How to apply for a planning application
Before you apply check if you need planning permission
Is planning permission required?
Have a chat
Discuss your proposal with those who could be affected by your project, including occupiers of adjoining property or representatives of the local community.
Take into account their views when preparing your application, including details of these consultations in an accompanying statement.
Discuss your ideas with us first
Use our pre-application advice service. Using this service leads to quicker decisions on applications with more positive outcomes as we'll identify any additional conditions you may need to take into account when preparing your application.
Apply online via the Planning Portal
Most planning applications are submitted online via the Planning Portal
Using the Planning Portal is the preferred way to submit your application to us.
Registration is easy, and once you have an account you can complete your application form, buy site location plans, upload supporting documents and pay fees online.
Benefits of applying online
These include:
- you can work on your applications in draft before submission
- immediate delivery and acknowledgement
- savings on postage and printing costs
- online help function when completing applications
- online record of your completed applications
Planning Portal: Apply online
Alternatively, send us your application via email or post.
Fees
To work out how much you'll need to pay, use the Planning Portal fee calculator. This will calculate the cost based on your application type, and any reductions or exemptions you may be entitled to.
The Planning portal explains fees in detail and provides a downloadable guide (PDF, 117KB) to planning fees.
Planning portal - paper forms
We are aware of discrepancies between a small number of statutory planning fees published within the Council's Fees and Charges Schedule and the nationally prescribed planning fees set by the Government.
The affected fees relate to:
- Change of use of a building to one or more dwellinghouses (fewer than 10 dwellings)
- Prior Approval applications for the construction of new dwellinghouses under permitted development rights
We would like to reassure applicants that the correct statutory planning fees are being applied at the point of submission through the Planning Portal fee calculator, in accordance with the latest national statutory fee guidance. The Council's published Fees and Charges Schedule will be updated when the 2027/28 fees and charges review is undertaken.
In the meantime, applicants are advised to refer to the Planning Portal fee guidance and fee calculator when determining the fee payable for a planning application. We apologise for any confusion this may cause and thank you for your understanding.