Application advice, architectural drawings and supporting evidence for homeowners, businesses and developers.
The right application starts with understanding your proposal and the site. Our Chartered Town Planners work with our architectural team to identify the route, prepare the submission and manage council correspondence through to a decision.
Tell us the property address, what you want to build or change and whether any work has started. We can assess the planning constraints and whether an application is required.
A Planning Appraisal can help establish feasibility and the information needed before you invest in a detailed submission.
Send your drawings, previous permissions, refusal notices and any council advice. We will review what is available and identify missing documents or design work.
We agree the services required, professional fees and preparation programme before starting.
Advice on the appropriate route.
Drawings and evidence coordinated.
Support tailored to the proposal.
A clear point of contact throughout.
A planning application is a formal request for the local planning authority to assess a proposed development. The application route determines what must be submitted and which matters the authority considers.
Not every project needs a full planning application. Permitted Development may apply, sometimes with a prior approval requirement, while a Lawful Development Certificate serves a different purpose. We check the proposal, location and existing restrictions before recommending a route.
The application descriptions and statutory timescales below relate to England. Requirements elsewhere in the UK are checked for the relevant planning system.
We identify the route that fits the proposal and the approvals already in place.
For qualifying works to an existing house and its garden, such as an extension that needs permission. Flats, new homes and some other proposals require a different route.
For detailed proposals including new buildings, commercial works and changes of use where permission is required. The submission includes the information needed to assess the development.
Establishes the principle of a proposed development with specified details reserved for later approval. It is not a substitute for obtaining the remaining approvals before building.
Provides details left open by an outline permission, which may include access, appearance, landscaping, layout or scale. The proposal must remain consistent with the outline consent.
Applies to certain permitted development routes. Eligibility, the matters assessed and the procedure depend on the relevant right; it is not a general alternative to full planning permission.
Seek formal confirmation of lawfulness for existing or proposed development. An LDC is assessed against the relevant legal tests and evidence, rather than the planning merits of a new permission.
An existing permission may need a non-material amendment, an application to vary or remove a condition, or approval of details required by a condition. We review the decision notice and proposed change before advising.
If work has already started or been completed, seek advice promptly. An application may be possible, but approval is not guaranteed and enforcement risks need to be considered.
Listed Building Consent, advertisement consent and demolition-related requirements may apply separately. We identify additional controls that matter to your site and proposal.
Early advice can help clarify issues before submission. Following a refusal, we can assess amendments, resubmission or an appeal. Advice and appeals are separate stages, rather than interchangeable application types.
Avoid preparing the wrong forms or evidence for the proposal.
Consider the planning history, surrounding properties and relevant policies.
Keep the submitted plans and written description consistent.
Recognise survey and specialist requirements early enough to plan for them.
Keep validation requests and consultation comments moving through a clear process.
Know the conditions, approved drawings and further steps before work starts.
We review the brief, site constraints and relevant planning history. We identify the likely route, issues to address and professional work needed.
We prepare the agreed drawings and statements, coordinating any additional reports required. You review the proposal before submission.
With your approval, we submit the forms, certificates and supporting documents. We respond to validation queries and confirm what the council still needs.
We monitor correspondence, respond to questions and discuss proportionate revisions with you where needed. Council processing and decision times remain outside our control.
We explain the decision, any conditions and further approvals required. If the application is refused, we discuss the reasons and options for progressing.
Your quotation sets out the agreed services. Not every application needs every document.
Location and block plans, existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, sections and other drawings appropriate to the application.
Planning justification and any required Design and Access Statement, heritage evidence or other reports. The scope depends on the proposal and validation requirements.
Application forms, ownership certificates, notices and CIL information where applicable, together with the agreed documents and submission on your behalf.
Liaison with the case officer and consultees, responses to queries and communication of the decision. Your quotation identifies included revisions and any additional work.
Assess the planning route, constraints and likely evidence requirements before commissioning a full application package.
The appraisal fee is deducted from your subsequent quote or invoice, including when you proceed with drawings only.
Preparation: ideally allow four weeks or more for drawings, feedback and supporting information. Surveys or complex proposals can require longer. We agree the programme for our work and can discuss fast-track preparation.
Council determination: usual periods in England are eight weeks for non-major applications, 13 weeks for major development and 16 weeks for EIA applications, after validation. Other application types can have different periods.
Validation delays, additional information and agreed extensions can lengthen the overall timetable.
Professional services: costs depend on the agreed design, evidence and application-management work. We provide a clear quotation for your scope.
Other charges: council fees, submission charges and third-party surveys or reports are identified separately where applicable. The relevant fee is checked before submission.
Our Price Match Guarantee covers like-for-like quotations. Use the calculator for an initial estimate for common projects, or contact us for a tailored package.
Check the approved plans, time limits and conditions. Some details must be agreed before work begins. Planning permission does not replace Building Regulations approval or other consents that may apply.
We can discuss the technical drawings and further applications needed for the next stage.
We review the refusal reasons or outstanding issues and explain the available options, which may include a revised proposal, resubmission or an appeal.
The best response depends on the decision and applicable deadlines. A late decision does not automatically mean planning permission has been granted.
The existing example below relates to replacement windows and external French doors at a GP surgery. It shows the type of drawings and supporting documents used for a specific proposal; your application package will be tailored to your own project.
Our teams connect design decisions with the planning evidence the application needs.
We review your site and proposal rather than treating every application as the same package.
Drawings, statements and forms are prepared around an agreed project scope.
We keep you informed about council queries, revisions and the next step.
You know which professional services are included and where extra input may be needed.
We will beat a like-for-like quotation under our Price Match Guarantee.
The council makes the decision. We can assess risk and strengthen an application, but cannot guarantee approval.
The route depends on the proposal, existing permissions and site constraints. Householder, full, outline and reserved matters applications serve different purposes. We assess the project before recommending a route.
The application is the request and evidence submitted for assessment. Planning permission is the approval granted by the decision-maker, usually subject to conditions. Submitting an application does not itself authorise work.
Not necessarily. The proposal must satisfy the relevant limits and conditions. Some permitted development rights require prior approval, and a Lawful Development Certificate may provide formal confirmation of lawfulness.
Send us the drawings and any council correspondence. We review whether the information is suitable and explain any additional drawings or revisions needed before agreeing the scope.
The requirements depend on the application type and site. Plans and forms are normally needed, with statements or specialist reports where required. We check the council’s validation requirements for your proposal.
No. The requirement depends on the development and location. We check whether it is required and what other written evidence is appropriate, rather than including the same documents in every application.
In England, the usual determination periods are eight weeks for non-major development, 13 weeks for major development and 16 weeks for EIA applications. Different procedures can have their own periods, and preparation, validation or agreed extensions add time.
Neighbours can comment where consultation applies. Objections are assessed for their planning relevance; the number of objections alone does not determine the result. We can help respond to the issues raised.
We can discuss faster preparation for work within our control, subject to the scope and information available. We cannot guarantee faster council validation, consultation or determination.
Send the site address, a description of the proposal, photographs, existing drawings and any previous council decisions. Let us know your intended timescale and whether any work has already started.
Planning updates, guidance and answers from Planning By Design.
Share your proposal and the details of your site. We will help you identify the next steps and the support needed to prepare your application.
