Apply for planning permission

If you've sent us everything we need, we'll send a letter confirming your application has been validated. If you have not sent us everything we need, we'll request the extra information or fee. You need to provide this within two weeks after we send the letter. If two weeks pass and we do not hear from you, we'll return the application to you or your agent. This means you'll have to submit the application again.

The decision process

There are three stages to our decision process:

• first, there is a 21-day consultation period. People can make comments on your application and a case officer will write a report
• next, there is decision period. The caseworker's report is read by either Planning Officers (a delegated authority) or the Planning Committee.
• finally, we'll send you a decision notice. This tells you if we've approved your application and whether there are any special rules you need to follow

The decision process takes a different amount of time depending on the type of application. We aim to decide within:

• 8 weeks for householder and minor applications
• 13 weeks for major applications
• 16 weeks for an application with an Environmental Impact Assessment.

You can find out when we're likely to decide on your application online. Enter your reference number and open the 'Important Dates' tab. The expected decision date is shown in the 'Expiry Date' field.