How architects submit planning applications in England and Wales

Quick answer

Architects in England and Wales submit planning applications by preparing compliant plans and supporting documents, completing the required forms and certificates, paying the correct fee, and submitting the application to the local planning authority using an accepted submission route. Many practices also use structured submission workflows, including professional platforms such as UK Planning Gateway, to keep information consistent across repeat submissions.

Written by
Lapworth Architects
Professionally reviewed by
Alan Pritchard RIBA

Introduction

Submitting a planning application is a regulated process. Most delays come from practical issues: missing documents, boundary mismatches, incorrect certificates, or fee errors. This guide sets out the steps architects use in practice, from confirming the correct application type through to responding to validation queries.

Step 1: confirm the correct application type and consents

Before drawings are packaged for submission, confirm the route and consent needed. This typically includes:

• whether planning permission is required for the works
• the correct category (for example householder, full, listed building consent)
• whether other consents apply (for example works affecting a listed building, advertisements, or demolition in certain contexts)

Getting the category wrong usually causes rework later because the form, fee, and required documents can change.

Step 2: prepare the statutory plans and supporting documents

A typical planning application submission pack includes:

• a location plan and block plan
• existing and proposed drawings
• the relevant ownership and agricultural holdings certificates
• supporting statements where required (for example design statements, heritage information, ecology information, flood or drainage information, depending on site and proposal)

The point is alignment. The drawings, forms, certificates, and written description all need to describe the same project, at the same address, within the same boundary.

Step 3: check the local validation requirements before you submit

Each local planning authority publishes validation requirements. Use them early, not at the end. In practice, this is where many avoidable problems are spotted, particularly where heritage, trees, highways, flood risk, or major works might trigger extra documents.

Step 4: calculate and pay the correct fee

Fees vary by application type and the nature of the proposal. The operational risk is not the payment itself, it is selecting the wrong category or paying an amount that does not match the submission.

Record the fee calculation and the payment reference in the project folder so the team can track it without chasing emails.

Step 5: submit using an accepted route and keep a clean submission record

Most practices submit digitally using an online route accepted by the relevant authority, or via a professional submission workflow that keeps documents and data consistent across repeat submissions.

If your practice submits regularly, structure matters. A consistent workflow makes it easier to reuse core information, keep boundaries aligned, and avoid last-minute certificate errors. UK Planning Gateway is one example of a platform designed to support repeat professional submissions and shared data across a practice.

Step 6: respond to validation queries (if they arise)

If the authority identifies missing or inconsistent information, they will request clarification or additional documents. Treat validation queries as an alignment problem. Most are resolved by correcting one of the following:

• boundary information
• missing or incorrect certificate
• missing supporting document
• drawings that do not match the description on the form

The quickest resolutions come from having a single, controlled submission pack rather than multiple versions spread across emails and desktops.

Validation checklist before you submit

Use this checklist as the final gate before submission. It is designed to catch common inconsistencies between forms, plans, boundaries, certificates, and supporting documents.

1. Application type confirmed and matches the scope shown on drawings.
2. Site address identical everywhere (form, plan titles, drawing register).
3. Location plan includes required basics (clear site identification, orientation and scaling information).
4. Red line boundary matches location plan, block plan, and any written description.
5. Any additional land in the same ownership identified where relevant.
6. Ownership and agricultural holdings certificates completed correctly and stored in the submission pack.
7. Description of development matches the drawings with no missing or extra works.
8. Drawing titles, numbers, scales and revisions consistent across the pack.
9. Supporting documents included where triggered (for example heritage information where relevant, design statements where required, flood or drainage information where applicable).
10. Fee calculation checked against the application type and proposal.
11. Payment reference recorded alongside the submission record.
12. Submission pack stored as a single controlled set so the team is not working from different versions.

Professional insight

Planning submission is not an afterthought. The quality of the submission pack affects programme, client communication, and internal time. Practices that standardise inputs and treat submission as a repeatable workflow usually find it easier to maintain consistency across multiple live projects.

FAQ

Who can submit a planning application in the UK?
Anyone can submit a planning application. Architects often act as agents because applications can involve technical drawings, certificates, and supporting information that needs to align.

Do architects have to use one specific online route?
No. Practices use a range of accepted submission routes, depending on authority procedures and internal workflows. The key is meeting the authority’s validation requirements and keeping the submission pack consistent.

What makes a planning application valid?
A valid application includes the correct forms, plans, certificates, supporting documents, boundary information, and fee, all aligned with statutory and local validation requirements.

Why do professionals use structured submission workflows or platforms?
To keep repeat submissions consistent across a team, reduce retyping of common information, and make pre-submission checking easier.