Making a Planning Application

You have two choices when applying for planning permission: online or by post. But do you need Planning Permission at all?

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Do I need Planning Permission?

This validation checklist of Planning Application Requirements (national and local) has been produced in accordance with section 62(3) of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act, Section 11(2)(e) of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, National Planning Practice Guidance and paragraph 44 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The intention is to assist in the achievement of good standards in service delivery whilst providing both the local authority and applicants with certainty as to the extent and nature of information that will be required to accompany applications in order to render them valid.

The checklist is effective in relation to applications received on or after 1 February 2020.

If an application is submitted without the detailed requisite information the Local Planning Authority is entitled to declare the application 'invalid' and will not register or process it until the information is received in the event of an 'invalid' application being submitted.

The Local Planning Authority provides a pre-application advice service. This service should be used to identify all requisite supporting information at the earliest possible stage. This will ensure greater certainty and clarification of matters for applicants, and help us to deliver determinations within timescales set by government whilst ensuring due and proper consideration of all relevant issues.

Part 1 sets out the minimum National and Local requirements for all applications.

Part 2 sets out the list of additional supporting information that will also be required in certain specified circumstances, (dependent on development and the site location specifics).

Whilst guidance notes are provided it is recommended that future applicants will seek pre application advice prior to submission. If applicants properly address the requirements of the checklist the application will be considered to be valid and be registered. If these requirements are not addressed, there are discrepancies in plans, insufficient copies are provided or the fee unpaid the application will be considered invalid and not registered.

In circumstances where an application is not valid, we will normally endeavour to notify the applicant in writing within 5 working days, setting out the reasons for invalidity. If the additional information is not provided within 28 days the application and fee will be returned in full.

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Validation Checklist Document (2020) (PDF 0.71MB)

Apply online - save time and money

We recommend submitting your application online using The Planning Portal. The Planning Portal is the national website that allows you to submit an application online including: supporting documents, buy site location plans and pay the application fee using a credit or debit card. Applications can, currently, also be submitted by email to development.control@dudley.gov.uk.

Please note - there is currently an additional charge for submitting an application through the Planning Portal.

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Apply online for planning permission

Why apply online?

no need to print multiple copies of drawings and forms
save on postage costs and time - lost mail, strikes, bank holidays etc all lead to delays
no postal delays - can lead to a faster decision
your fees are calculated for you - we double check them

Before starting an online application, you will need...

to register at the Planning Portal, this is free of charge.
have the full details of the application including the volumes, materials etc
a credit or debit card if you wish to pay the application fee online
if you want to attach drawings (e.g. CAD) to your application, make sure they are converted to PDF first, this helps us with printing and publishing online

Please note: The Planning Portal is an external site and so Dudley Council cannot accept any responsibility or ownership for its content. There is currently an additional charge for submitting an application through the Planning Portal.

Postal Application

There are four steps to apply by post:

Download your form. You can access and download the Dudley Council application forms from the Planning Portal e-forms cabinet. We require only the original form for most applications; we will ask you for more if required.
A site location plan at 1:1250 scale with the site shown edged in red. If you want to buy a plan you can make use of the links provided by the Planning Portal.
The fee: cheque is the most popular way to pay the fee (made out to Dudley Council) but we also accept telephone payments.
Post your application and plans to us for checking and consideration, please retain a copy for your records.

Incomplete applications can't start to be considered, costing both parties time.

ownership certificates not correctly completed - visit our Certificates page for an explanation
not completing the agricultural holdings certificate section of the application form
drawings are inaccurate or inconsistent; visit the "Drawing Requirements" page for a full explanation of what we look for when checking applications.
not enough supporting documents.

The process of applying for planning permission is generally straightforward and is explained below. In general terms your application must be accompanied by plans and drawings of the site, details of any proposed works and the fee. You must also complete a certificate to confirm that you own the land or have notified all owners of the land. The Planning Service staff will be pleased to assist you should you have any further enquiries.

We have drawn up a Validation Checklist to help determine if the correct information has been submitted with your planning application.

Every planning application needs a site location plan and block plan showing the location and boundaries of the site you are planning to work on. You can use the Planning Portal's Buy a Plan service to ensure that you meet our requirements, whether you are a planning professional or first-time applicant.

Please be aware that all applications must be accompanied by a Design and Access Statement unless they propose householder development not in a Conservation Area, change of use, engineering or mining operations, advertisement consent, TPO works or hazardous substances consent. For the avoidance of doubt please note that applications in respect of dwelling houses within a designated Conservation Area must always be supported by a Design and Access Statement.

See more information about Design and Access Statements in Adobe Acrobat by clicking on the relevant document at the bottom of the page.

There are several types of application and you should be sure which type of consent you are seeking. If the information required does not fit the circumstances of your case, or if you wish to make a different type of application you should seek further advice from the Planning helpdesk. In most cases a fee is payable when a planning application is submitted. This is calculated from a scale of fees which is set on a national basis by the Government. The current scale of charges is available via the fees and charges link at the op of this webpage, or they can be obtained from the Planning helpdesk.

You can access and download the Dudley Council branded 1APP application forms from the Planning Portal e-forms cabinet.

If you have any difficulties in obtaining location plans, the Council has an arrangement with the Ordnance Survey to enable it to supply copies of the 1:1250 scale maps for submission with planning applications. A charge of £30.55 (one copy) or £32.24 (four copies) is available for providing this service. Alternatively you can contact Ordnance Survey directly to obtain the necessary copies.

Dudley Council, in partnership with The Planning Portal aim to deliver the best service possible to users of the Planning Service. To assist in this, in addition to the advice available by contacting the council directly, the Planning Portal offers guidance and information for anyone wishing to find out more about the planning system in England and Wales. You can also take advantage of useful self-help tools to assist in assessing whether Planning Permission is required for your proposed development.

Below are some useful links to key areas of the Planning Portal. Please contact us direct if you require further assistance.

Guide to the Planning process - A brief introduction to the planning system and some explanation of what planning is for and why it is important to us all. This section of the Planning Portal is intended for both householders and business people. It explains why planning controls are necessary and how decisions are made.

Policy and research This section of the Portal is aimed at planning professionals and those with an in-depth interest in planning policy and reform. It includes reference to the legal or central government policy background to the present system of Town and Country Planning in England and Wales.

Whether or not you need to apply for planning permission for your work, there may be other kinds of approval you may also need. For instance you may wish to contact Building Control, to see if Building Regulation approval is required.

For details of the checklist for these applications for planning permission please see the Validation checklist for Planning Applications webpage.

For further information on any aspect of the planning application process you can contact us using the details below.

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Guidance on submitting documents electronically to Planning Services (PDF 39.94KB)

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Design and Access Statement requirements in support of planning applications in Dudley Metropolitan Borough (PDF 57.74KB)

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How to ensure your application meets all our requirements for registration. (PDF 0.80MB)