Validation Checklist for Householder Applications

The Validation Checklist for Householder Applications (Shortened version for householder applications) was adopted October 2024. 

You can download a copy of the Validation Checklist for Householder Applications (PDF, 168 KB) or view the information below.

Introduction

This document is for use by applicants and agents when submitting householder planning applications.

The checklist is split into two main parts:

1. National requirements - these are mandatory
2. Local requirements - these are determined by the City Council and the submission of this information will vary depending on the nature of the proposal.

Please note that this is a shortened version of the full checklist and is for householder applications only. Please view the full checklist for all other types of application.

Submitting Applications

We welcome the submission of applications electronically via the Planning Portal. Payment of application fees can also be made via the Planning Portal or by paying over the phone by credit or debit card (01772 906912) or by cheque.

If you choose to submit a paper copy of your application, you will need to provide only one copy of all documents and forms, unless you have already been advised that more paper copies are required.

The Validation Process

If you do not submit an application in accordance with the requirements of the checklist we are entitled to declare the application invalid. If this happens, we will set out our reasons for doing so and specify the information required in order to make the application valid.

We will only ask for information which is genuinely necessary and related to the scale and nature of your application.

Dispute

If you do not agree that a particular piece of information is required to accompany your application, the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (as amended), under Part 3, Article 12, sets out a procedure for both the applicant and the Local Planning Authority to follow to resolve the dispute.

Failure to provide the required information

If the requested information is not received to the required standard within 28 days of the date of the request, the application will be treated as 'Withdrawn' and an administrative charge of 20% of the application fee will be levied.

The charge seeks to recover some of the cost of officer time involved in handling such invalid applications. If you do not intend to provide any of the information required by the Validation Checklist you should follow the dispute procedure referred to above.

National Statutory Requirements

The national list is a list of statutory information required to accompany all planning applications (as specified in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (as amended).

The information required includes:

• The completed standard householder application form - Required for all applications

This should be submitted electronically, but paper copies will be accepted. All relevant questions should be answered and if not relevant to the application, then the words 'not applicable' should be inserted for clarity.

The description of the proposed development should also be made clear in the application form.

Where a fee is necessary it must be provided in accordance with the statutory fee scale.

A schedule of application fees can be viewed on the Planning Portal's website.

If the application falls within the concessions category as listed within the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2023 (as amended), the reason for the concession must be listed on the application form.

Planning fee can be paid:

• Over the phone (01772 906912) by debit or credit card;
• By cheque - Payable to Preston City Council; or
• Online banking - for details please contact our Planning Support Team (email: devcon@preston.gov.uk or phone 01772 906912)

One of the following Certificates must be completed stating the ownership of the property:

• Certificate A: If you are the sole owner of the land, which forms the application site please complete Certificate A on the application form.
• Certificate B: If you are not the sole owner of the land, which forms the application site, or any part of the development goes outside of the applicant's land ownership, please complete Certificate B and provide details of the other landowner(s). You must also serve notice of the landowner(s), which can be undertaken via Notice 1.
• Certificate C: If you are not the sole owner of the land, which forms the application site and you know some, but not all of the landowners, please complete Certificate C and provide details of the know landowner(s). You must also serve notice of the known landowner(s), which can be undertaken via Notice 1 and you need will to advertise the application in the local newspaper, which can be undertaken via Notice 2:
• Certificate D: If you are not the sole owner of the land, which forms the application site and you do not know details for the additional landowners, please complete Certificate D and you need will to advertise the application in the local newspaper, which can be undertaken via Notice 2.

Copies of Notice 1 and Notice 2 are available on the Planning Portal website.

This should:

• Be up to date and of Ordnance Survey quality;
• Be at a scale of 1:1250 or 1:2500 (scale bar must be shown);
• Show a North point;
• Clearly identify the application site with a red line (referred to as 'the red edge') which should include all the land required to carry out the proposed development (such as land required for access to the site from a public highway);
• Clearly identify with a blue edge any other land in the control or ownership of the applicant which is close to or adjacent to the application site.

These should:

• Be at a scale of 1:500 or 1:200 (scale bar must be shown);
• Show a North Point;
• Show the proposed development in relation to the site boundaries and other existing buildings on the site;

These should:

• Be drawn to a scale of 1:50 or 1:100 (scale bar must be shown);
• Clearly show any existing walls or buildings to be demolished; and
• Show the development in context with any adjacent buildings (including property numbers where applicable).

These should:

• Be drawn to a scale of 1:50 or 1:100 (scale bar must be shown);
• Show the shape of the roof and include details such as roofing materials, vents and their location where proposed.

Local Requirements

We may also require additional information prior to the validation of an application depending on the type of development proposed and the character of the area within which the site is located. You are advised to seek advice on the need for such additional information at pre-application stage.

The aim of the Checklist is to set out clearly for anyone submitting an application what is required by the Council to determine an application.

The list has been produced in line with national guidance and informed by planning policy, and therefore items and requirements on the local list are only requested where:

• they are proportionate to the nature, scale, and location of the proposed development; and
• cover matters which will be relevant, necessary, and material to consideration of the application.

Pre-application advice

The Council is keen to promote the use of early discussions with applicants, their agents, and developers at pre-application stage, through the minor development advice service as it is considered that early, collaborative discussions can help to shape better quality, more accepted schemes.

We aim to provide a list of local validation requirements in every written pre- application advice response, which is intended to assist applicants, and their agents, when submitting applications to ensure that they can be validated on receipt. This can help avoid disputes over the information necessary to validate an application and reduce associated delays.

Visit our minor development advice service for more information. 

Plans

All drawings must:

• Follow statutory requirements;
• Include a scale bar;
• Include a reference number (and highlight any revisions as applicable) as these are referred to in planning conditions;
• Be drawn to an identified scale. Therefore, plans should not state that they are 'not drawn to scale' or 'should not be used to scale'
• Where a proposal involves a change in ground levels or on sloping site include both existing and finished site and floor levels.

Statement and accompanying documents

The following statements can be combined into one document and do not have to be submitted as separate statements. It is however useful for each statement to be clearly defined under sub-headings or bullet points.

In certain circumstances, we may also ask for specific additional supporting information if considered necessary to determine the application.

Biodiversity Survey and Report

Required for developments which is likely to affect the habitat of protected species*, species included on the Section 41 of the National Environment and Rural Communities 2006 list and priority habitats and species, including:

• Demolition;
• Work affecting roofs or roof spaces;
• Removal of trees and hedgerows.

Surveys over 24 months old will be considered out of date and a new survey will be required.

Planning authorities need to consider the potential impacts of development on protected and priority species, and the scope to avoid or mitigate any impacts when considering planning applications. There may be some cases where although the above Biodiversity Survey and Report is not necessary, a survey is required to establish the presence of particular protected or priority species (e.g. amphibians or bats) along with an accompanying report to explain how impacts can be avoided or mitigated.

An amphibian survey

An amphibian survey is required for development within 250m of a pond. If a pond is surrounded by existing development there would be no need for such a survey.

Bat Survey 

A bat survey is required for:

Conversion, modification, demolition or removal of buildings (including hotels, schools, hospitals, churches, commercial premises and derelict buildings) which are:

• agricultural buildings (e.g. farmhouses, barns and outbuildings) of traditional brick or stone construction and/or with exposed wooden beams;
• buildings with weather boarding and/or hanging tiles that are within 200m of woodland and/or water; 
• pre-1960 detached buildings and structures within 200m of woodland and/or water;
• pre-1914 buildings within 400m of woodland and/or water;
• pre-1914 buildings with gable ends or slate roofs, regardless of location;
• located within, or immediately adjacent to woodland and/or immediately adjacent to water;
• Dutch barns or livestock buildings with a single skin roof and board-and-gap or Yorkshire boarding if, following a preliminary roost assessment the site appears to be particularly suited to bats.
• Proposals affecting buildings where protected species are known to be present;
• Proposals affecting roofs or roof space;
• Proposals for floodlighting.

Further assistance

The Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning have produced a free pre-planning application tool, the Wildlife Assessment Check, designed to help small developers who are making planning applications or listed building consent applications.

The tool allows applicants to check whether their proposed site and works are likely to require expert ecological advice before making a planning application.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge on some forms of development collected to help deliver infrastructure improvements relating to matters such as transport, education, health, and leisure. CIL is charged on a £s per square metre basis (gross internal floorspace).

The levy was introduced on 30 September 2013 and relates to planning permissions issued from that date.

The Planning Application Additional Information Form (available from the Planning Portal website) will assist in determining whether a development may be liable for CIL.

Existing and proposed site sections and finished floor and site levels

Required for applications:

• Where a proposal involves a change in ground levels - drawings should be submitted to show both existing and finished site and floor levels
• On sloping sites - information is required concerning alterations to levels, the way in which a proposed development sits within the site and in particular the relative levels between existing and proposed land and buildings.

These should:

• (Typically, be at scale of 1:50 of 1:100) Be drawn to a scale of 1:50 or 1:100 (scale bar must be shown);
• Show a cross section through the proposed building(s);
• Demonstrate how the proposed building(s) relates to existing site levels and to neighbouring development (with levels related to a fixed datum point off site).

Flood Risk Assessment (FRA)

Required for all developments:

• Located in flood zones 2 and 3;
• In an area within flood zone 1 which has critical drainage problems as notified by the Environment Agency.

A FRA should assess risks from all forms of flooding to and from the development and demonstrate how these flood risks will be managed, taking climate change into account.

The FRA should identify opportunities to reduce the probability and consequence of flooding, including the design of surface water management systems and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS).

It should address the requirement for safe access to and from the development in areas at risk of flooding. Where flood risk relates to the Lancaster Canal or Millennium Ribble Link, early contact should be made with the Canal and River Trust.

Heritage Statement

Required for householder applications proposing:

• Alterations to or demolition of a listed building or building(s) within a conservation area;
• Alterations or new development affecting the setting of a listed building;
• New development within or affecting the character of a conservation area;
• Works to a historic park or garden;
• Works affecting any known or suspected archaeological site;
• Works to or demolition of a non-designated heritage asset.

Applicants are expected to describe in their application the 'significance' of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting (National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 200). In doing so, applicants should include analysis of the significance of the asset and its setting, and, where relevant, how this has informed the development of the proposals.

The level of detail should be proportionate to the asset's importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on its significance.

Any proposal for extensions to existing residential properties within the Open Countryside or Forest of Bowland National Landscape (formerly AONB) should be accompanied by a statement setting out how the proposal accords with Supplementary Planning Document 3: Rural Development.

The submitted statement shall include full details of the volume calculations (in cubic metres) of the 'original' property and the volume calculations of the proposal. In the case of extensions to existing dwellings, the volume calculations should be provided of the original dwelling, the proposed extension(s), and any previous extensions that the dwelling may have.

'Original property' refers to the dwelling/property as of 1 July 1948, or as first constructed. It does not include the volume of any outbuildings within the curtilage of the property.

All trees and hedges on or adjacent to the proposed development site should be identified and appropriately annotated on the Site/Block plan. Where the development has the potential to adversely affect trees or hedgerows, both within and adjacent to the application site, a Tree Survey/Arboricultural Assessment should be undertaken by a suitably qualified arborist.

For the Arboricultural implications and method statements, all sections of the British Standard 5837 should be addressed. Information will be required on which trees are to be retained and on the means of protecting those trees during construction works.