Planning permission
When you need it, when you don't, and how to get it approved.
Planning Permission 101
A plain-English guide to getting planning approval in the UK
Planning permission is how the UK controls what you can build, demolish or change about a property. Most architectural projects need it, but not all. This guide explains when you need it, how the process works, and how to maximise your chances of approval.
The rules are set nationally (via the National Planning Policy Framework) but decisions are made locally by your council. This creates significant variation: something that would be approved in Wandsworth might be refused in Richmond.
We regularly handle planning applications across the Isle of Wight, London, Hampshire and beyond. Below is what we've learned.
If Your Application Is Refused
Options when a planning decision goes against you
Read the decision notice carefully: the reasons for refusal are listed. Many refusals can be addressed through design amendments and a fresh application.
If the reasons for refusal feel minor, ask the officer what amendments would make the scheme approvable. Most officers prefer to approve an amended scheme than have to refuse a revised one.
Free to submit, but takes 6–18 months. Appeals are decided by an independent Planning Inspector. Allowed where you believe the council's decision is wrong in planning terms.
Sometimes a refusal reflects a fundamental planning objection that can't be designed around. In that case the honest answer is to find a different approach, or a different site.