Planning guide
How long planning permission takes, and what slows it down
The statutory clock on a householder application is eight weeks from validation, but the honest answer includes everything either side of it: drawings, validation, consultation, and the wait for a decision notice to be issued. Plan your build around the whole sequence, not just the eight weeks.
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The sequence from idea to spade in the ground
- Step 1
Survey and design
Measured survey, then drawings you actually agree with. Rushing this is the main cause of a refusal or a redesign.
- Step 2
Validation
The council checks the submission is complete. Missing a location plan or the right fee stops the clock before it starts.
- Step 3
Consultation
Neighbours and consultees are notified and comments are invited over a set period.
- Step 4
Assessment and decision
The case officer visits, weighs policy and comments, and either issues a decision or asks for amendments.
- Step 5
Conditions and building regulations
Some conditions must be discharged before work starts, and building control runs in parallel.
What actually causes delay
- Incomplete submissions that fail validation and have to be resubmitted
- Drawings that do not match the site, discovered at the officer's visit
- Neighbour objections that need a design amendment rather than an argument
- Consultee input on trees, highways, drainage or heritage
- Listed building consent running alongside the planning application
- Waiting for a committee date where an application is not decided by officers
How to keep it moving
Submit properly the first time. A complete application with an accurate location plan, correct scales, existing and proposed elevations and the right fee validates quickly and starts the clock immediately.
Talk to your neighbours before the letters land. Most objections are about being surprised rather than about the extension itself, and a conversation over the fence solves more applications than a redesign does.
Accept a small amendment if the officer offers one. Negotiating a reduced depth or a repositioned window is nearly always faster than refusal and appeal.
Use the wait. Structural design, building regulations drawings, material selection and window orders can all progress while the application sits with the council, so approval is not followed by another empty month.
We do the chasing
We prepare the drawings, submit, respond to the case officer and keep you informed rather than leaving you to phone the council. Then we build what was approved, to a fixed price written quote with a 5 year workmanship guarantee.
FAQs
Common questions
How long is a householder planning application?
The statutory target is eight weeks from validation, with larger or more complex applications taking longer. Ask your local planning authority for their current performance.
Is prior approval quicker than a full application?
Yes, it runs on a shorter defined period, which is one reason the larger home extension route is worth considering for a deeper rear extension.
Can I start work as soon as I am approved?
Only once any pre commencement conditions are discharged and building control is in place. Read the conditions on the decision notice carefully.
What happens if I am refused?
You can amend and resubmit, often free within a set period, or appeal. Resubmission with the officer's reasons addressed is usually faster and more likely to succeed.
Do you handle the application for us?
Yes. We prepare and submit the drawings and deal with the case officer directly, which shortens the query loop.
Can building work be booked in before approval?
We pencil dates and confirm them once the decision is in. Committing to a start date before consent is how programmes fall apart.
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