How can I apply for planning permission?
Apply via the Planning Portal is a simple process that ensures your application with reach us immediately.
Appling for planning permission
The Planning Portal will assist you in:
- Confirming the necessary documents that you need to include and submit in your application.
- Using a fee calculator to determine the planning fees and allocating you to make the payment for your application, please have a look at our fee schedule.
- Please do not upload documents with underscores or extra fullstops, for example 'file_name.pdf' or 'file.name.pdf' as we are currently unable to view these.
Applying by post
You can apply by post however it may take up to two weeks longer to process these applications than online applications.
What to include with the application
For information on the mandatory submission requirements you will need to review both Local and National Validation documents:
In line with London Borough of Harrow’s Planning Services Statement of Community Involvement (Adopted March 2013), in particular Para 1.1, the Council do set out that they ‘will consult on various stages of the planning application process’ and the Local Validations Checklist would fall within this ambit.
Describing planning applications
The requirement to describe the development proposal or that in situ is prescribed under Articles 7(1)(ii), 15(7)(b) and 40(7)(d) of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) and Section 191(5)(b) of The Town and Country Planning Act (where applicable noting use to The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended)).
The description of development needs to be clear, accurate and precise as it can otherwise have wide-reaching implications during the lifetime of a planning permission, including the enforcement of planning conditions in years to come.
Before publicising and consulting on an application, the Planning Department at the London Borough of Harrow Council must be satisfied that the description of development provided by the applicant is accurate. If amendments to the description of the development are required, the Authority shall first discuss any revised wording with the applicant or their agent.
Planning application descriptions should identify the key parts of the proposal that require planning permission but not include irrelevant details or set out a justification for the proposal.
The following description contains too much and irrelevant details:
- "We want to build an extension to our kitchen"
This should be changed to:
- "Single storey extension to rear"
If you wish to explain or justify the proposal in more detail this should be set out in a separate supporting letter or Planning Statement.
Where we consider that a description does not accurately or concisely describe the proposed development we will reserve the right to amend and clarify it prior to validating the application.
Householder applications
Extensions
Include the key elements, scale and location of the proposal:
- Two storey extension to rear and single storey extension to side
- First floor extension to rear
- Part single storey, part two storey extension to side
- Dormer window extension to front/side/rear
- Hip to gable roof extension with dormer windows to front and rear
- Convert existing integral garage into habitable living space; single storey side extension forming double garage; new dropped kerb to front
- Single storey extension to side to form residential annexe
Garages/outbuildings
State the scale, purpose and location of the building:
- Detached single/double garage to rear
- Detached single storey residential annexe
Access
State the type of access and location:
- New vehicular/pedestrian access to Bradford Road
Gates, walls and fences
State the height, materials, type of boundary treatment and location:
- 1.5 metre high fence to rear boundary
Residential developments
Full applications
State the type and number of units:
- Construction of one dwelling (and garage)
- Construction of 24 dwellings
Demolition works
Demolition works require planning permission so where the demolition of an existing building(s) is proposed this should be included in the description:
- Demolition of existing dwelling and construction of one dwelling
Outline applications
State the number of units proposed (where known), size of the site and the matters to be considered:
- Outline application for residential development of land (site area 1.0 ha) with all matters reserved
- Outline application for residential development of land for up to 24 dwellings with all matters reserved
- Outline application for residential development of land requesting consideration of (delete as applicable) layout, scale, appearance, landscape and access
Reserved matters
Specify the matters to be considered:
- Reserved matters application for 50 dwellings approved by outline permission (enter outline reference) requesting consideration of layout, scale, appearance, landscape and access (delete as applicable)
- Reserved matters application requesting consideration of layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for 28 dwellings (pursuant to outline approval 15/01039/MAO)
Change of use applications
State both the existing and proposed use, including the relevant use class as set out within the Town & Country Planning (Use Classes Order) 1987. Details of these use classes can be found on the Planning Portal. Any other key external alterations and extensions should also be included:
- Change of use of warehouse (B8) to 24 apartments/flats/residential units (C3)
- Change of use of shop (A1) to three flats, single storey rear extension and external alterations
- Change of use of first floor (D1) to three flats (C3)
- Change of use of first to fourth floors from offices (B1a) to 19 residential units (C3)
- Change of use of shop (A1) to a mixed use of bar (A4) and street food takeaway (A5)
Industrial, commercial and other premises
New buildings
State the scale and purpose of the building:
- Single storey office block for light industry and office use
- Part single and part two storey warehouse building
- New general purpose agricultural building to include housing of livestock
- Community sports centre with flood lit artificial sports pitch, car park and formation of vehicular access
Extensions
State the nature, scale and location of the proposal in relation to the existing building(s):
- Single storey extension to industrial premises to form offices
- Second floor extension to office
- Single storey rear extension to shop
External alterations
State the nature and location of the alterations:
- Installation of windows to rear elevation and walling up of existing openings to side/front/rear elevation
- Installation of air conditioning unit to rear elevation
- Installation of shop front
- Replacement shop front and (material) (type) external security shutters
- Alterations to shopfront
Change of use applications
The description should make clear both existing and proposed use, including the relevant use class as set out within the Town & Country Planning (Use Classes Order) 1987. Details of these use classes can be found on the Planning Portal:
- Change of use from solicitors office (A2) to hot food takeaway (A5) including flue and new shop front
- Change of use of general industrial/storage and distribution units (Use Class B2/B8) to health and fitness centre (Use Class D2) with associated external alterations and reconfiguration of car parking
- Change of use of agricultural land to form domestic garden area
- Change of use of vacant plot to car wash
New access
State the type and location of the access:
- New pedestrian access off Silver Street
- Formation of vehicle entrance and exit onto Tong Street
Advertisements
State the type of sign(s), the position they will be installed on the building, whether they will be illuminated, how they will be illuminated and the location:
- Three 48 sheet hoardings on Leeds Road frontage
- One externally illuminated projecting sign to front elevation
- Six internally illuminated fascia signs to the front and side elevations
- One non illuminated banner sign to front elevation
- Four freestanding flag advertisements on the forecourt
Listed building consent
When a proposal includes works to a listed building the alterations and/or extensions that require listed building consent should be referred to within the description. Any internal demolition works that require listed building consent should also be specified:
- Single storey extension to rear
- External alterations including single storey rear extension and installation of roof lights to front and rear
- Internal alterations including installation of replacement staircase and removal of load bearing wall
- External and internal alterations including replacement windows, formation of door and window openings and changes to internal layout
Applications to amend an existing planning permission
Variation or remove of an existing planning condition(s)
Specify the number of the relevant condition(s) and briefly describe the nature of those conditions and, in the case of variations, the proposed change(s):
- Removal of Condition 05 (restricted use) of planning permission 17/00531/FUL
- Variation of condition 03 (hours of opening) of planning permission 16/06770/FUL to allow opening until 10pm; Monday to Friday
Amendments to an existing planning permission
Specify the planning permission reference and the proposed changes:
- Amendment to design of house type on Plot 1 (revised details to planning permission 16/01370/FUL)
- Change of use, alteration and extension of agricultural building to form dwelling and formation of vehicular access (revised details to planning permission 16/00119/FUL)
Non-material amendments
Specify the relevant planning permission and the nature of the amendment(s) proposed
- Non-Material Amendment to planning permission 16/01234/FUL: to add a first floor obscure glazed window on side elevation and amended pitched roof design to single storey rear extension
Applications for the submission of details
Specify the original planning permission and relevant conditions
- Submission of details required by conditions 11 (materials), 13 (boundary treatment) and 15 (landscaping) of planning permission 16/00567/FUL
Other
Where all or part of the proposal has been built this should be clearly referred to in the description as “retrospective”.