The Planning Application Process in London: A Step-by-Step Guide for Homeowners

**Should you seek pre-application advice before submitting?**

Pre-application advice (pre-app) is a formal paid service offered by all London boroughs — homeowners pay a fee (typically £100–£600 depending on the borough and scope of the scheme) to receive written feedback from a planning officer on a proposal before a formal application is submitted.

• For London householder extensions, pre-application advice is strongly recommended where:
• •The property is in a conservation area
• •The property is a listed building or in a listed building setting
• •The scheme is at the boundary of what is permitted development (but needs planning permission for the specific design)
• •The scheme involves a mansard roof conversion or a large rear extension
• •The property is in an Article 4 Direction area (where permitted development rights have been removed)

For straightforward rear extensions in non-conservation areas, pre-application advice may not be necessary — the application itself can be the first formal contact with the planning department.

See `pre-application-advice-guide` for full guidance on what pre-app involves, how to use it, and how it differs from a Duty Planner enquiry.

**What information is needed before submitting a householder planning application in London?**

A complete householder planning application in London must include:

• *1. Application forms*:
• •Householder Application Form (available via the Planning Portal at planningportal.planning-portal.gov.uk)
• •Ownership Certificate (Certificate A where the applicant is the sole owner; Certificate B where others have an interest in the land; Certificate C or D for more complex ownership)
• •Agricultural Holdings Certificate (confirming the property is not an agricultural holding — required on all applications)

• *2. Planning fee*:
• •Householder applications (extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings): £258 as of 2024
• •Certificate of Lawfulness (proposed): £129
• •Listed Building Consent (alterations): free
• •Prior Approval (Larger Home Extension): £120

Fees are paid online at the time of application submission. The fee is non-refundable even if the application is withdrawn.

• *3. Drawings and plans*:
• •Block plan (site location plan): Ordnance Survey based plan at 1:1250 or 1:2500 scale showing the property and its surroundings, with the application site boundary marked in red
• •Existing and proposed floor plans (at 1:100 or 1:50 scale)
• •Existing and proposed elevations (at 1:100 or 1:50 scale) — all relevant elevations where the proposal is visible
• •Existing and proposed site sections (at 1:100 scale) where the application involves changes to levels or where sections are necessary to understand the scheme
• •Roof plan (where the proposal involves roofwork)
• •Design and Access Statement (required for applications in conservation areas or involving alterations to listed buildings)

All drawings should be prepared by a qualified architect or architectural technician. Poor quality or inaccurate drawings are a common cause of delays or refusals.

• *4. Supporting documents (where applicable)*:
• •Heritage Statement (for works in or adjacent to conservation areas, listed buildings, or other heritage assets)
• •Tree Survey or Arboricultural Impact Assessment (where trees are within the application site or adjacent to it)
• •Structural Survey or report (where the application involves structural changes that Building Control will need to address)
• •Flood Risk Assessment (where the property is in a flood risk zone — check the Environment Agency flood map before submitting)

**Permitted Development check before applying**:

Before spending money on a planning application, confirm whether planning permission is actually needed. Many rear extensions, loft conversions with rear dormers, and outbuildings are permitted development — no planning permission required. Use the Planning Portal's Interactive House tool or consult an architect or planning consultant. If in doubt, a Certificate of Lawfulness (Proposed) confirms the PD status definitively for half the cost of a planning application (£129 rather than £258).

**Submitting the householder planning application in London**:

All London householder planning applications are submitted online through the Planning Portal (planningportal.planning-portal.gov.uk). The Portal submits the application to the relevant London borough council, which then processes it.

*Steps at submission*: 1. Create a Planning Portal account (or log in to an existing account) 2. Select 'Householder Application' as the application type 3. Enter the property address 4. Complete the application form (information about the applicant, agent, description of works, existing and proposed use) 5. Upload drawings and supporting documents 6. Pay the application fee (£258 for standard householder application) 7. Submit

The Planning Portal issues a reference number immediately on submission. The borough's planning department then receives the application and begins the validation process.

**The validation process**:

On receipt, the planning department checks whether the application is complete (valid) — whether all required information, fee, drawings, and certificates have been submitted. This is called validation.

*Validation timescales*: London boroughs typically validate applications within 5–15 working days of receipt. Some boroughs are faster; others are slower, particularly in periods of high application volumes.

*If the application is invalid*: If the planning department determines that required information is missing, they issue an 'invalid notice' specifying what additional information is required. The applicant has a limited time to provide the missing information. The 8-week determination clock does not start until the application is validated.

*When the application is validated*: The planning department issues a validated notice confirming the application reference number and the 'target decision date' (the date by which the 8-week statutory determination period expires). This is the key date to note.

**The 8-week determination period (statutory)**:

For householder planning applications in England, the local planning authority has 8 weeks from the date of validation to determine the application (i.e., to issue a decision — approval or refusal). This is the statutory determination period.

• *If the LPA does not determine within 8 weeks*: The applicant can:
• •Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate for non-determination (treating the failure to determine as a deemed refusal)
• •Agree to extend the determination period with the LPA (most LPAs ask for a time extension agreement — it is generally in the applicant's interest to agree to a short extension rather than appeal for non-determination, which takes much longer)

*Is 8 weeks realistic in London?*: In busy London boroughs, householder applications are not always determined within 8 weeks. During 2024–2025, a number of London boroughs regularly exceeded the 8-week period, with determinations taking 10–16 weeks for more complex schemes. Pre-application engagement can sometimes speed processing by identifying issues early.

**The statutory consultation period**:

Once validated, the planning department begins the statutory consultation process:

*1. Neighbour notification*: Notices are sent to the owners and occupiers of adjoining properties — typically the immediate neighbours and sometimes properties nearby if the scheme is visible from their property. The standard neighbour notification period is 21 days.

*2. Site notice*: A yellow site notice is displayed on or near the application property — typically on the front boundary or adjacent public land — for a minimum of 21 days. The site notice informs members of the public of the application and invites representations.

• *3. Statutory consultees*: Depending on the nature of the scheme, the LPA may consult statutory consultees (organisations with specific interests):
• •Historic England (for applications near listed buildings or in World Heritage Sites)
• •The Environment Agency (for applications in flood risk areas)
• •Transport for London (TfL) (for applications adjacent to major roads or TfL-managed infrastructure)
• •Thames Water (for applications near sewers or involving sewer connections)
• •Council conservation officer (for conservation area applications)

*What happens to neighbour representations*: Anyone can write to the planning department with representations (comments) about a planning application. Representations are considered by the case officer and can be in support of or opposition to the application. The case officer is required to consider all material planning considerations raised in representations — but planning decisions cannot be made on the basis of personal objections unrelated to planning (e.g., neighbour disputes, personal dislike). Only material planning considerations count: impact on amenity, loss of light, overshadowing, overlooking, design, character, traffic, and similar planning-relevant factors.

**How the planning decision is made for a London householder application**:

For the vast majority of London householder planning applications, the decision is made by a planning officer under 'delegated authority' — meaning the officer makes the decision on behalf of the council without requiring a committee meeting. Only a small proportion of householder applications (typically where significant objections have been received, where the scheme is complex, or where the officer's recommendation is contrary to a large number of objections) are referred to a planning committee for a decision.

*The officer's assessment*: The case officer visits the site (typically within the first 4 weeks of the determination period), assesses the proposal against the relevant planning policies, considers the representations received, and prepares a report recommending approval or refusal.

*Delegation*: If the case officer is satisfied the proposal complies with planning policy, a decision is issued under delegated authority. If the officer considers refusal is appropriate, the refusal notice is also typically issued under delegated authority.

**Planning permission with conditions**:

When a planning application is approved, the approval almost always includes conditions. For a typical London householder extension, common conditions include:

• •*Commencement condition*: Works must be commenced within 3 years of the date of the planning permission (standard on all planning permissions in England)
• •*Materials condition*: External materials must match (or be submitted to and approved by the LPA before use)
• •*Approved drawings condition*: Works must be carried out in accordance with the approved drawings (specific drawing numbers listed in the condition)
• •*Working hours condition*: In some cases, the LPA restricts the hours during which construction work may be carried out (typically 08:00–18:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00–13:00 Saturday, no work on Sundays or Bank Holidays) — this condition protects neighbouring amenity during construction
• •*Obscure glazing condition*: Where a window in the proposal is in a position that would cause overlooking of a neighbouring garden or habitable room, the LPA may condition it to be obscure-glazed and non-opening (or opening only at high level)
• •*Restriction on use*: For outbuilding applications, the LPA may condition the outbuilding not to be used as self-contained accommodation or sleeping accommodation

Conditions should be read carefully before starting work. Pre-commencement conditions (conditions that require approval before work can start — often 'details to be submitted and approved') must be discharged before site operations commence.

**What happens if the application is refused?**

If the LPA refuses the application, the refusal notice will specify the reason or reasons for refusal. The main options are:

*Option 1 — Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate*: The applicant can appeal the refusal to the Planning Inspectorate within 12 weeks of the refusal date. See `extension-planning-appeal-guide` for a full explanation of the appeal process, timescales, and typical outcomes.

*Option 2 — Free resubmission*: The applicant can submit one revised application free of charge within 12 months of the refusal date (where the original fee was £258, the resubmission is free). This is the right approach where the refusal can be addressed by a design change.

*Option 3 — Revised application at a new fee*: Where the free resubmission right has been used, or where the design change is significant, a new application is submitted at the full fee. A new application is also appropriate where more than 12 months have passed since the original refusal.

*Option 4 — Accept the refusal and redesign*: In some cases, particularly where the refusal is based on a clear and specific policy objection that cannot be overcome by a minor change, the best approach is to commission a fundamental redesign before reapplying.

**How to read a planning decision notice**:

• *Approval decision notice structure*:
• •Application details (reference number, site address, description of works, date of decision)
• •Grant of permission: confirmation that permission is granted
• •Approved drawings: list of drawing numbers that are the approved scheme
• •Conditions: list of all conditions attached to the permission (read these carefully — pre-commencement conditions are common)
• •Informatives: non-binding advisory notes (about party wall, drainage, build over agreement, etc.) — informatives are not conditions and do not need to be discharged, but they draw attention to other relevant requirements
• •Reason for approval: typically a brief statement

• *Refusal decision notice structure*:
• •Application details
• •Refusal: confirmation of refusal
• •Reason(s) for refusal: each reason identifies the policy conflict and explains why the proposal fails (typically citing specific policies from the London Plan, the borough's Local Plan, or the NPPF)
• •Informatives (where applicable): advisory notes on appeal rights (including the appeal deadline) and the free resubmission right