The Different Types of Planning Application

The Different Types of Planning Application

There are many different types of planning application, all of them designed for a particular set of circumstances. Choosing the right one is critical – like anything else, in the planning system you need the right tools for what you are seeking to achieve. Planning consultants are well placed to advise on all types of planning application and associated matters. 

Before we go through some of the types of planning application that you may be considering using for your project, let’s start with one which is slightly different – Permitted Development. 

Permitted Development vs a Planning Application

Permitted Development is for work that you are allowed to undertake without making a planning application. It is still a permission though – albeit one granted by Parliament rather than by your local planning authority. Permitted Development covers certain minor building works, where the impact on neighbours or the surrounding environment is deemed to be small. Under existing rules, this would cover single storey rear extensions and conservatories – as long as they do not extend beyond the rear wall of the original building by a set distance. It can also mean that a planning application does not need to be submitted for some change of use planning requirements. 

That seems straightforward, and it usually is, although there are exceptions. Flats for instance are not covered, and if you live in a National Park, a Conservation Area or in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty then permitted development rights may not apply. 

Householder Planning Application 

If the extension is two-storey, or larger, then you may make a Householder Planning Application.  This is basically for proposals to alter or enlarge a single house, including adding any works in the garden/boundary area. It would cover extensions, conservatories, loft conversions and outbuildings such as garages. Some of these may be allowed under Permitted Development, so it is always worth checking with your council, or with a Planning Consultant as to whether a planning application is required. 

Change of Use Planning 

The next Permission we will cover is Change of Use Planning. You can probably guess what this is used for. That’s right – changing the use of one property or area of land to another. For instance, if you wanted to convert an office block into residential housing, or a pub into offices, that would require a Change of Use planning application.

Outline Planning Permission and Full Planning Applications 

The most common type of application is a Full Planning Application. This would set out the full details of a proposal – appearance, use, drainage and access. This is the route that people would use to gain ‘Full Planning Permission’. This is typically used for any alterations to a commercial property which requires a planning application and where undertaking residential developments. 

For some projects, however, it makes more sense to seek Outline Planning Permission in the first instance, rather than full permission. Outline Permission is where the Planning Authority gives permission in principle for a development, but then sets out a number of areas where clarification is needed before Full Permission can be granted (and work can begin). These are set out in what are known as ‘Reserved Matters’. There is a whole different planning permission category to approve these, known as Approval of Reserved Matters. This would be where you gained permission for the outstanding issues from your Outline Planning Permission. 

Other Planning Applications

These are the main categories that you will probably encounter, although it is far from a complete list. There are also specific permissions needed for any work you want to carry out to a listed building (Listed Building Consent), demolitions you might want to carry out in a conservation area (Conservation Area Consent), and Advertisement Consent (which related to the erection and display of billboards). 

As you can see, the world of planning has lots of different routes depending on the size, scale, location and nature of what you want to do. It is not uncommon to require more than one type of planning application – for example if you were demolishing one building in a conservation area and replacing it with a new one.

Often it is straightforward to identify what is the right route for your project, but not always – so for instance working out whether your extension is Permitted Development or requires Householder Planning Permission. Similarly, there is often a judgement call to be made regarding seeking Full or Outline Permission. 

A good Planning Consultant can help you untangle some of this and make sure that you are on the right track from the start.

At UK Planning Consultants, we offer Planning Application in the following locations: Planning Application Bristol, Planning Application London, Planning Application Manchester.