Local planning authorities aim to determine most types of planning applications within 8 weeks of validation. Larger, more complex applications will take 13 weeks from validation.
It takes about 8-10 weeks for an architect (or others) to prepare an application for a household extension and renovation, inclusive of the measured survey, design options for client consideration, and final drawings and documentation for planning submission. A new-build house will take 12-16 weeks to prepare.
In total, a typical household extension and renovation project will take about 4-5 months from architect appointment to grant of planning consent.
A new-build house application can take more than 5 months.
If you are proposing to build a new house in open countryside, planning can take anywhere between 6-24 months, and there is no guarantee you will be successful!
Before starting the design process, check if you need to seek council approval. Many home extension and renovation projects fall under permitted development rights and can be built without planning permission.
If you are proposing works to a flat, or a property on designated land, or you want to build a new house, you are likely to require planning permission.
The validation process is an administrative exercise undertaken by councils to check whether you have supplied the correct application information.
If an application is valid, they will send you written confirmation. The determination period (the 8- or 13-week timeline) starts the day the application is received.
If your application is found to be invalid, the council will advise you of the reasons and ask you to provide additional information to enable the application to proceed.
It normally takes councils about 5-10 days to check whether an application is valid. Failure to provide the correct information can cause significant time delays. Appointing an architect will ensure the planning process runs as smoothly as possible.
Pre-application advice is a paid service offered by local authorities to applicants who would like a planning officer to appraise their proposals before they submit for planning permission.
It’s not normally necessary to seek pre-application advice for simple household renovation works. This is more appropriate for larger developments such as a new-build house proposal.
Local planning authorities try to respond to pre-application advice submissions within 8 weeks. However, unlike a formal planning application, they are under no obligation to respond within this period and responses can take a lot longer.
You will also need to allow time for the preparation of drawings and other documentation that form the pre-application submission.
Householder applications cover most types of domestic building work and offer a more streamlined process compared to full planning permission.
Works in a conservation area that involve a significant amount of demolition work may require planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area.
Works to listed buildings may require listed building consent as well as planning permission.
Works to flats and maisonettes, or works to subdivide a house into flats, require full planning permission.
Full planning permission is required if you are seeking to build a new house.
In total, a typical household extension and renovation planning application will take about 8-10 weeks to prepare, inclusive of architect appointment, measured survey, design options for comment, final drawings and documentation for submission.
If your site is in a conservation area, you may need to allow additional time for the preparation of more detailed drawings and design and heritage statements to support your application.
3D visualisations, to show how your proposals sit in context with the neighbouring surroundings, may be required if your proposals are visible from the public highway. They will also help ‘sell’ the merits of your scheme to the council.
A full planning application for a new-build house may require specialist technical reports by other consultants – for example, structural, energy, ecology, sunlight daylight, transport and noise – and can take longer than 5 months to prepare.
Before submitting a planning application, it is important to check local submission requirements to avoid unnecessary delays.
Councils aim to determine most types of planning application within 8 weeks of validation – this is certainly the case for most types of residential development.
An application for a new-build house or listed building consent can take longer as the council may need to seek wider consultation, for example Highways, Environment Agency, Historic England and other bodies, to properly evaluate the submission documentation.
If your application receives several objections from neighbours, it will be decided at a planning committee hearing, which can add a further 6-8 weeks to the decision period.
If you are proposing to build a new dwelling in open countryside, it can take 6-24 months to reach a decision from validation as these applications receive comments from a wide range of consultees and are decided at planning committee.
If your application exceeds the statutory time limit – the period in which councils should make a decision, normally 8 weeks – the council will contact you to request an extension of time. In most cases, an extension of time equates to a few additional weeks, and it is normally advisable to agree to the request as the alternative can take a lot longer – see below.
If an extended period has not been agreed with you, government policy states that ‘decisions should be made within 26 weeks at most in order to comply with the planning guarantee’ and that ‘no application should spend more than a year with decision-makers, including appeal’. This means that planning applications should be decided in 26 weeks, allowing a similar length of time for you to appeal.
Alternatively, if you do not receive a decision within the statutory time limit and you have not agreed (or cannot agree) an extension of time with the council, you can appeal to the Secretary of State for non-determination.
Most appeals are determined by Planning Inspectors on behalf of the Secretary of State and can take up to 26 weeks to be decided.
The above timelines are based on you receiving planning permission at the first attempt.
If your application is refused, you will have to allow for additional time to either submit revised plans to the council or appeal to the Secretary of State.
If you decide to submit revised plans (in many cases for free if the scope of work is similar to the first application and you submit within 12 months of the refusal notice) it will take a further 8 weeks to reach a decision. If you can incorporate the council’s feedback into your plans, your chances of success will be high.
If you decide to appeal, prepare yourself for along wait. The average time it takes a Planning Inspector to decide a householder application appeal on behalf of the Secretary of State is about 15 weeks. Larger residential applications can take up to 26 weeks.
The Secretary of State’s decision is essentially final and about a third of applications are successful at appeal. To overturn an appeal decision, you would need to take your case to the High Court and prove that the Planning Inspectorate made a legal error.
To ensure you maximise your chances of gaining planning permission at the first attempt, appoint a good architect – one that has experience of undertaking the type of work you are looking to carry out.
Do I need an architect to submit my planning application?
No, anyone can submit a planning application. However, the planning process can be complex, and an architect’s involvement will increase your chances of gaining planning permission.
How long does planning permission last for?
Planning permissions usually last for 3 years from the date on the approval notice.
How long will it take the council to validate my planning application?
Planning applications are normally assessed for validation within 10 working days, when the local planning authority will issue a letter advising on the application’s status. If the application is validated, a decision date will be included in the letter. If the application is deemed invalid, the letter will outline additional information required for validation.
What happens if my planning application is refused?
You can appeal to the Secretary of State, or submit a revised application, normally free of charge if the scope of works is similar to the first application and submitted within 12 months of the refusal date.
What happens if my planning application is delayed?
If the local authority does not return a decision by the date shown on the validation letter, you can appeal to the Secretary of State for non-determination.
In most cases, the local planning authority will write to you to request an extension of time. It is normally best to agree to the extension as the appeal process can take a lot longer.
If an extension of time is not agreed, the government sets out a planning guarantee of 52 weeks for planning applications to be decided – 26 weeks for a decision and 26 weeks for an appeal to take place.
Credit - Main image - Photo by Storey Tarris on Unsplash
About the author: Aron Coates is an architect with over two decades of experience, encompassing projects ranging from the restoration of historic buildings to the design of contemporary homes.
The information provided in this article is intended for general guidance and educational purposes only. At Designs in Detail, we advise you appoint a skilled residential architect to provide specific expert advice for your project.
