How to apply for retrospective planning permission?

Just like any other type of planning application a retrospective application will require a variety of supporting evidence to justify why it should be approved, architectural drawings, maps, block plans and of course the correct application to be completed.

When submitting an application retrospectively for something that has already been built there is no opportunity to amend the design to meet the necessary planning criteria. It is only possible to submit an application for the work that has been carried out.

Whereas applying beforehand gives you an opportunity to adjust the design so that you can apply for the type of application that would have the greatest chance of success your options may be limited to just one application type. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a disaster but it does mean you will need to submit a very strong application to justify with supporting evidence why it should be approved.

Once an application is submitted the planning authority first needs to validate it. They then have up to 8 weeks to process the application and reach a decision. It is however common for planning authorities to request additional information or minor design alterations which can delay the process further.

In theory anyone can submit an application however, other than industry professionals those who try are often rejected unnecessarily due to missing information or mistakes. Even architects are generally only qualified in design but not planning so, while they can draw anything they are not aware of all the complex planning policies. In fact, lots of clients come to us having been rejected with an architect because the application did not meet the necessary planning criteria.

At Studio Charrette, we have a team of inhouse architects and planners who work together on every application. This ensures the design meets both our client’s expectation and also the expectations of the planning authority to give every application the best chance of success.

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