Planning Application Types Explained: Householder, Full, Prior Approval and More

Before considering which planning application to submit, it is worth understanding whether your project needs a planning application at all. Under Permitted Development (PD) rights, many common extensions and alterations can be carried out without a formal planning application — provided they meet specific size, location, and design criteria.

• **Permitted Development applies to most**:
• •Single-storey rear extensions within size limits (up to 3m from rear wall for attached houses, 4m for detached, within the PD envelope)
• •Side extensions that do not form more than half the width of the original house
• •Loft conversions within the PD volume allowance (50m³ for detached, 40m³ for semi-detached and terraced)
• •Velux-style rooflights on rear slopes

• **Permitted Development does NOT apply if**:
• •The property is a flat or maisonette (PD rights for houses do not apply to flats)
• •The property is in an Article 4 Direction area (many inner London conservation areas have removed PD rights)
• •The property is a listed building
• •The proposed works exceed the PD size limits
• •There is a planning condition on the property removing PD rights (common on new-build estates)

**Checking PD rights**: The safest way to confirm PD compliance is to apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (see below). Some councils also offer pre-application advice that can confirm PD eligibility informally.

The Householder Planning Application (HH application) is the most commonly submitted application type for domestic extension and alteration works. It covers changes to an existing single dwelling house — including extensions, outbuildings, alterations to the house's appearance (e.g., cladding, windows, dormer windows), and changes to the house's external fabric.

• **When to use a Householder Application**:
• •An extension that exceeds Permitted Development limits
• •A dormer or loft extension that falls outside PD
• •Works in a Conservation Area that require consent
• •Any visible change to the exterior of the house where PD rights are removed (Article 4 Direction)
• •Works to a flat or maisonette that would ordinarily require planning consent

• **What is NOT covered by a Householder Application**:
• •Works to flats and maisonettes — these require a Full Planning Application
• •Change of use (e.g., converting a house to flats, adding an HMO) — requires Full Planning Application
• •New dwellings (including basement flats or separate self-contained annexes)

**Fee (England, from April 2024)**: £258 for most Householder Applications.

**Determination period**: 8 weeks from validation (or 13 weeks with an agreed extension).

• **What the application requires**:
• •Application form (submitted via Planning Portal)
• •Existing and proposed floor plans (at 1:50 or 1:100 scale)
• •Existing and proposed elevations (showing all affected faces of the building)
• •Site location plan (1:1250 scale)
• •Block plan (1:500 scale)
• •Design and Access Statement (required in some Conservation Areas)
• •Any heritage or tree impact assessments (required in some cases)

A Full Planning Application (sometimes called a Full Application or FPA) is required where the works are more complex than a householder extension — including works to flats, changes of use, new-build dwellings, and commercial developments.

• **When to use a Full Planning Application**:
• •Works to flats or maisonettes (any extension, alteration, or conversion)
• •HMO conversions (change of use from C3 to C4 or sui generis HMO)
• •Conversion of a house into two or more flats
• •New-build construction on a plot
• •Major refurbishment or extension of a commercial property
• •Any project that includes a change of use alongside building works

• **Fee (England, from April 2024)**:
• •New dwellings: £528 per dwelling (up to 50 units)
• •Change of use: £578
• •Other operations: £234 per 0.1 hectare up to a maximum depending on category

**Determination period**: 8 weeks from validation for most applications (13 weeks for major applications with more than 10 dwellings or over 1,000m² of floor space; 16 weeks for EIA development).

• **Additional requirements vs Householder Application**:
• •More detailed Design and Access Statement (D&A) typically required
• •Heritage assessment or Daylight/Sunlight assessment may be required
• •Drainage strategy may be required
• •Biodiversity net gain assessment (from April 2024 — mandatory for most planning applications)

**Lawful Development Certificate (LDC)**: An LDC is not a planning permission — it is a certificate confirming that proposed (or existing) works are lawful, either because they fall within Permitted Development rights or because the limitation period for enforcement has expired.

• **Two types of LDC**:
• •**Proposed LDC**: confirmation that a proposed development is lawful under PD before it is built
• •**Existing LDC**: confirmation that existing works are lawful (either PD at the time, or enforcement time-barred)

• **When to apply for a Proposed LDC**:
• •Whenever you want certainty that your project falls within PD before spending money on construction
• •When you want a document to show buyers, lenders, or solicitors at sale
• •When the PD compliance is borderline or complex

**LDC fee (England)**: Half the equivalent planning application fee — approximately £129 for householder works.

**LDC determination period**: 8 weeks from validation.

---

**Prior Approval**: Prior Approval is a simplified planning process that applies to certain types of development that benefit from PD rights but require the local authority to check specific matters before they proceed. Two categories most relevant to London residential projects:

**1. Larger Home Extension (Neighbour Consultation Scheme)**: PD allows single-storey rear extensions of up to 8m (detached) or 6m (attached houses) beyond the rear wall — but only with Prior Approval. The local authority writes to neighbours and, if no objections are raised within 21 days, Prior Approval is typically granted. Fee: £120.

**2. Prior Approval for Change of Use**: Certain changes of use (e.g., from commercial to residential under Class MA) require Prior Approval rather than a Full Planning Application — the authority checks specific matters (flooding, transport, noise) but does not assess design or appearance.

**The practical implication for London extensions**: A single-storey rear extension of 5m on a semi-detached house in London falls between the standard PD limit (3m) and the 6m Larger Extension Scheme limit. To build to 5m without full planning consent, the homeowner must apply for Prior Approval under the Larger Extension Scheme — a faster and cheaper route than a Householder Application.