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Types of Planning Permission

Updated: Apr 25, 2022



Types of Planning Permission

Planning permission is the process of gaining the approval needed for construction or expansion of your land or home, and sometimes for demolition. It is usually given in the form of a building permit and your application will either be approved or rejected.

If your planning application is rejected, you can still appeal the decision and this is something that your Architectural Design team can help you with.

Gaining Planning Permission for a project you've been considering can feel like a daunting process. However, it doesn't have to be! Hiring the right team will alleviate a lot of the stress around gaining Planning Permission and the right Architectural Design company will take care of the entire process for you!

There are several types of planning and rather a lot of factors to consider depending on the location and history of your currently property or land. Let's take a look at the different types of Planning Permission:


Pre-Application (Pre-App)

A pre-application allows you to explore creative or bold ideas without the risk of official rejection. A pre-app can also help you avoid the cost of going in for full planning as well as the 8 week waiting period. For those eyeing up plots for sale or properties to renovate, this is a great way of mapping out potential designs prior to purchasing.

You might simply need to submit a location plan, sketches and a few photos of what you want to build to look like – or you may be required to provide full drawings and supporting information.


Permitted Development

Some buildings do not require full planning for certain development and this is called permitted development. Permitted development rights allows homeowners to do certain building works that come under certain rules and regulations.

Every permitted development application requires two sets of drawings that show the existing and proposed design schemes. The existing drawings are compiled from a measured building surveyillustrating floor plans, elevations, sections and the relationship to adjacent neighbouring properties.

If your development does not count as a permitted development, you will need to apply for planning permission.There are a few different types of planning permission:


Outline Planning Permission, Reserved Matters and Full Planning Permission.

It is normally advisable to informally check with your local planning authority to determine what type of planning permission is required for your development and this can also be done for you by your Architectural Design team.


Outline Planning Permission

Outline planning permission establishes the general principles (use, scale and nature) of your proposed development. An outline planning application can be submitted to determine whether a piece of land is suitable to build new dwellings. This type of application has fewer details than a full planning application making it cheaper, and usually much quicker, to produce.


Reserved Matters

Once outline planning consent has been obtained, the reserved matters stage is the follow-up which gives the applicant the opportunity to provide more detail on the development. This should usually be completed within three years and work cannot start until Reserved Matters have been addressed and approved.

Full Permission

If none of the earlier types of planning permission apply to your project the Full permission is normally required. For any change of use, developments in conservation areas and for developments that affect listed buildings full planning permission is required. It also applies to industrial and commercial developments.


An application for full permission should contain detailed information on the proposed development, including the use, position and design of any buildings- extensions, materials, access and landscaping.


For a full planning application you will need professional architectural drawings.

Full planning permission may be granted with conditions. For example the local planning authority may:

  • grant planning permission only for a specified period

  • request for details and samples to be used in the construction work or

  • details of parking arrangements on the site.

A planning authority should only impose conditions that are necessary and effective. They must take steps to ensure that the conditions do not cause an unreasonable burden to the applicant.


On top of this, there are several other factors to take into account when considering going in for planning and are related to the history and location of your land or property. These include but are not limited to Open Countryside, Listed buildings and Conservation Areas.


You can check with your Local Authority if any of these apply to your land or property but your Architectural Design team can also check this out for you.


As always, we are more than happy to go through this process with you an alleviate some of the stress and confusion around planning. As an Architectural Design Consultancy, we deal with Planning Committees and submit applications every day so we are used to the journey and the lingo!


Over the next few weeks we'll be addressing some of these types of planning permission in more detail.


Feel free to give us a call on 0116 482 9284 and one of the team would love to speak with you about your project and advise you on the type of Planning Permission you might need.

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