Submitting a planning application

When submitting a planning application you are required to provide information in accordance with both the national and local lists of mandatory documents.

The mandatory documents that are needed to accompany a planning application are listed in the sections below – failure to provide any of the mandatory or local list documents will result in your application becoming invalid. Please read the national and local requirements for your application type before completing your application form.

Applicable to all application types that include the submission of drawings is the requirement to show the appropriate scale (such as a scale bar), and should show the original paper size.

Plans marked ‘do not scale’, or similar, will not be accepted.

If any plan or drawing is based, or appears to be based, upon Ordnance Survey information, maps or data, authorisation to reproduce the data should be clearly shown.

Applications including any drawings that appear to infringe Ordnance Survey copyright will not be registered (this includes Land Registry plans and Google Maps).

We are unable to accept documents that contain Google Street View images due to privacy laws.

The local mandatory planning documents [the Local List] were reviewed and consulted on between 9 October 2017 and 20 November 2017, and were adopted on 8th December 2017.

The full list of application types and associated forms can be found on the Planning Portal.

In the event that applications and accompanying documents/drawings are submitted electronically via the Planning Portal, there will not be a need to submit two copies of those documents/drawings separately.

You may challenge a request for information from the local list by submitting a notice, under article 12 of the Development Management Procedure Order 2015, stating why you consider that the information is not necessary for a planning decision to be made. We must then either confirm that:

(i) we no longer require the information by issuing a “validation notice” or

(ii) that we maintain there is a need for the information by issuing a “non-validation notice”.

These notices must be served before the end of the relevant determination period for the type of application. In practice it is more likely that a “validation notice” will be issued but in cases where, a non-validation notice is served, especially if pre-planning application advice has not been sought, the applicant risks having the application held in abeyance.  Such a notice can then be challenged as part of an appeal against non-determination after a period of eight, thirteen or sixteen weeks has elapsed depending on the type of application. In such cases, the statutory time period will be considered to have begun at the point where the local planning authority has received the fee, documents and other information necessary to validate the application, but excluding the disputed information specified in the article 12 notice. The Planning Inspectorate will consider the merits of the validation dispute and the appeal itself.

Notwithstanding the published information requirements for validating planning applications, there will be occasions when further information is requested during the determination process, for example where requested by consultees or to overcome planning objections. In any event, to avoid the risk of an application being refused planning permission for failure to provide sufficient relevant information, agents and applicants are advised to seek guidance at pre-application stage regarding information requirements.

A list of national mandatory documents can be found on the government planning portal (What to submit webpage) and are summarised as follows;-

• The standard application form
• Location plan to a scale of 1:1250 or 1:2500  – which shows the site area and its surrounding context which can be purchased online from one of the Planning Portal’s accredited suppliers either as part of the application process, or separately, and then attached to the application.
• Site Plan (sometimes known as a block plan) to a scale of 1:500 –  which shows the proposed development in detail and can be purchased from one of the Portal’s three accredited suppliers.
• An ownership certificate A, B, C or D must be completed stating the ownership of the property.
• Agricultural holdings certificate – this is required whether or not the site includes an agricultural holding. All agricultural tenants must be notified prior to the submission of the application.
• A Design and Access statement (if required) – this should outline the design principles and concepts that have been applied to the proposed development and how issues relating to access to the development have been dealt with. Find out more about design and access statements here.
• The correct application fee.

Local requirements are dependent on the type of application submitted. To find out which local mandatory documents are required in addition to the national requirements, please see the application type under the headings or application types listed below.

There are, however, certain general or site specific requirements that will apply to planning applications which must also be met.  These are outlined as follows:

Community infrastructure levy

From April 2012, all development in the city is potentially liable to pay the community infrastructure levy, which will help fund infrastructure projects to support the development of the city.

We will need accurate information regarding proposed new floorspace, as well as any proposed demolition or reuse of existing floorspace, in order to establish whether a development is liable and to calculate liability correctly.

We also need to know who will pay the levy if planning permission is granted and implemented.

Download and complete the community infrastructure forms available on the planning portal then submit with your planning application.

Submitting a planning application within flood zone 2 or 3

Although specific guidance is available through the Planning Portal and Planning Practice Guidance, to assist applicants who are proposing a householder development or small non-residential extensions (less than 250sqm) you should download and complete the Flood risk – assessment and information form and submit it with your planning application.

If you do not provide this information or a site specific flood risk assessment, your application will be invalid. Before completing the Flood Risk Assessment form you should refer to the standing advice on the GOV.UK website

Air quality

Where a development is proposed inside, or adjacent to an air quality management area (AQMA), or where the development could in itself result in the designation of an AQMA or where the grant of planning permission would conflict with, or render unworkable, elements of a local authority’s air quality action plan, applications should be supported by such information as is necessary to allow a full consideration of the impact of the proposal on the air quality of the area.

Contaminated land

The potential for contamination is a material planning consideration, and the government has indicated that it considers that the redevelopment of sites is the most appropriate and cost effective time to deal with contamination issues. Applications which involve the creation of new residential properties, or an extension to a residential property where contamination or gassing is known, or commercial redevelopment with an area greater than 250m², will need to be accompanied by a desk-top study outlining historical uses.

Houses in multiple occupation

With the introduction of an Article 4 Direction on 1 November 2011 planning permission is required for the change of use of a Class C3 dwelling to a Class C4 HMO where between three and six unrelated people share a kitchen and/or a bathroom. Planning applications for change of use can be made online using the Planning Portal website. For a change of use application it will be necessary to submit; (i) a location plan and block plan, in accordance with the National requirements, together with floor plans to a scale of either 1:100 or 1:50 showing the internal layout of the property, and (ii) a schedule of room sizes. Where accommodation is to be provided within the roof space, the submitted drawings must include cross-sections to show the floor area with a headroom of at least 1.5m.

The fee for this type of application is £462.

Where an application is submitted for a change of use from a Class C4 HMO to a Sui Generis HMO a planning fee and the normal requirements for an application for full permission will apply. These requirements include floor plans and a schedule of room sizes.  Where accommodation is to be provided within the roof space the submitted drawings must include cross-sections to show the floor area with a headroom of at least 1.5m.

Housing floor space standards

Where an application includes the provision of residential accommodation [e.g. flats, houses and maisonettes] drawings showing the internal layout of that accommodation are required to include a schedule of the gross internal floor areas of the proposed accommodation which have a headroom of at least 1.5m together with the floor areas of bedrooms. Where accommodation is to be provided within the roof space, the submitted drawings must include cross-sections to show the floor area with a headroom of at least 1.5m.

Statement of Community Involvement

The National Planning Policy Framework emphasises the importance of planning applicants carrying out community engagement on their emerging proposals and states: ‘Applicants will be expected to work closely with those directly affected by their proposals to evolve designs that take account of the views of the community. Proposals that can demonstrate this in developing the design of the new development should be looked on more favourably.’

Consultation with the public and other stakeholders by a developer/applicant on more significant or sensitive proposals prior to the submission of an application can help to identify at an early stage potential problems or improvements that could be made to proposals.

Applications for more significant or sensitive proposals are to be supported by a statement setting out how the views of the local community have been sought and taken into account in the formulation of development proposals. The level of detail provided should reflect the scale of the development. Early engagement with the Council’s Development Management Team is encouraged to establish objectives and agree the consultation approach, including who will be consulted, and set out what the public can influence by making comments.

Heritage statements

Where a development proposal would impact on the fabric or setting of a designated (or non-designated) heritage asset, the applicant will be required to provide a supporting heritage statement (HS).

The statement should be proportionate to the significance of the asset, and the scale of proposed work. Its content should describe the significance of the asset, identify the impact of the proposal on that significance, and provide a clear justification (rationale) for any development, (particularly where a proposal would result in harm to asset(s) or their setting).

In preparing the statement, the applicant should as a minimum consult the City Council’s Historic Environment Record (HER).

Application for a building or land that you do not own

If you have signed a certificate B, you will also need to complete a Notice No 1 form.

New residential developments may also be subject to our Solent Recreation Mitigation strategy. Find out more about the scheme here.

Applications under the Larger Home Extension schemes are now liable to be charged an application fee. This is due to the new legislation titled ‘The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019’, which came into effect in August 2019. The fee liable to pay is £96.