Planning applications

Do I need planning permission?

Certain forms of development can be carried out without the need to make an application. These are called permitted developments.

If you wish to receive a formal decision as to whether or not your proposed development is permitted, you will need to apply for a Lawful Development Certificate for a Proposed use or development. There is a fee for this service.

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Pre-application advice

We provide a pre-application service and applicants are encouraged to provide initial details of their proposal in writing, to the Borough Planning Officer, at an early stage and seek advice on the items of information that will be required to accompany their application, as well as advice on the proposal itself.

Requests for pre-application advice should include as a minimum:

  • a description of the proposal
  • a location plan
  • a block plan
  • elevations - drawings or photographs of what it will look like
  • dimensions

Plans for pre-application advice do not have to be to scale but officers need to know where and what is proposed and its size.

The Council's Planning Policies and Supplementary Planning Guidance detail the criteria that will be applied when your development proposal is considered.

Applicants are also encouraged to submit details of the proposed renewable energy provision for the proposed development at this stage via C-Plan. There is no charge for this service and it will assist applicants in ensuring the correct information in provided.

Major applications

A case officer will be assigned at this stage. The Council has an obligation to determine 'major' applications in 13 weeks if necessary. The case officer will co-ordinate a multi-disciplinary team including key consultees. Once submitted, applications will be progressed expeditiously, therefore, meaningful pre-application discussion is essential to avoid refusal.

Minor and householder applications

Minor and householder applications are normally determined within eight weeks.

The Council is unable to extend the pre-application service to householder applications unles you have identified a particular issue that requires our early advice.

Many minor and householder applications are straight forward and the information requirements can be identified from the validation checklists. The accompanying notes answer many of the questions you may have about making a planning application.

If your proposal is likely to have Highways implications you are strongly advised to seek pre-application advice directly from Surrey County Council's Transport Development Planning Team. They can be contacted at Room 365, County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston Upon Thames KT1 2DY or by email. The County Council welcomes and encourages pre-application discussions. They have introduced a system of charges for providing pre-application advice which is set out on their website. Your attention is drawn to the guidance note.

Householder and minor proposals and charitable and public sector non-profit proposals are exempt from these charges.

All pre-application advice is given without prejudice to the County Council's responses to consultations or the determination of the Local Planning Authority.

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Validation checklists and forms

The Government has introduced new arrangements for the validation of planning applications. These are intended to:

  • provide a guide to the information that may be required at the outset
  • enable the local planning authority to provide applicants with certainty as to the information required
  • enable the local planning authority to have all the necessary information to determine the application and to draft the planning permission and all conditions
  • minimise the need for further submission of additional information in order to allow local planning authorities a reasonable opportunity to determine applications within the Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) 109 targets and
  • ensure consistency in the approach taken by different local planning authorities in registering and validating applications whilst recognising the need for variation appropriate to local circumstances.

All applicants are advised to read our validation checklists and forms page before submitting any application.

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Validation of applications

An application will only be validated if both the national and local requirements in the appropriate validation checklist are supplied. If not, the application may be declared invalid and not determined or processing may be delayed. Where an application is not accompanied by the local requirements, the applicant should provide a short written justification with the application as to why it is not appropriate in the particular circumstances.

Applicants or agents will be contacted if documents are insufficient or additional material is required. Failure to submit the mandatory items will result in the application being returned with a letter confirming the outstanding information. Valid applications will be formally acknowledged, normally within five working days for most minor and householder applications or ten working days for major applications.

When valid applications are later found to be invalid the original start date will be disregarded and a new start date defined on receipt of the correct documentation (para. 42 Circular 02/08). This may require the submission of an entirely new application under the terms of S327A of the Act. In the absence of case law to govern the use of this statutory provision, it will be used prudently.

All documents are scanned and are available for public inspection on our website. Personally sensitive information (e.g. phone numbers and emails) should only be provided on the contact details page of the National Planning Application Form (1APP) which is not published.

Building works may require separate Building Regulations approval before the start of the works.

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Viewing current planning applications and enquiries about specific sites

Enter PublicAccess

You can search for the following information by using our online PublicAccess service on the Internet:

  • details of recently submitted applications planning applications and tree work applications (weekly list)
  • applications that have not yet been determined and
  • previously determinedapplications going back to 2004.

The following information is not available on PublicAccess, please use the following links:

If plans are available online for recently submitted applications you may also view them and make comments on them. There is further information which explains how you can submit views on a planning application.

Please bear in mind that any information you send to the Council in respect of applications for planning permission will normally be published on our public website and therefore will be viewable by anyone via the Internet. If you consider any information to be "personally sensitive" (e.g. ex-directory phone numbers, etc.), please do not put such sensitive information in any documents you submit to the Council. This also applies to any type of communication about an application (e.g. letters, emails, etc.) sent to the Council from neighbours or other interested parties.

If you have a specific query about a current planning application for a particular address your query will be dealt with by the case officer who is dealing with the application. You can find out the name and telephone number of the relevant case officer by using our PublicAccess service or by phoning a planning support officer on 01483 743843.

When the application details are available online you can also visit the Civic Offices between 9am to 4.45pm, Mondays to Fridays (Bank Holidays excluded) to view them at one of our public terminals. A member of our Customer Service Team will be available to assist you.

We no longer provide paper copies of forms, letters and plans submitted.

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Meetings of the Planning Committee

You can view online calendar lists of Council committee meetings, including the Planning Committee:

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Planning appeals

Important changes to the appeals process came into force on 6 April 2009. One of these changes is the introduction of a streamlined Householder Appeal Service.

Visit the Planning Portal for the following:

  • follow appeals in progress
  • further information on making an appeal
  • search for valid planning appeals and
  • submit a new appeal online.

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National Planning Portal

We link to the National Planning Portal, which is part of the common vision for improving the planning process in England and Wales. The Planning Portal provides guidance and information about making planning applications, as well as resources for study and research.

The main parts of the Planning Portal are:

  • guide to the planning process: offers a brief introduction to the planning system and some explanation of what planning is for and why it is important; intended for both householders and business people and explains why planning controls are necessary and how decisions are made
  • application forms: the Council accepts applications submitted online using the Portal. You can also use the online applications service to produce a site location plan to accompany your application
  • appeal: if you seek permission to carry out works to your property and your application isn't decided within a set period, or you get a decision from your local council that you disagree with, you have a right to appeal.
  • research: this section of the Portal is intended to help professional planners, lawyers, students, academics and others with an in-depth interest in town and country planning. Includes Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs) and other guidance.