Apply for planning permission

For your planning application to be valid, it must include:

  • the completed planning application form
  • any relevant supporting documentation (known as validation requirements)
  • plans of the site
  • the correct fee
  • an ownership certificate - you must fill in the relevant part of the application form
  • CIL additional information form

Please ensure all plans:

  • use a standard metric scale (for example 1:100, 1:200)
  • show the direction of north
  • are submitted in PDF format

If you would like advice on your application before you submit it to us, we offer a pre-application advice service.

Planning validation requirements

To avoid any delays with processing your application please include all the required supporting documents.

Any missing information must be provided within two weeks of request unless otherwise agreed in writing. Where all the information is not provided, the application will be returned and refunded, with a fee of £40 per application being retained by us to cover the cost of administering the return.

Use the relevant validation requirements below to see what is required:

Application fees

You can find out how much your application will cost by using the online fee calculator. If you are unsure you can contact us on 01903 737756 or planning@arun.gov.uk

You may also be required to pay a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) if your new floor area exceeds 100sq meters or you are building a new dwelling of any size. You will be notified of the amount and when to pay once planning permission is granted.

How to apply

If you are making an application for a site within the South Downs National Park you'll need to make your application directly to them.

You must submit your planning application online using the Planning Portal. You’ll need to register to use this service and they charge a small administration fee for doing so. Once you have registered you can:

  • complete your application form
  • upload the required plans and supporting documents (see validation requirements)
  • pay online

If you fail to include all the relevant information with your application it will be invalid and we’ll need to write to ask you for the missing information.  Your application will not be processed until the missing information is provided. This will cause a delay. 

Forms not available via Planning Portal

There are some types of application that cannot be submitted through the online system. These can be downloaded and the completed forms emailed to planning@arun.gov.uk

The application to modify or discharge planning obligation[docx] 49KB is not available via the Planning Portal and should be completed and emailed to planning@arun.gov.uk

If you need to apply to divert or extinguish a public right of way[docx] 380KB this should be completed and mailed to planning@arun.gov.uk. Please read the S257 guidance notes[docx] 377KB carefully before completing the form.

Amending an application

Before decision

We recommend that you do not submit your application until you have finalised all the relevant information. Your application will be decided based on the information submitted.  It is unlikely that we will allow any changes to be made unless the application is following our pre-application advice and the amendments are minor.

If changes are made it is likely that the planning application will have to be re-advertised and re-consulted on and this will delay the decision.

 

After decision

You can make small changes to your existing planning permission by making an application for a non-material amendment.

Considering the scale of the development and the context of the site, proposed Non-Material Amendments to ‘non-major’ (fewer than 10 dwellings and commercial development under 10,000sqm) development will, when considering the context of the site and the scale of proposals, be considered as a Non-Material Amendment if:

  • they do not materially amend the use or intensity of the original planning permission or would result in a change to the description of the application.
    the application site area (red line) does not differ from the original application.
  • a planning obligation on the original permission is not affected.
  • windows are introduced that would not permit harmful overlooking of other properties.
  • the proposal would not result in significant changes to the external details that would materially alter the appearance of the building(s).
  • the amendments would not warrant re-consultation either of neighbours, council departments or statutory bodies.
  • the proposals do not result in a material increase in height of the building(s).
  • the proposals do not result in a material increase in width/length/footprint.
  • the development is not sited substantially differently from that previously approved relative to the adjoining buildings/uses.

Considering the scale of the development and the context of the site, proposed Non-Material Amendments to ‘major’ development will, when considering the context of the site and the scale of proposals, be considered as a Non-Material Amendment if they:

  • do not materially change the overall appearance of the development.
  • do not significantly increase the intensity of development.
  • would result in no significant additional material impact on amenity or infrastructure requirements.
  • would not result in a change in application description. 
  • would not require a planning obligation to be amended.

If the change is not a non-material amendment you can either:

make an application for removal or variation of a condition

  • make a new planning application (in this case the entire proposal will be reconsidered under policies in place at the time of making this new application)

You can make an application for removal or variation of a condition under Existing consents on the Planning Portal. You will need to use our Planning (including flats) validation requirements to see what you need to include with your application.

Application for details reserved by a condition

Where it has been necessary to place conditions on a decision due to information missing from your original application, these will need a follow-on application to be decided before you can proceed. It is important that you provide all the information required at the point of making the follow-on application. We will only allow one attempt at amending the application, if time allows, as we must make the decision within 12 weeks as this is the government’s time scale for this kind of application.

You need to apply via the Planning Portal using the button above but first see our validation requirements for details reserved by a condition.

Retrospective planning permission

If you have built something that requires planning permission and you have not had approval, we may ask you to submit a retrospective planning application for the work that you have already carried out. This does not mean that permission will automatically be granted.

If the application is refused we will take formal action immediately after the decision is issued.

To apply for retrospective planning permission go to apply for planning permission. To make sure you send all the required information view the relevant validation requirements.

Lawful Development Certificate for an existing use or development

In some cases where planning permission has not been obtained it may be possible to apply for a Lawful Development Certificate for an existing use or development.  This will determine whether the use or development is lawful.  Go to apply for planning permission. Please make sure you include all the supporting information shown in the relevant validation requirements.