO LONDON CONSERVATION AREAS OR FOR LISTED BUILDING APPLICATIONS. ARBORICULTURAL REPORT — REQUIRED IF ANY TREES (PARTICULARLY THOSE SUBJECT TO A TPO OR IN A CONSERVATION AREA) ARE WITHIN OR ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSAL AREA.

THE STATUTORY DETERMINATION PERIOD FOR A HOUSEHOLDER PLANNING APPLICATION IN ENGLAND IS 8 WEEKS FROM VALIDATION. FOR MAJOR APPLICATIONS (10 OR MORE DWELLING UNITS), THE STATUTORY PERIOD IS 13 WEEKS. IN PRACTICE, LONDON BOROUGH PLANNING DEPARTMENTS VARY CONSIDERABLY IN THEIR ACTUAL DETERMINATION TIMES. FAST LONDON BOROUGHS (ANECDOTALLY, THOSE WITH MORE RESOURCE): APPLICATIONS OFTEN DETERMINED WITHIN 8-10 WEEKS. SLOWER LONDON BOROUGHS (THOSE WITH HEAVIER CASELOADS AND FEWER STAFF): DETERMINATION CAN TAKE 12-20 WEEKS OR MORE, PARTICULARLY FOR APPLICATIONS IN CONSERVATION AREAS OR WHERE THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL NEIGHBOUR OBJECTION. PRE-APPLICATION ADVICE — MOST LONDON BOROUGHS OFFER A FORMAL PRE-APPLICATION ADVICE SERVICE WHERE AN ARCHITECT OR DEVELOPER CAN SUBMIT DRAWINGS AND RECEIVE WRITTEN FEEDBACK FROM A PLANNING OFFICER BEFORE A FORMAL APPLICATION. THIS COSTS TYPICALLY £150-£800 DEPENDING ON THE BOROUGH AND COMPLEXITY, BUT CAN BE INVALUABLE IN IDENTIFYING LIKELY OBJECTIONS EARLY AND REFINING THE PROPOSAL. PLANNING APPEALS — IF A LONDON PLANNING APPLICATION IS REFUSED, AN APPEAL TO THE PLANNING INSPECTORATE IS AVAILABLE WITHIN 12 WEEKS OF REFUSAL (HOUSEHOLDER) OR 6 MONTHS (FULL PLANNING). APPEAL DETERMINATION ADDS A FURTHER 6-12 MONTHS TO THE PROGRAMME.

THE PLANNING APPLICATION PROCESS FOR LONDON HOUSEHOLDER APPLICATIONS IN 2025: STEP 1 — APPOINT AN ARCHITECT OR PLANNING CONSULTANT TO PREPARE DRAWINGS AND APPLICATION DOCUMENTS. FOR A STANDARD LONDON REAR EXTENSION OR LOFT CONVERSION, ARCHITECTURAL FEES FOR PLANNING DRAWINGS ARE TYPICALLY £800-£2,500. STEP 2 — SUBMIT VIA PLANNING PORTAL (PLANNINGPORTAL.GOV.UK) — ALL LONDON BOROUGH PLANNING APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED VIA PLANNING PORTAL; SOME ALSO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS THROUGH THEIR OWN ONLINE PORTAL; PAYMENT OF THE PLANNING FEE IS MADE ONLINE AT SUBMISSION. STEP 3 — VALIDATION — THE LPA HAS A STATUTORY 7 WORKING DAYS TO VALIDATE OR RETURN AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION (IN PRACTICE, SOME LONDON BOROUGHS TAKE LONGER); THE VALIDATION DATE STARTS THE STATUTORY 8-WEEK CLOCK. STEP 4 — CONSULTATION — NEIGHBOUR NOTIFICATION LETTERS ARE SENT (21-DAY MINIMUM CONSULTATION PERIOD); INTERNAL CONSULTEES (HIGHWAYS, CONSERVATION, DRAINAGE) ARE NOTIFIED. STEP 5 — ASSESSMENT — THE CASE OFFICER ASSESSES THE APPLICATION AGAINST THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (LONDON PLAN + LOCAL PLAN) AND NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK. STEP 6 — DECISION — ISSUED IN WRITING; FOR APPROVAL, THE DECISION NOTICE WILL CONTAIN CONDITIONS THAT MUST BE COMPLIED WITH.