What are planning drawings for?
As the name suggests, planning drawings are produced for the purposes of applying for planning permission, for any proposed operation (typically construction) or change of use to a property. They can also be used to apply for a lawful certificate if your proposal is permitted development and doesn’t need planning permission.
Typically, they describe what development you are proposing for your property (proposed drawings) and also the existing situation of your property (existing drawings).
They allow your local authority to assess your development proposal against their planning policy. They are also a record of exactly what you have been granted permission for, in case you breach any permissions and the local authority decides to take enforcement action.
They are an important part of the design development of your proposal, as they show you how your proposal will look from the outside and what accommodation it will contain on the inside, thereby allowing you to revise the design before committing to a planning application or construction.
Planning drawings can also be used by a builder to construct from, though ideally, they should be upgraded to more technical building regulations drawings first.
What are they comprised of?
A typical set of planning drawings for a residential extension normally includes (in order of the level of detail):
- Location plan – shows where your development is situated, must include at least two road names and have your site outlined in red.
- Site plan – shows how your proposal fits into the site and relates to neighbours, showing existing buildings and boundaries with the new floor area hatched.
- Elevations – show how each side of your building looks from the outside, including proposed external finishes (e.g., brick/tile).
- Floorplans – show the internal layout and use of your proposal, with labels for each room.
What are the minimum requirements?
Planning drawings need to be orthogonal (2D) drawings, at a defined scale ranging from 1:5000 for location plans down to 1:50 for floor plans, so they can be measured with a ruler.
They are normally drawn with a computer program, though neat hand drawings are also acceptable.
They normally include a north arrow for orientating site/floor plans and a scale bar for scaling the drawings.
They should be labelled either “existing” or “proposed” along with the drawing title (e.g., plan/section/elevation).
The various drawings also need to correlate with one another in dimensions and details such as windows and doors.
Who can prepare them?
Planning drawings can be prepared by anyone, though it is best to leave it to an experienced architectural designer. This is because planning policy, aesthetics, structure, construction methods, party wall matters, build‑over restrictions, etc., all need to be considered.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Always consult relevant professionals and local authorities before undertaking any development or change of use.