How to Check Planning History on a London Property

Planning history on a property can tell you:

**What has been approved:** A previous planning permission that was granted but never built can sometimes still be used — particularly if it was granted before a recent policy change. Understanding what has previously been approved at a property (and in the street) is one of the most useful data points when assessing what a future application might achieve.

**What has been refused:** A previous refusal at the same property (or at a similar property in the same street) is significant — planning officers often refer to previous decisions at the same address when assessing new applications. A refusal does not make future permission impossible (a materially different design, or a change in planning policy, may change the outcome) but it is important information.

• **What has already been built:**
• Some properties have extensions or loft conversions that were built without planning permission or without Building Regulations sign-off. Understanding what has and has not been formally approved at a property is important:
• •For a buyer (before purchase): are there any structural works on the property that do not have the correct approvals?
• •For an owner planning works: does the existing planning and Building Regulations history create any constraints or complications for new works?

**Permitted development rights — have they been used?** Permitted development (PD) rights allow certain extensions and alterations without planning permission — but the PD allowance is cumulative. If a previous extension has already used part of the PD allowance, the remaining allowance for a new extension may be reduced or exhausted.

**Article 4 directions:** Some London boroughs and Conservation Areas have Article 4 directions — formal designations that withdraw some or all permitted development rights in an area. If there is an Article 4 direction in place at a property, works that would normally be permitted development instead require full planning permission. Checking whether an Article 4 direction applies is an important part of planning research.

**The borough planning portal:** Planning applications in England are submitted to the local planning authority (LPA) — in London, the relevant London borough. Every London borough has a publicly accessible planning portal where all planning applications (historical and current) can be searched.

To find your borough's planning portal, search: [Borough name] + 'planning portal' — for example, 'Hackney planning portal', 'Wandsworth planning applications', 'Bromley Council planning'.

• **What you can search for:**
• Most borough planning portals allow you to search by:
• •Property address
• •Application reference number
• •Applicant name
• •Date range

Searching by property address is the most useful starting point — it will return all planning applications made at or near the address.

**The Planning Portal (national):** The national Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk) aggregates applications from many LPAs but does not always hold the full decision history. The borough portal is typically the most reliable source for London properties.

**Land Registry and property information:** For information about what has been built (rather than what has been applied for), the Land Registry and a local search (usually carried out by a solicitor at the point of property purchase) are additional sources. A local authority search returns information about planning designations (Conservation Areas, Article 4 directions, Tree Preservation Orders) as well as any planning enforcement notices.

**Google Maps / Street View:** For a quick sanity check on what extensions already exist at a property and in the street, Google Street View's historical imagery can be useful — showing how the property looked before any recent additions.

When reviewing the planning history at a property, key things to check:

**Previous extensions:** What extensions have been built at the property? Were they granted planning permission, or were they built under permitted development? If under PD, the previous owner may not have applied for a Certificate of Lawfulness (COL). Where planning permission was granted, check the approved drawings to understand the footprint and height of the approved extension.

• **Conditions on existing permissions:**
• Some planning permissions are granted with conditions that affect future works — for example:
• •'No further extensions to the dwelling without prior approval' — this directly restricts future extension PD rights
• •'Removal of permitted development rights' — an Article 4 direction applied to a specific permission, withdrawing PD rights for the property
• •Conditions requiring use of matching materials, or requiring samples to be submitted to the LPA before use

**Refused applications:** Read the decision notice for any refused applications — the reason for refusal tells you what planning policy the application failed to comply with. This is important for understanding what design changes might address the reason for refusal.

**Enforcement notices:** An enforcement notice is issued by the LPA where they believe a breach of planning control has occurred (works carried out without permission, or contrary to conditions). Check the planning register for any enforcement notices at the property — an unresolved enforcement notice can complicate future applications and property sale.

**Pre-application advice:** Some previous owners may have sought pre-application advice from the LPA — this appears in some borough planning portals, though it is not always publicly searchable.