How to Submit a Planning Application in London 2025: A Step-by-Step Guide

Pre-application advice (PAE) before a formal planning submission: for any but the most straightforward householder applications, seeking pre-application advice from the relevant London borough's planning department before submitting a formal application is strongly recommended. PAE gives the applicant informal planning officer commentary on: whether the proposed development is likely to be acceptable in principle (including whether it satisfies the relevant development plan policies); what design changes might improve the likelihood of approval; what supporting documents the planning officer will want to see with the formal application; whether there are likely to be neighbour objections and how to address them. PAE is particularly valuable for: applications in conservation areas (where the conservation officer's informal view on design and materials is the best guide to what is acceptable); applications involving side extensions or roof alterations that push PD boundaries; applications for change of use; applications for new dwellings (householder or otherwise); any application where there is a planning history of refused applications at the site. Cost of PAE in London: typically £150-£900 for a householder application (varies significantly by borough — check the specific London borough's planning fees schedule on their website). Response time: typically 4-10 weeks from submission. Required documents for a householder planning application (the minimum that the Planning Portal and the London borough's local validation list will require): Application form (completed via the Planning Portal — planningportal.co.uk). Planning application fee: the standard fee for a householder application in England (2024, following the December 2023 fee increase) is £258. This covers most extensions, loft conversions, and alterations to a single residential property. Existing and proposed drawings: the minimum drawing requirement for a householder application in London is: location plan at 1:1250 or 1:2500 scale (showing the site in relation to the surrounding area — Ordnance Survey based; you can purchase this from the Planning Portal or directly from Ordnance Survey); site plan (block plan) at 1:500 or 1:200 scale (showing the site boundary, the existing building footprint, the proposed extension footprint, and any adjacent buildings); existing floor plans at 1:100 or 1:50 scale (all affected floors); proposed floor plans at 1:100 or 1:50 scale (all affected floors showing the proposed layout); existing elevations at 1:100 or 1:50 scale (all affected elevations — typically the rear and any other affected elevations); proposed elevations at 1:100 or 1:50 scale (all affected elevations, dimensioned, showing material finishes); existing and proposed sections at 1:100 or 1:50 scale (section through the existing and proposed building showing floor-to-ceiling heights, roof pitch, and relationship to ground level and neighbouring properties). Additional documents that may be required by the London borough's local validation list: design and access statement (typically required for conservation area applications, change of use applications, or applications for new dwellings, but not always required for straightforward householder applications); heritage statement (required in conservation areas and for listed building applications); pre-application consultation response (if PAE was obtained); arboricultural report (if trees are within or adjacent to the site — particularly relevant for sites with TPO trees or trees in conservation areas); daylight and sunlight assessment (sometimes required for larger extensions that may shade neighbouring properties — typically only required in inner London for larger schemes); structural engineer report (not usually required at planning stage — relevant for Building Regulations, but sometimes requested by the planning officer for complex structural schemes); flood risk assessment (required for sites in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3 — check the Environment Agency's Flood Map for Planning at floodmap.environment-agency.gov.uk); noise assessment (for change of use applications or new development near noise-sensitive uses or noise-generating uses); CIL self-build exemption claim (where applicable and where the development would be exempt from CIL — submit the exemption claim to the borough BEFORE commencement); Planning statement (for more complex applications — not typically required for straightforward householder applications). London-specific validation requirements: London boroughs can set their own Local Validation Lists specifying additional documents required for applications in their borough. Always check the specific borough's validation list before submitting — failure to include a required document will delay validation (and therefore delay the 8-week determination clock starting).

Submitting via the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk): all planning applications in London must be submitted via the Planning Portal — the national online planning application system — or via the specific London borough's own online planning portal (some boroughs use their own system in parallel with the national portal). The Planning Portal submission process: Step 1 — Register: create a Planning Portal account at planningportal.co.uk. Step 2 — Start application: select the application type (most residential extensions and loft conversions = Householder Planning Permission). Step 3 — Complete application form: fill in the Planning Portal's online application form (site address, description of development, applicant and agent details, existing and proposed land use, parking, trees, drainage, materials, etc.). Step 4 — Upload drawings and documents: upload the required drawings and supporting documents (PDF format, file size limits apply — check the Portal's current limit, typically 5MB per file). Step 5 — Pay fee: pay the planning application fee online (£258 for a householder application as at 2024). Step 6 — Submit: submit the application — it is immediately routed to the relevant London borough's planning department. What happens after submission — the planning determination process: Validation: the London borough reviews the submitted application to check it is complete (correct form, correct fee, all required documents from the Local Validation List). If the application is invalid (missing documents), the borough will return it with a validation notice specifying what is missing. The 8-week statutory determination period only starts from the date the application is VALIDATED — not from the date it is submitted. Validation typically takes 5-15 working days from submission. Notification and consultation: once validated, the borough publishes the application on its planning register (publicly searchable); notifies neighbouring properties (typically within 20-30 metres of the application site) by letter; may erect a site notice at the application site; consults relevant statutory consultees (Historic England where relevant; Network Rail where within proximity of a railway line; Thames Water; Environment Agency for sites in flood zones; GLA for major applications). Statutory consultation period: typically 21 days from the date of notification (during which neighbours and other consultees can comment). Planning officer assessment: a planning officer is allocated to the application and assesses it against the relevant policies — the borough's local plan; the London Plan; the NPPF; any neighbourhood plan; site-specific constraints (conservation area, listed building, Article 4 Direction, flood zone, etc.). The officer will prepare a planning assessment and a recommendation (grant/refuse). For most householder applications (straightforward extensions and loft conversions), the decision is made under delegated powers by a senior planning officer — it does not go to committee. Applications that go to committee: applications for major development (typically 10 or more residential units or development above certain floor space thresholds); applications where there are significant officer concerns or significant neighbour objections; applications called in by a ward councillor or by the planning committee; applications for major development of strategic importance (called in by the Mayor of London). Planning officer pre-determination engagement: in many London boroughs, the planning officer will contact the applicant (or their agent) during the assessment period if there are concerns about the application — providing an opportunity to amend the application (submit revised drawings or supporting information) before the officer makes their recommendation. This pre-determination engagement is valuable and should be taken seriously — an officer's concern raised at this stage can usually be addressed by amendment without needing to withdraw and resubmit. Response to planning officer comments: always respond to planning officer queries promptly and professionally — agree to attend a call or meeting if offered. If a design change is requested, submit revised drawings (the Planning Portal allows re-consultation on revised documents) as quickly as possible to avoid the application being refused.

Planning decision outcomes: a householder planning application in London will result in one of four outcomes: Full planning permission granted: the application is approved. Any conditions attached to the permission (pre-commencement conditions, materials approval conditions, external materials conditions) must be discharged (complied with) before work starts or before the relevant stage of construction. Householder permission typically expires after 3 years. Planning permission granted with conditions: the same as above — all conditions must be complied with. Common conditions include: submission and approval of materials before commencement; archaeology watching brief; specific landscaping requirements; drainage conditions; obscure glazing requirements for windows overlooking neighbours. Refusal of planning permission: the application is refused. The refusal notice must give written reasons for refusal, referencing specific planning policies. The applicant has two options on refusal: Section 78 appeal (free to the applicant — submitted to the Planning Inspectorate; must be submitted within 12 weeks of the date of the refusal notice for a householder appeal; PINS target determination time is 26 weeks by Written Representations); resubmission (a revised application addressing the reasons for refusal — a householder resubmission made within 12 months of the original submission, where the resubmission is materially the same application, is free of the planning application fee). Permission refused under delegated powers (by officer) — the most common outcome for applications refused on policy grounds. Permission not determined within the statutory period (8 weeks for householder applications): the applicant may apply for a free of charge resubmission; or appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination (a Section 78 appeal for non-determination — treated similarly to a refusal appeal). In practice, London planning departments are frequently unable to determine applications within the 8-week statutory period — particularly in inner London boroughs where planning departments are under-resourced. Waiting 10-16 weeks for a decision is common in inner London (Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Lambeth, and Southwark are among the worst-performing boroughs for determination speed). Planning timescales for London householder applications in 2025: ideally: 8 weeks statutory determination period + 2 weeks validation = approximately 10 weeks from submission to decision. In practice (most inner London boroughs): 12-20 weeks from submission to decision (including validation period and officer assessment). If the application requires officer pre-determination engagement and revised drawings: add 4-8 weeks. Total programme from pre-application advice to planning permission: typically 6-9 months (including: 4-8 weeks PAE + 4-8 weeks design development + submission + 12-20 weeks determination). Discharging planning conditions: after a permission is granted, any pre-commencement conditions must be discharged before work starts. Discharging a condition involves a separate formal application to the borough (fee: £34 per request in England as at 2024). Determination of condition discharge: 8 weeks from submission. This is often overlooked by homeowners who have received planning permission and want to start immediately — starting work before pre-commencement conditions are discharged is a breach of the planning permission.