You will probably need planning permission if you want to:
We are responsible for deciding whether a proposed development should be allowed to go ahead. We do this by granting planning permission.
More information about planning permission can be found on the national planning portal website.
Certain building works do not need planning permission. This is known as ‘permitted development’.
The ‘do you need permission’ section of the planning portal website will help if you are unsure.
You should also note permitted development does not always apply. There are extra restrictions for:
We are unable to advise if your works would be permitted development or on the lawful use of your building.
If you require formal confirmation whether your development is permitted development then you can apply for a certificate of lawfulness.
We encourage you to get pre-application advice from us if you are submitting a planning application.
We recommend that advice is sought from a chartered architect, planner or surveyor. They can provide advice on your ideas and guide you through the associated planning policies and guidance.
If you wish to receive advice from the council then you may use our pre-application advice service which is here to help speed up the process of getting planning permission and highlight potential problems with your application before you submit it.
It is good idea to get pre-application advice.
We can:
This can save you time and money as we will not normally seek amendments while considering an application.
It is important to note, this service offers informal advice and does not guarantee that planning permission will be granted.
Different types of advice are available depending on the nature of your proposal.
You can make a request and pay for pre-application advice online at the same time.
If you are unable to pay online we also accept payment by cheque. Please include the address of the development pre-app enquiry and enquiry reference number, if you have one, on the reverse of the cheque.
Cheques should be made payable to “London Borough of Brent” and sent to the following address:
Planning
Brent Civic Centre
7th Floor
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
When completing the online request form you should include any drawings or sketches of the proposal. Photos of the existing situation should also be provided.
For minor commercial developments details of the current use of the building or site will help to us to provide a more detailed response to your query.
If proposals are close to the design stage, you may submit an urban design analysis of the site that defines its key characteristics, together with any drawings.
| Service | Type of development | Fee | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| PREAPP 1 | Householder (extensions and alterations to a dwelling) | £120 | Written* |
| PREAPP 2 | Small Minor development (1 home / up to 99 sq.m.) | £360 | Written* |
| PREAPP 3 | Medium Minor development (2 to 4 homes / 100 – 499 sq.m.) | £1,200 | Written and meeting |
| PREAPP 4 | Large Minor development (5 to 9 homes / 500 – 999 sq.m.) | £2,400 | Written and meeting |
| PREAPP 5 | Small Major development (10 to 24 homes / 1,000 - 1,999 sq.m.) | £5,280 | Written and meeting |
| PREAPP 6 | Medium major development (25 to 49 homes / 2,000 – 3,999 sqm) | £6,500 | Written and meeting |
| PREAPP 7 | Large major development (50 to 149 homes / 3,000 – 4,999 sqm) | £9,000 | Written and meeting |
| PREAPP 8 | Strategic development (150 units + / 5,000 sqm) | £12,000 | Written and meeting |
| PREAPP 9 | Reserved matters (pursuant to an outline consent) | Half full price | Written and meeting |
| PREAPP 1-2 | Meeting | £120 | Meeting |
| PREAPP 2-8 | Revised submission from same applicant within 6 months of written feedback | Half full price | |
| PREAPP 2-8 | Multiple options for pre-application request | Half full price (in addition to full price) | |
* A meeting can be provided as part of the PREAPP 1 and 2 service for an additional fee of £120.
Fees for significantly larger or complex schemes can be negotiated where a bespoke pre-application service is required. This also applies to project work.
We will only be able to comment on one proposal under each pre-application enquiry.
Submission of multiple options will attract an additional fee of 50 per cent of the selected pre-application service for each additional option.
We will consider one set of revised proposals from the same applicant, amended in response to our feedback and received within 6 months of the date of our written feedback, for an additional fee of 50 per cent of the selected pre-application service.
Further revisions will not be considered unless part of a wholly new pre-application enquiry.
If your application involves the provision of 50 or more new homes or raises complex or unusual planning matters then a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) may be appropriate for your development.
In its simplest form, a PPA is a project management tool which sets out key meetings and timescales for the pre-application discussions and subsequent application. PPAs can also enable better collaboration and engagement, better working relationships and allow Planning Authorities to secure dedicated resources. This can lead to better applications and ultimately better development and places.
The Council will calculate the PPA fee based on the meetings / submissions that are captured in the PPA project plan. The are calculated using the Council’s fees and charges schedule, with the key types of meeting / review as follows:
| Service | Fee |
| Initial full review of scheme | See Pre-app 5 to Pre-app 9 (above) |
| Subsequent full reviews | Half full price for pre-app category (above) |
| Issue related meeting | £2,484 (incl. VAT) |
| Planning committee presentation* | £2,484 (incl. VAT |
*Planning committee presentations are normally only undertaken for larger strategic schemes (those referrable to the Mayor of London) and those which raise complex or unusual planning matters.
If your proposal meets this criteria then please contact the Council to discuss whether a PPA is appropriate for your proposal.
We aim to provide a response within 20 working days of receiving your enquiry and fee.
If this is not possible we will contact you within the 20 working days to agree a revised time frame.
We will contact you within 5 working days of receiving your enquiry and fee to discuss the timeframe for responding to your enquiry.
The Environment Agency's Sustainable Places team offers planning advice relating to the water environment and waste management.
Download information on planning advice from the Environment Agency (.pdf, 353.6kB)
Before you decide whether to make a planning application or not, we highly recommend that you obtain pre-application planning advice from us.
We will be able to advise you whether your proposal is likely to be approved or not, and can recommend changes to ensure that your planning application has the best chance of success.
The easiest way to submit your planning application is online using the planning portal.
The portal will:
Once complete, your application is sent to us.
Once received we check all the documents and fees are correct. Any missing information will be requested before processing can start.
We aim to process valid applications within 8 weeks and for major planning applications within 13 weeks.
You can also submit your application by post, but sending it to:
Planning
Brent Civic Centre
7th Floor
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
You will need to submit certain information with your planning application depending on the type of development proposed.
Please check the relevant national validation criteria checklists below to make sure you have all the information you need and avoid delays.
The GOV.UK website has information on the types of planning applications if you are not sure which application you need to submit.
Householder applications for extensions or alterations.
Download validation list for applications for Householder Planning Permission
Using the following formats will make it quicker for us to validate your planning application.
Use the following format file names and descriptions:
File name: [drawing number] [drawing name].pdf
File description: [drawing number] [drawing name]
For example:
File name: P01 Rev 1 Proposed Ground Floor Plan.pdf
File description: P01 Rev 1 Proposed Ground Floor Plan
For supporting reports you should reflects the name used within the validation list, followed by the site address.
For example:
The planning statement for an application relating to the Brent Civic Centre should be named: Planning Statement Brent Civic Centre.pdf
Due to the large number of applications that we have to assess, we ask that you wait to hear from your case officer with a decision before calling our customer services team.
Before planning permission can be granted, applications must go through several steps.
Consultation and publicity
Consultation letters are sent to neighbours, and sometimes other outside bodies and organisations, to gather their views. We consult on the various types of applications that we receive, according to Government legislation, and our adopted Statement of Community Involvement. Planning consultations run for 21 days.
Sometimes advertisements are placed in the local paper and online.
In some instances the planning case officer will visit the site as a part of their assessment of the application. If access is required, they will contact the applicant or agent to arrange this. The officer will take into account planning policies and consultation feedback.
The case officer will make a recommendation to either ‘approve’ or ‘refuse’ the application in an officer’s report. The case officer does not make the final decision.
Planning applications are determined in one of two ways:
Delegated powers are used to determine about 99 per cent of applications.
Applicants have the right to appeal if their application is refused and they do not believe the decision was correct.
We recommend using our pre-application service for advice on a proposal before you submit it.
If you have problems, or need assistance, submitting your application or using the planning portal, contact: