Planning application drawings London: what each sheet proves and where each borough lists it

London councils decided 24,758 householder applications in 2025-26 and approved 85.6% of them. The drawings are a large part of whether an application is valid, and a valid application starts the council's eight-week clock. This page explains what each sheet is for, how a council tests validity, and links each borough's own checklist.

Fixed fees, published on our pricing pageAll 33 London boroughs

What does each planning drawing prove, and why does the council ask for it?

Each sheet answers one question for the case officer. The table gives the Planning Portal's scale and content for each sheet and describes, in our words, what the officer reads from it. If you want a plain list by project type instead, see our page on what drawings you need for planning permission.

Sheet	Scale (Planning Portal)	What it shows	What the officer reads from it
Location plan	1:1250 or 1:2500, on an up-to-date map, to fit A4	Site edged red, with all land needed to carry out the work and access; other land you own nearby edged blue; enough roads and buildings around it	Which land the application covers and who else's land it touches
Block (site) plan	1:200 or 1:500, with a north arrow	The size and position of the building and any extension against the boundary; other buildings; adjacent streets	How much of the plot is built on, distances to boundaries, parking and access
Existing and proposed floor plans	1:50 or 1:100	Each floor affected, labelled, with room use, windows, doors, walls and the area of an extension	The layout, the use of each room and the size of the change
Existing and proposed elevations	1:50 or 1:100	Every side affected, with openings, dimensions, wall and roof materials and finishes, and boundaries	How the building looks before and after, materials, window positions and overlooking
Roof plan	1:50 or 1:100	Roof form with rooflights, valleys, chimneys, materials and colours, for a change to the roof's shape, position or appearance	The bulk of a roof change and what is visible from the street and gardens
Section	1:50 or 1:100 through a building; 1:200 or 1:500 through land	A cut through the key new parts such as stairs, floor levels, and how the work relates to neighbouring buildings; needed where ground levels change	Heights, levels and the relationship to a neighbour's windows
Street scene or context plan	1:100 or 1:200	Where the work is visible from the road, close to another building or much larger than its surroundings: level differences against neighbouring boundaries	Fit with the street and the neighbouring heights
Site levels plan	1:200 or 1:500	Proposed levels against neighbouring plots, floor levels and a fixed reference point, with a section where ground level changes	How the scheme sits on a sloping site
Detail drawings	1:5, 1:10 or 1:20; some councils ask for 1:1 or 1:2	Intricate work or replacing traditional features such as joinery, with materials specified	Whether a heritage feature is repaired or replaced like for like

Sources: Planning Portal, plans and drawings (scales and contents); DMPO 2015, article 7(1)(c), read 14 and 15 October 2026. The last column is our description of how officers use each sheet, not a statutory test. The Planning Portal says drawings must meet quality standards to be deemed valid and that the drawings needed vary with the work.

What makes a planning application valid, and who decides what the local list can ask for?

Article 34 of the Development Management Procedure Order defines a valid application. It must meet the national requirements for the form, plans and drawings (article 7) and the other national items such as the ownership certificate and fee, and it must include any particulars or evidence the council requires under section 62(3) of the 1990 Act. A valid application is taken to have been received when everything required has been lodged and the fee paid, and the eight weeks for a non-major application run from the day after that receipt (article 34(2)(b)).

The council cannot ask for just anything. Article 34(6) says its requirements count only if the council has published the list on its website before the application is made, the item falls within that list, it is reasonable having regard to the nature and scale of the development, it concerns a matter that is reasonably thought to be a material consideration, and the list was published or republished in the two years before the application date.

If you think a requirement is not reasonable for the scale of the work, or is not about a material consideration (article 34(6)(c)), article 12 gives you a validation dispute route. You send the council a notice that names the item, gives your reasons and asks it to waive the requirement, and the council must answer by the end of the determination period, or within seven working days of your notice if it arrives in the last seven working days or later.

Completed single storey rear extension to a London home, a common subject of a householder planning application

Where does each London borough publish its householder validation checklist?

These boroughs' own checklist pages or documents loaded when we read them on 15 October 2026. The date column is the date the document or page states for itself, and the table lists only boroughs whose checklist we could fetch.

Borough (council checklist)	Date shown by the council	Location plan and block or site plan scales	One local requirement it lists
Barking and Dagenham	Last updated 27 July 2026	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site or block plan 1:100 or 1:200	Parking and access details where development affects them (Local Information Requirements)
Barnet	None shown on the page	Location 1:1250; block plan 1:200 or 1:500	Tree survey and arboricultural statement where trees stand within 15 m of the development
Bexley	Reviewed and updated 17 October 2018	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block plan 1:500 or 1:200 (main section), 1:100 or 1:200 (householder checklist)	Flood risk: household extensions in flood zones 2 and 3 refer to the Environment Agency's standing advice
Brent	None shown on the PDF (the linked page says last updated 1 September 2026)	Block plan normally 1:100 or 1:200; location plan scale not stated	Heritage statement for householder applications affecting listed buildings, conservation areas, Article 4 works or locally listed buildings
Bromley	Council page says the current list was agreed on 12 December 2024; the householder forms page still links a checklist dated 27 June 2018	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block or site plan 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500	Flood risk declaration for householder and other minor extensions in flood zone 2 or 3 (Part 2 of the guidance)
Camden	PDF last published 20 November 2025, per the council's page	Floor plans, elevations, sections and roof plans at least 1:50 (1:100 outside conservation areas and listed buildings); location and block plan scales not stated	Rear extensions must show boundary walls and neighbours' relative levels (section 1b)
City of London	February 2016 on the PDF cover	Floor and roof plans, elevations and sections e.g. 1:50, 1:100 or 1:200; location and site plan scales not stated	Flood risk assessment and sequential test evidence in the Flood Risk Area
Croydon	May 2026	Location usually 1:1250; block plans 1:200 or 1:500	Flood risk: householder extensions may require a brief statement with a flood map search
Enfield	28 September 2026	Location typically 1:1250 or 1:2500 (larger sites); block plan 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500	Hardstanding: a front garden plan at not less than 1:100 showing levels and drainage
Greenwich	June 2025 on the cover	Location normally 1:1250; block plan at least 1:200 or 1:500	Landscaping strategy where a front garden in a conservation area, or a listed building's garden, is altered
Hackney	None shown on the checklist	Floor plans, elevations, sections and roof plans 1:50 or 1:100; the checklist lists no location or block plan scale	Local requirements table asks for roof plans and site sections at 1:50 or 1:100
Haringey	August 2024	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site 1:500 or 1:200	Existing and proposed plans on the same drawing, each with a scale bar and one dimension
Harrow	1 February 2024	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:200 or 1:500	Local requirements in Appendix 1 are listed as potential requests for further information; roof plans at 1:100 or 1:200 are in the national section
Havering	None shown on Checklist 001	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500	Structural survey by a chartered engineer where a basement is proposed
Hillingdon	February 2024 on the cover (file name says June 2020)	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:500	Vehicular parking and access details; basement impact assessment where a basement is proposed
Hounslow	None shown (refers to a 2019 consultation)	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:500	Environment Agency flood risk matrix for a basement or ground floor extension in flood zone 2 or 3
Islington	12 April 2024 (PDF cover)	Location 1:1250 (PDF)	Structural method statement for basement development (section 2.2)
Kensington and Chelsea	10 March 2023	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site plan 1:200 or 1:500	Online submissions must print at A3 or smaller; larger drawings go by post
Kingston upon Thames	February 2024 in the footer (file uploaded in 2025)	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:500; site plans 1:200 or 1:500	Basement impact assessment signed by a chartered civil or structural engineer (section 2)
Lambeth	2024 (issued December 2024)	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site layout 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500	Basement impact assessment where floorspace is added below ground (item 14)
Lewisham	July 2022	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:500	Desk-based archaeological assessment for new or extended basements in Archaeological Priority Areas
Merton	December 2024, updated June 2026	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:100 (requirement 5)	Planning Fire Safety Strategy or Reasonable Exception Statement for householder and non-major schemes (requirement 22)
Newham	December 2024	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500	Heritage, character and place-making asset statement in or next to a conservation area
Redbridge	August 2026	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:200 or 1:500	Basement impact assessment or construction method statement for basements (Local Plan LP31)
Richmond upon Thames	In effect from 20 February 2026	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500	Flood zone 2 or 3 declaration form for householder extensions (item 34)
Southwark	Page last updated 30 September 2026	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site plan 1:100 or 1:50 unless another scale is required	Basement impact assessment for new or altered basements
Sutton	Adopted 24 August 2026	Location 1:1250; block 1:500 (householder table)	Window sections for replacement windows in a conservation area or on a listed or locally listed building
Tower Hamlets	September 2020	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site plan to a stated metric scale	Heritage impact statement where works affect a listed building, a conservation area or its setting
Waltham Forest	'2025' on the cover (page last updated 1 October 2026)	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; block 1:200 or 1:500	Basement impact assessment for any basement construction, extension or deepening
Wandsworth	July 2026	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; site plan 'as appropriate' from 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500	Fire safety strategy, with exemption statements accepted for smaller schemes (Local Plan LP27)
Westminster	Page last updated 5 August 2026	Location 1:1250 or 1:2500; other scales not stated	Sustainable design statement where works create new floorspace

Sources: each borough's own planning pages and documents, linked in the first column, read 15 October 2026. Dates are those the documents state for themselves. Scales are as the document states them, and a council may accept other scales if agreed. One requirement per borough is shown as an example: the list itself is longer and may change, so read the current version before you submit.

Where do council documents disagree with each other?

Several councils' own documents give different answers on the same point, so read the version the council links from its current application page and ask the council which applies.

Council	What differs	Documents compared
Bexley	Block plan scale is 1:500 or 1:200 in the block plan section and 1:100 or 1:200 in the householder checklist	Requirements PDF, two sections
Bromley	The council page says the current list was agreed on 12 December 2024, but the householder forms page still links a checklist PDF dated 27 June 2018	Validation page and householder checklist
Barking and Dagenham	The checklist says last updated 27 July 2026, but its policy references are the 2016 London Plan, the 2019 draft London Plan and a 2011 DPD	Checklist PDF
City of London	The PDF is dated February 2016, while the listing page says updated 9 June 2025	Checklist PDF and listing page
Greenwich	Block plan scale is 1:200 or 1:500 in the national section and 1:100 or 1:200 in the listed building consent row	Local Validation Requirements List 2025
Hackney	The householder checklist PDF is footed October 2009, and the current checklist document is undated and differs on the file size limit and the location plan scale	Householder PDF and current checklist
Hillingdon	The cover says February 2024, while the file name says June 2020	Checklist PDF cover and file name
Islington	The web page gives the location plan as 1:1250 or 1:2500, while the April 2024 PDF gives 1:1250	Requirements page and PDF
Kensington and Chelsea	Site plan is 1:200 or 1:500 in the Section One table, and 1:200 for householder or 1:500 for other applications in Section Three	Submission requirements PDF, two sections
Kingston upon Thames	The householder file was uploaded in 2025 but its footer reads February 2024, and a separate checklist is dated February 2024 with May 2024 amendments	Householder local list and Section 3 checklist
Lewisham	The July 2022 householder PDF is still the linked checklist, and a draft dated September 2026 sits on the consultation page, which closed on 29 September 2026. We found no notice of adoption	Householder PDF and consultation page
Merton	Block plan is 1:100 in requirement 5 and 1:200 or 1:500 in the permission in principle section of the same checklist	Validation checklist 2025 (updated June 2026)
Newham	Roof plans are 1:50 or 1:100 in the 2018 householder SPD appendix and 1:100 in the December 2024 document	SPD appendix and requirements document
Sutton	The householder table gives location 1:1250 and block 1:500, while the guide section gives 1:1250 or 1:2500 and 1:200 or 1:500	Local Validation List 2026, two sections
Waltham Forest	Headings give elevations and floor plans at 1:50, 1:100 or 1:200, while the text says 1:50 or 1:100, usually for elevations	Householder checklist
Westminster	The householder page was updated on 5 August 2026, and the checklists page links a July 2026 local list, while a combined lists PDF of a consultation draft dated August 2021 is still online	Householder page and PDF

Source: the council pages and documents linked in the borough table, read 15 October 2026. We report the differences and do not choose between them.

Is a council's checklist still in date?

Of the 31 boroughs in the table, eleven print a date on the checklist that is more than two years before 15 October 2026: Bexley (2018), Bromley (a householder checklist dated 27 June 2018), the City of London (2016), Haringey (August 2024), Harrow (February 2024), Hillingdon (February 2024), Islington (April 2024), Kensington and Chelsea (March 2023), Kingston upon Thames (February 2024), Lewisham (July 2022) and Tower Hamlets (September 2020). Five show no date on the checklist itself: Barnet, Brent, Hackney, Havering and Hounslow.

Article 34(6)(d) asks for publication or republication within the two years before the application date, and a council can republish a list without changing the date printed on it, so a document dated more than two years ago is not proof that a requirement is invalid. It is a reason to check the council's current page and to raise a validation dispute under article 12 if a requirement looks unreasonable.

Borough

Householder approval rate

Householder decisions

Hammersmith and Fulham

98.6%

560

Bexley

95.3%

939

Kensington and Chelsea

94.3%

574

London (32 boroughs and the City)

85.6%

24,758

Bromley

79.0%

1,538

Greenwich

77.6%

647

Barking and Dagenham

68.0%

406

Do you need a planning application at all?

Many London projects do not, because permitted development rights let you build without applying when the property is a house and the work stays inside the limits. You need an application where:

The property is a flat or maisonette and the external works amount to development: that needs a full planning application, because Part 1 householder rights apply to a dwellinghouse

A rear extension goes beyond the Class A limits: see our house extension plans page for the routes

A loft conversion breaks a Class B limit or sits on article 2(3) land: see our loft conversion plans page

The house is on article 2(3) land, which includes conservation areas, and the work needs rights that land loses

An Article 4 direction or a planning condition has removed the right the work relies on

The building is listed, where listed building consent is a separate consent from planning permission

How much do planning application drawings cost?

The price panel on this page shows the starting price for householder planning application drawings, what it covers and that it is the total you pay, survey included. Council planning fees are separate and paid to the council, and the pricing page lists the other drawing types.

Planning permission is not the only consent you may need

Planning permission and party wall notices are separate statutory regimes, and having one grants nothing under the other. The council decides planning under the Town and Country Planning Act. Party wall matters are between you and your neighbour under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, with no council involvement. If your extension builds a wall on the boundary, cuts into a shared wall, or excavates within 3 metres of a neighbouring building deeper than its foundations, or within 6 metres where the excavation meets the 45 degree plane drawn from them, notices may be needed whether or not you need planning permission. The section 6 excavation notice is part of that Act. Our party wall surveying page covers that side.

85.6% London approval rate

24,758 Decisions in 2025-26

from a valid application Eight-week clock

Frequently asked questions

What drawings are required for a planning application?

A plan that identifies the land, normally a location plan at 1:1250 or 1:2500 with the site edged red, plus the other plans and drawings necessary to describe the development (article 7 of the 2015 procedure order). For a householder application that normally means a block plan and existing and proposed floor plans and elevations, with roof plans and sections where they apply. Your council's list may add more.

Which scales does my borough accept for planning drawings?

Location plans are typically 1:1250 or 1:2500 and block or site plans 1:200 or 1:500, with the detailed sheets at 1:50 or 1:100. Councils state their own scales, and the borough table on this page shows that they differ, so check your council's list before drawing.

How long does a planning application take in London?

The council has eight weeks from receipt of a valid application to decide a non-major application, unless you agree a longer period in writing (article 34(2) of the 2015 procedure order). An application that is missing something the council's list properly requires is not valid, so the period does not start until it is. A certificate of lawful development also has an eight-week period.

What is a validation checklist?

It is a list a council publishes of what it requires with an application: the national items plus any local requirements. Under article 34(6) the council can rely on a local item only if it was published on its website before you applied, within the previous two years, and the item is reasonable and relates to a material consideration. The borough table on this page links each council's checklist.

What can I do if the council asks for something unreasonable at validation?

Article 12 of the 2015 procedure order lets you send the council a notice naming the item, giving your reasons and asking it to waive the requirement, if you think it fails the article 34(6)(c) tests. The council must then tell you whether it still requires the item. Take advice before relying on this route, because a decision to invalidate is the council's.

Do I have to use a professional to draw my planning application?

There is no legal requirement to use a professional. In practice the drawings must meet the council's list and the Planning Portal's quality standards, with a stated metric scale, and be consistent between plan, elevation and section. The usual risk is the baseline: permitted development allowances run from the original house, so a wrong measurement can change which route applies.

Why are planning drawings and building control drawings separate sets?

Planning drawings show size, appearance and position, so the council can judge whether the development is acceptable. Building regulations drawings show how it is built: structure, insulation, ventilation, fire safety and drainage. They are separate consents decided by separate bodies, and most projects need both. See our building regulations drawings page for the construction set.

Do I need a planning application for a rear extension?

Not necessarily. On a house, a single storey rear extension within 3 m (4 m detached) and 4 m high can be permitted development, and up to 6 m (8 m detached) it goes through prior approval. Flats have no such rights, and conservation areas and Article 4 directions remove or limit them. Our house extension plans page sets out each route.

What is a lawful development certificate?

It is the council's written confirmation under section 192 of the 1990 Act that a proposed use or development would be lawful, which for a house usually means that it is permitted development. It is optional and is decided on the legal tests, not design merit. The council has eight weeks from a valid application to decide it.

What does it cost to have planning application drawings prepared?

The price panel on this page shows the starting price for householder planning application drawings, what it covers and that it is the total you pay, survey included, with free revisions until the council decides. The council's planning fee is separate and is paid to the council. Larger or more complex schemes are priced individually.

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Planning application drawings London: what each sheet proves and where each borough lists it

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From £825 inc survey

What's included

What does each planning drawing prove, and why does the council ask for it?

What makes a planning application valid, and who decides what the local list can ask for?

Where does each London borough publish its householder validation checklist?

Where do council documents disagree with each other?

Is a council's checklist still in date?

Does approval vary across London?

Do you need a planning application at all?

Ready for drawings your council will approve?

Get your free fixed quote

How do we prepare an application?

Constraint and route check

Measured survey

Drawings to your borough's list

Submission and revisions

How much do planning application drawings cost?

Planning permission is not the only consent you may need

Frequently asked questions

What drawings are required for a planning application?

Which scales does my borough accept for planning drawings?

How long does a planning application take in London?

What is a validation checklist?

What can I do if the council asks for something unreasonable at validation?

Do I have to use a professional to draw my planning application?

Why are planning drawings and building control drawings separate sets?

Do I need a planning application for a rear extension?

What is a lawful development certificate?

What does it cost to have planning application drawings prepared?

Planning application drawings by London borough

Know your approval odds before you spend a penny on drawings

From £825 inc survey

What's included

What does each planning drawing prove, and why does the council ask for it?

What makes a planning application valid, and who decides what the local list can ask for?

Where does each London borough publish its householder validation checklist?

Where do council documents disagree with each other?

Is a council's checklist still in date?

Does approval vary across London?

Do you need a planning application at all?

Ready for drawings your council will approve?

Get your free fixed quote

How do we prepare an application?

Constraint and route check

Measured survey

Drawings to your borough's list

Submission and revisions

How much do planning application drawings cost?

Planning permission is not the only consent you may need

Frequently asked questions

What drawings are required for a planning application?

Which scales does my borough accept for planning drawings?

How long does a planning application take in London?

What is a validation checklist?

What can I do if the council asks for something unreasonable at validation?

Do I have to use a professional to draw my planning application?

Why are planning drawings and building control drawings separate sets?

Do I need a planning application for a rear extension?

What is a lawful development certificate?

What does it cost to have planning application drawings prepared?

Planning application drawings by London borough

Planning application drawings in Ealing

Planning application drawings in Wandsworth

Planning application drawings in Bromley

Planning application drawings in Barnet

Planning application drawings in Harrow

Planning application drawings in Sutton

Planning application drawings in Richmond upon Thames

Planning application drawings in Kingston upon Thames

Planning application drawings in Camden

Planning application drawings in Islington

Planning application drawings in Haringey

Planning application drawings in Enfield

Planning application drawings in Waltham Forest

Planning application drawings in Hillingdon

Planning application drawings in Hounslow

Planning application drawings in Brent

Planning application drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham

Planning application drawings in Kensington and Chelsea

Planning application drawings in Westminster

Planning application drawings in Merton

Planning application drawings in Lambeth

Planning application drawings in Croydon

Planning application drawings in Hackney

Planning application drawings in Tower Hamlets

Planning application drawings in Newham

Planning application drawings in Redbridge

Planning application drawings in Barking and Dagenham

Planning application drawings in Havering

Planning application drawings in Greenwich

Planning application drawings in Lewisham

Planning application drawings in Bexley

Planning application drawings in Southwark

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Building Regulation Drawings

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