Planning permission in Tower Hamlets: the validation checklist
Tower Hamlets checks an application for completeness before anyone assesses it, so an incomplete set comes back before the decision period starts. Plans must be drawn to an identified scale and show north, and a householder application carries a statutory fee of £548. DrawingsDirect prepares planning drawings for Tower Hamlets homes from £745.
Fixed fee from £545 drawings + £200 survey (£745 total) · all prices
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What the council looks for before it validates your application
Validation is the first gate. Officers confirm that the form, fee, plans and ownership details are all present before the clock starts on a decision. A missing or unscaled drawing sends the application back to you rather than forward to a case officer.
The government's practice guidance sets the drawing standard: any plans or drawings must be drawn to an identified scale, and plans must show the direction of north. A householder application for alterations or extensions to a single dwellinghouse carries the statutory fee of £548 from 1 April 2026.
Our planning drawings service is built around that checklist: existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections, each scaled and orientated. If you are still deciding whether you need an application at all, the step-by-step planning permission guide starts with permitted development.
How Tower Hamlets has handled householder applications lately
Tower Hamlets issued 191 householder decisions between 2025 Q3 and 2026 Q2, a total that takes in prior approvals (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2).
Of those householder decisions, 93% were granted (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2). That is the council's record across all applicants, and it says nothing certain about your own scheme.
Counting only full householder applications, not prior approvals, 93% were decided within 8 weeks (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2). The statutory decision period for an application that is not major development is 8 weeks, set by article 34 of the Development Management Procedure Order 2015.
Tower Hamlets issued 191 householder decisions between 2025 Q3 and 2026 Q2, a total that takes in prior approvals (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2).
When a refusal goes to appeal, and where conservation areas bite
Tower Hamlets has 66 householder appeals decided by the Planning Inspectorate in the 2021 to 2026 period, and 24% were allowed (our analysis of the Planning Inspectorate Casework Database). Most refusals that reach appeal are upheld, which is a reason to get the first submission right. The glossary entry on a planning appeal explains the route.
On the national register the borough has 61 conservation-area entries (our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area and article-4-direction datasets); Tower Hamlets Council's own map shows whether your property is in one. Inside one, permitted development rights are tighter and the officer will look hard at materials and roof lines. Read the conservation area extension rules before settling on a design.
What our drawings cost against the council's fee
Our planning drawings start from £745, and that is separate from the £548 the council charges for a householder application. The pricing page lists every service and what moves a quote up.
To compare how the same work is set out next door, see our page for planning permission in Newham. For the national rules on what an application must contain, the government's guidance on making an application is the primary source.
Sources
Every figure on this page, where it comes from and a link to the original.
| Figure | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|
| identified scale | Planning practice guidance, Making an application, paragraph 023 (ID 14-023-20140306): any plans or drawings must be drawn to an identified scale and plans must show the direction of north | www.gov.uk |
| £548 | Statutory fee from 1 April 2026, SI 2012/2920 Sch 1 Pt 2 category 6(1): householder application for alterations or extensions to a single dwellinghouse | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| 191 | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 93% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 93% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 8 weeks | DMPO 2015 art 34(2)(b): decision period for an application that is not major development (source wording: 8 weeks beginning with the day immediately following receipt) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| 66 | Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609)) | www.gov.uk |
| 24% | Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609)) | www.gov.uk |
| 61 | Our analysis of MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area and article-4-direction datasets (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) | www.planning.data.gov.uk |
| £745 | DrawingsDirect starting fixed fee for planning drawings, from the published price list | drawingsdirect.co.uk |
Questions people ask
Where do I submit a Tower Hamlets planning application?
Is a floor plan enough for a Tower Hamlets application?
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in Tower Hamlets?
Photographs: Christopher Hilton (CC BY-SA 2.0).
