Development Planning Advice

Do you need planning permission?

The Planning Portal provides interactive guidance on when planning permission is required.  The government has also produced a technical guide for householders.

The Council will not be able to respond to enquiries as to whether your proposal is permitted development. If you wish to gain a formal decision as to whether planning permission is required then please submit an application for a Certificate of Lawful Development.

Dropped kerbs and crossovers

You will require planning permission if the vehicle crossover or dropped kerb is onto a classified road (i.e. A, B, C roads). In addition to the planning process, a site licence is required from Surrey County Council. 

Pre-application advice

If you know that your proposal requires planning permission, then prior to submission of your planning application it is recommended that you obtain pre-application advice on the suitability of your proposal. This is a fee paid service. Wherever possible please ensure that all pre-application enquiries, including supporting plans and documents, are not sent in the post but by email to development.control@surreyheath.gov.uk.  For payments, and on receipt of a reference number, please ring 01276 707100.

On Friday 30 October 2020 a revised pre-application service was introduced.

Please also email development.control@surreyheath.gov.uk for any other enquiries not covered by this service.  

Land constraints and residential design guidance

The Council's GIS system enables you to search for land constraints, for example, if your site is located in the Green Belt or an area liable to flood. 

The Council has produced a Residential Design Guide which provides useful guidance for all types of development from householder proposals to large scale residential schemes. If your development lies within the settlements of the western part of the Borough the Western Urban Area Character Appraisal document also contains useful guiding principles. For the full suite of policy documents please see the planning policy webpages.   

Applying for planning permission

The Council encourages the submission of online and electronic applications. You can download forms or apply on-line via the Planning Portal. All fees submitted via the Planning Portal need to paid directly to the Planning Portal (The Local Authority is unable to take payments for these applications). 
 
There are national and local requirements which need to be included with an application. To assist with your submission please refer to the Local Validation List.

Planning Enforcement

If you want to report a breach of planning please complete the on-line Enforcement Questionnaire.

Further advice