Applying for Planning Permission
Once you have established that planning permission is required, you will need to submit a planning application.
The Council may advertise your application and will put a notice on or near the site and carry out certain statutory consultations, this will take a minimum of four to five weeks to process and determine the application, but often eight weeks or longer if the matter has to be referred to the Planning Committee - so apply early. Remember too, that whilst the majority (88%) of applications are given permission yours may be refused, and you should allow for that possibility in any calculations.
If you don't want to apply online forms and all supporting documents may be downloaded.
Submit the correct number (the original plus three copies) and type of supporting plans. Each application should be accompanied by site plans at a scale of not less than 1:2500 and, where appropriate, detailed plans, sections and elevations of not less than 1:100 scale. Further details of what needs to be submitted are in the Validation Checklist.
You can purchase Ordnance Survey Plans at Get Mapping or from other Ordnance Survey Mapping and Data Centres.
If an application is complicated then a clear concise statement to explain the background and the proposal is always useful. Plans should be numbered and dated for identification.
Pay the correct statutory fee - a list of fees is available here
It is very important that you complete the relevant Certificate relating to land ownership. There are different certificates depending on whether you are the sole owner of all the land concerned if other owners are involved or if you cannot trace the owners. You can apply for permission to develop someone else's land, but only if you have completed the correct form. Even if you have been given planning permission, you will still require the owner's consent to undertake the development.
Whilst you can apply for planning permission yourself it is often advisable to pay an architect, surveyor, or similarly qualified person to act on your behalf. He or she will, as your agent, prepare the plans, carry out the technical work for you and submit covering information as necessary.
Contact Planning
Telephone: 01304 872486
Email developmentmanagement@dover.gov.uk