Aerial view of London boroughs illustrating how to get planning permission across the capital

Guide

How to Get Planning Permission in London: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to get planning permission in London, step by step: check permitted development and Article 4, survey, drawings, pre-app, submit via the Planning Portal, validation, consultation and decision.

Learning how to get planning permission in London feels daunting, but it follows a predictable sequence, and knowing the steps in advance removes most of the stress. This guide walks you through the whole journey for a typical London householder project — a rear extension, loft conversion, or similar — from the first check on whether you even need permission, through surveys and drawings, to submission via the Planning Portal, consultation, and the council's decision.

The short version: first establish whether your scheme is permitted development or needs a full application, and whether an Article 4 direction in your borough has removed permitted-development rights. Then get an accurate measured survey, have proper planning drawings prepared, optionally take pre-application advice, and submit through the Planning Portal. The council validates the application, consults neighbours and statutory bodies, and issues a decision — usually within about eight weeks for a householder application, subject to your borough's workload. Below, each step is broken down with realistic timeframes, the common mistakes that cause delays, and where accurate drawings make the difference between a first-time approval and a refusal you have to fight.

What are the steps to get planning permission in London?

Planning permission in London runs through a defined pipeline: check whether you need it, survey the property, prepare planning drawings, optionally seek pre-application advice, submit through the Planning Portal, pass validation, go through public consultation, receive a decision, and finally discharge any conditions. Each step feeds the next, and getting an early step wrong — especially the drawings — cascades into delays later.

The numbered sequence below is written for a standard householder scheme. Larger or more sensitive projects (conservation areas, listed buildings, flats, or anything beyond householder scale) add extra steps such as heritage statements or a different application route, but the backbone is the same. Treat the timeframes as realistic London illustrations rather than guarantees, because borough workloads differ across the 33 councils.

Step 1 — Check permitted development and Article 4

Start by finding out whether you need planning permission at all. Many London extensions and loft conversions fall under permitted development (PD), which lets you build within set limits without a full application. But London complicates this: many boroughs impose Article 4 directions that remove PD rights in specific areas or for specific alterations, and conservation-area and listed-building status further restrict what you can do. Check your council's website and any Article 4 designations for your address. If your scheme is genuinely PD, you can secure certainty with a Lawful Development Certificate rather than full permission — a lighter, faster route that still gives you a formal document confirming the work is lawful.

Step 2 — Commission a measured survey

If you need permission, the foundation of the whole application is an accurate measured survey of your existing property. This captures precise dimensions, levels, and features so that the proposed drawings are drawn to scale against reality — not guesswork. A weak or approximate survey is the root cause of many rejected or delayed applications, because inaccurate existing drawings undermine the credibility of the proposal and can require re-submission. Expect a survey visit and a short turnaround to produce accurate existing plans, sections and elevations that everything else is built on.

Planning permission drawings for a London extension laid out on a survey and drafting desk

Preparing and submitting the application

With the survey done, the middle of the process is about producing a persuasive, compliant application and getting it through the front door of the council correctly. This is where good drawings and, often, a pre-application conversation pay for themselves.

Step 3 — Prepare the planning drawings

Next, have your planning drawings prepared: existing and proposed plans, elevations, sections, a site plan and a location plan, all to the scales the council expects. These drawings are the heart of the submission — the case officer reads them to judge scale, massing, materials and impact on neighbours. Clear, accurate, professionally presented drawings that pre-empt the officer's likely concerns are the single biggest factor in a first-time approval. At DrawingsDirect we produce this pack to a fixed fee with roughly a seven-day turnaround and free redraws to approval, so the drawings evolve with the council's feedback at no extra cost.

Step 4 — Consider pre-application advice

Many London boroughs offer a paid pre-application (pre-app) advice service, where a planning officer reviews your proposal before you submit and indicates whether it is likely to be supported. For anything borderline — a larger extension, a sensitive street, or a scheme that pushes design limits — pre-app advice can save weeks and reduce the risk of an outright refusal. It is optional and adds a few weeks upfront, but the feedback lets you adjust the drawings to meet the officer's expectations before the formal clock starts.

From submission to decision: what happens at the council?

Once the pack is ready, the remaining steps sit largely with the council, but understanding them helps you respond quickly if the officer needs anything.

Step 5 — Submit via the Planning Portal and pass validation

Submit the application through the national Planning Portal, paying the statutory householder application fee and uploading your drawings, forms and any supporting statements. The council then validates the application — checking that all required documents, fees and correctly-scaled plans are present. Validation typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks depending on borough workload. An application with missing documents or incorrectly scaled drawings is not validated and simply sits in limbo until you fix it, which is a common and avoidable source of delay.

Step 6 — Consultation, decision and discharging conditions

After validation, the council runs a public consultation period — usually around 21 days — during which neighbours and statutory consultees can comment. The case officer then assesses the scheme and issues a decision, with householder applications legally targeted for determination in about eight weeks, though busy London boroughs may take longer or ask for a time extension. An approval often comes with conditions (for example, agreeing materials or drainage details). These conditions must be formally discharged — via a separate application to the council — before or during construction, so factor that into your build programme.

What are the most common planning permission mistakes?

Most delays and refusals in London are self-inflicted and preventable. The pattern is almost always the same: rushing the early steps, submitting inaccurate or incomplete drawings, or misreading whether permitted-development rights even apply. Avoiding the mistakes below is often the difference between an eight-week approval and months of re-submissions.

Assuming permitted development applies without checking for an Article 4 direction or conservation-area status in your borough.
Building the proposal on an inaccurate measured survey, so the existing drawings do not match reality.
Submitting incomplete or wrongly-scaled drawings, which fail validation before an officer even reads them.
Ignoring neighbour impact — overlooking, overshadowing or loss of light — that a case officer will seize on.
Skipping pre-application advice on a borderline scheme and gambling on a formal decision instead.
Forgetting to discharge planning conditions before building, which can render the works unauthorised.

Typical London householder planning steps and illustrative timeframes
Step	What happens	Illustrative timeframe
1. Check PD & Article 4	Confirm whether you need permission or can rely on permitted development	A few days
2. Measured survey	Accurate survey of the existing property	1–2 weeks
3. Planning drawings	Existing and proposed plans, elevations, sections, site and location plans	About 1 week (fixed fee)
4. Pre-application advice	Optional officer review before formal submission	2–4 weeks (optional)
5. Submit & validation	Lodge via the Planning Portal; council checks documents and fees	A few days to 2 weeks
6. Consultation & decision	Neighbour consultation then a formal decision	About 8 weeks target
7. Discharge conditions	Separate application to satisfy any conditions before building	Varies by condition

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long does planning permission take in London?+

A householder planning application in England is legally targeted for a decision within about eight weeks of validation. In practice, London boroughs vary — some meet the target comfortably, others run longer or ask applicants to agree an extension of time when workloads are high. On top of the decision period, allow time upfront for the survey, drawings and, if you use it, pre-application advice, plus a validation period of a few days to a couple of weeks. A realistic end-to-end timeline for a straightforward London extension is often two to three months from starting work to a decision.

Do I always need planning permission for a London extension?+

Not always. Many extensions and loft conversions fall under permitted development, which allows building within set limits without a full planning application. However, London complicates this: many boroughs use Article 4 directions to remove permitted-development rights in certain areas, and conservation-area or listed-building status adds further restrictions. Always check your council's guidance and any Article 4 designation for your specific address before assuming your project is permitted development. If it is genuinely permitted, you can obtain a Lawful Development Certificate to confirm that in writing.

What is an Article 4 direction?+

An Article 4 direction is a formal step a local planning authority can take to withdraw permitted-development rights in a defined area or for particular types of alteration. It is common across London, especially in conservation areas and on certain residential streets, and it means work that would normally be permitted development instead requires a full planning application. Because these directions are location-specific, you must check your own borough's website and mapping for your address. Missing an Article 4 direction is one of the most common and costly early mistakes London homeowners make.

What drawings do I need for a London planning application?+

A standard householder application needs existing and proposed floor plans, existing and proposed elevations, sections, a scaled site plan and an Ordnance Survey-based location plan, all drawn to the scales the council expects. For some schemes you may also need a design and access statement or a heritage statement. The drawings are the core of the application — the case officer relies on them to judge scale, appearance and neighbour impact. Accurate, well-presented drawings that pre-empt likely concerns are the biggest single factor in achieving a first-time approval.

Is pre-application advice worth it in London?+

Often, yes — particularly for borderline or ambitious schemes. Most London boroughs offer a paid pre-application service where a planning officer reviews your proposal and indicates whether it is likely to be supported before you formally apply. For a larger extension, a sensitive street, or a design that pushes the usual limits, this feedback lets you adjust the drawings to meet the officer's expectations and reduces the risk of a formal refusal. It adds a few weeks and a fee upfront, but can save months of re-submission on a scheme that would otherwise have been rejected.

How do I actually submit a planning application?+

Householder planning applications in England are submitted online through the national Planning Portal. You complete the application forms, upload your drawings and any supporting statements, and pay the statutory householder application fee. The Planning Portal routes the submission to your London borough, which then validates it — checking all required documents, correct scales and the fee are present. Many homeowners have their planning agent or drawing practice handle the submission, since a correctly assembled and validated application avoids the delays that come from missing or incorrectly formatted documents.

What does it mean to discharge planning conditions?+

When a council grants planning permission, it often attaches conditions — requirements such as agreeing external materials, drainage details, or landscaping before or during construction. Discharging a condition means formally submitting the required information to the council for approval, usually via a separate application with its own fee. Until a pre-commencement condition is discharged, starting the relevant work can render it unauthorised. It is essential to read the decision notice carefully, identify which conditions must be satisfied and when, and build the discharge process into your construction programme.

What happens if my application is refused?+

A refusal is not the end of the road. The decision notice sets out the officer's reasons, which usually point to specific, fixable issues — scale, neighbour impact, or design. You can revise the scheme to address those reasons and submit a fresh application, often benefiting from a free resubmission fee within a set period. Alternatively, you can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, though appeals take longer. In most London householder cases, adjusting the drawings to answer the officer's concerns and reapplying is faster and more reliable than an appeal.

Can I use a technologist instead of an architect for my application?+

Yes. There is no legal requirement to use a registered architect for a householder planning application in London. A chartered architectural technologist can prepare your measured survey, produce the full planning drawing pack, and submit the application through the Planning Portal, and the council will assess it on exactly the same basis. For standard extensions and lofts, a technologist's technical focus and typically lower fixed fee make them a popular choice, while still delivering the council-accepted drawings the application requires.

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