Permission in Principle

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About Permission in Principle

The Permission in Principle consent route is a way of gaining planning permission for housing-led development.

This route separates the principle consideration of matters from the technical detail of the development.

Permission in Principle stages

There are 2 stages:

  • First stage: (permission in principle application) working out whether a site is suitable for housing-led development
  • Second stage: (technical details consent) assessing the development proposals, such as design, appearance and layout

How Permission in Principle can be used

Permission in Principle can only be used in relation to the development of land for housing.

Non-housing development can be permitted in principle where:

  • it's proposed alongside housing development
  • housing is the main use

Permission in Principle can't be used to approve major development or householder development.

Major development could be where:

  • 10 or more houses are proposed
  • the floor space to be created is 1,000 square metres or more
  • the site area is more than 1 hectare

How to apply

To apply you must complete the Permission in Principle application form (233.14KB)

Once completed, submit your application by email and include the relevant support documents.

Payment must be made through the planning office on 020 8359 3000. Select option 2 if you're using a debit or credit card.

What you need to include

You will need to include the following:

  • completed application form 
  • plan which identifies the land to which the application relates. This must be drawn to an identified scale showing the direction of North
  • The correct application fee
  • Additional requirements may apply where compulsory pre-application consultation is required by virtue of section 61W(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Once we have received a valid Permission in Principle application, we will send out an acknowledgement of the application.

How much it costs

For the correct application fee, please download the guide to fees for Planning Applications in England (101.12KB)

How we grant Permission in Principle

We can grant Permission in Principle in the following 2 ways:

  1. receiving valid completed Permission in Principle applications
  2. entering a site in part 2 of its Brownfield Land Register

What's a Brownfield Land Register

A Brownfield Land Register is a list of previously developed sites, suitable for housing development.

This will trigger a grant of permission in principle for the land if the statutory requirements set out in Town and Country Planning are met:

  • (Permission in Principle) Order 2017 (as amended)
  • Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017

Decision Process

A decision to grant Permission in Principle to a site must be made according to relevant policies in the development plan. 

This doesn't apply if there are material considerations such as those in the National Planning Policy Framework and national guidance.

The matters which can be considered with Permission in Principle are limited to:

  • location of the site
  • the type of land use proposed
  • the amount of development

Issues relevant to these in principle matters should be considered at the Permission in Principle stage. All other matters should be considered at the technical details consent stage.

Appeals

There is no right of appeal where a Local Planning Authority decides not to grant a Permission in Principle.

A person with an interest in a site has the option of submitting a planning application to the Local Planning Authority and there is then a right of appeal where the LPA refuses permission for the same scheme once receiving a valid application.

The procedures in place are set out in Article 5V of the Town and Country Planning (Permission in Principle) Order 2017 (as amended).

An application for technical details consent may be appealed on grounds of non-determination, refusal or against any condition imposed.