Planning Portal (England)
England's national online gateway for submitting planning applications, checking permitted development rights, and accessing statutory planning guidance — the primary submission route for householder and commercial planning applications.
What it is
About Planning Portal (England)
Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk) is the national digital gateway for planning applications in England, operated by Planning Portal Limited in partnership with central government and local planning authorities. The platform serves as both a submission channel — applicants create an account, select their application type, complete the standardised application form, upload supporting documents and plans, calculate and pay the application fee, and route the submission electronically to the relevant local planning authority — and a guidance resource. The interactive Permitted Development Rights guides allow householders and small business owners to check whether a proposed project (loft conversion, rear extension, change of use) falls within permitted development rights without requiring formal planning permission. The portal covers householder applications, householder prior approvals, full planning applications, certificates of lawful existing and proposed use, listed building consent, advertisement consent, prior approval for permitted development, and works to trees covered by TPOs. The platform significantly reduced administrative burden in local planning departments by standardising application form completion and eliminating paper submissions — the historic norm where application forms arrived by post in dozens of different formats. For planning consultants, the portal is the primary interface for all application submissions rather than Idox Public Access (which is used for tracking post-submission). Some LPAs operate their own portals (notably some London boroughs) but the majority of English LPAs receive applications through Planning Portal. Scotland has its own statutory portal (ePlanning at eplanning.scotland.gov.uk), Wales has the Welsh equivalent (planningportal.gov.wales), and Northern Ireland operates its own Planning Portal (planningni.gov.uk) — all follow the same principle of a centralised national submission gateway routing to local decision-making authorities.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Create a new householder planning application on Planning Portal — entering the site address, describing the proposed development (rear extension, loft conversion), completing the national standard application form, uploading the site location plan at 1:1250 scale and the proposed floor plans and elevations, calculating the correct application fee, and submitting to the LPA electronically
Use the Planning Portal's interactive Permitted Development Rights guide to check whether a proposed single-storey rear extension falls within Class A permitted development rights — entering the property type, extension dimensions, and site constraints (conservation area, AONB, Article 4 Direction) — and produce a written summary for the client confirming no planning application is required
Submit a Certificate of Lawful Development (Proposed) through Planning Portal when a client needs formal confirmation that permitted development rights apply — uploading the proposed plans, completing the CLD application form, paying the fee (half the equivalent full application fee), and tracking the LPA's 8-week determination period
Complete and submit a Prior Approval application for a proposed change of use from commercial to residential (Class MA) — entering existing and proposed floor areas, confirming the site is not in a conservation area or flood zone, uploading existing floor plans, and notifying the LPA through the portal of the prior approval requirement
Research the planning history of a site using Planning Portal's Find & Track tool — searching for live applications, recent decisions, and enforcement activity by address or postcode before advising a client on whether prior permitted development rights have been used up or whether any planning conditions restrict future development
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Planning Portal Help Centre (planningportal.co.uk/help) — free; step-by-step guides on submitting each application type, completing form sections, uploading documents, and paying fees
Planning Portal YouTube channel — free video tutorials on creating accounts, building applications, and using the Permitted Development guides; aimed at both agents and householders
RTPI training courses (rtpi.org.uk/training) — professional planning body; courses on development management, planning application preparation, and planning policy that contextualise how to use the portal within the wider planning process
Gov.uk Planning Practice Guidance (gov.uk/guidance/before-applying-for-planning-permission) — free statutory guidance on when planning permission is required, what application types exist, and how the determination process works
Pro Tip
Always download and keep the submission receipt confirmation email and the LPA's formal validation letter — these establish the start date for the 8-week or 13-week statutory determination period. If an LPA requests additional documents during validation, the clock does not start until valid; tracking the exact validation date (not the submission date) is essential for managing client expectations and statutory appeal rights.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool
Alternatives