Validation guidance
Last Updated: 24 October 2022
You can use our validation guidance to help you submit planning and other related applications.
The guidance is designed to help you understand, and give us, the information we need to make decisions about your application.
Almost 70% of the applications we receive are not right and have to be sent back. Using the validation guidelines can help you avoid the time and cost involved in correcting your application.
Mandatory national validation requirements and local validation requirements
All planning applications must include:
- completed planning application forms
- the appropriate planning application fee
- a site location plan
- plans, drawings and other information to describe the proposal
- design and access statement (if necessary)
- Community Infrastructure Levy (if necessary)
- Section 106 Heads of Terms (if necessary)
We also have detailed validation guidance for a wide range of planning issues: National and local planning validation requirements
We have reviewed our local list. It has been compiled in accordance with the Department for Communities and Local Government document 'Guidance on Information Requirements and Validation'. It reflects the adopted development plan policies set out in:
Our guidance will be updated to reflect any changes to relevant legislation and local policies adopted by us.
The validation process
When a valid application is received, an acknowledgement letter and payment receipt will be sent to the agent (if applicable) or the applicant (if no agent). This will normally be sent by email, where an email address is given and electronic payment has been made, or by 2nd Class Post otherwise. We aim to do this within five days of receiving an application.
If we decide that we need more information in order to determine an application, we will declare the application invalid and specify the information required.
We will only ask for information which is genuinely necessary and in proportion to the scale and nature of your application. We must ensure the information requested will be a material consideration when deciding the application.
Appeal against validation requirements
If you do not agree that information we have requested is necessary, you may appeal against non-validation.
The Government has amended the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2015 in relation to applications and validation disputes. Statutory Instrument 2013/1238 (Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) (Amendment) Order 2013) introduced a right of appeal (article 10a) against the non-determination of applications.
You can challenge our request for more information by submitting a notice, under article 10a, providing evidence to back up the reason why it is considered that the information is not necessary.
If an apparently valid application is later found to be invalid because of a factual or legal inaccuracy, the original valid date for processing the application will be disregarded. The valid date will be reset once the inaccuracies have been resolved.