Yes, in most cases. While a London application is still undecided, the officer can accept amended drawings without a new application or a new fee: the government's guidance says it is at the council's discretion whether to accept changes before it decides (MHCLG, paragraph 061). The limit is size. If the change would materially alter the proposal, the council should ask for a new application instead. Once permission is granted, the routes change to a non-material amendment or a section 73 application, each with a small council fee. Our revisions are from £285.
On this page
The usual moment is an email from the case officer, often around week five or six of the eight: "I have concerns about the depth of the extension; I would be willing to consider amended plans by Friday." What you do in the next few days decides whether you get a permission or a refusal.
What can I change before the decision?
Changes that respond to the officer's concern without turning the scheme into something else. Typical London examples:
- Pulling a rear extension back 500mm from the boundary with the neighbour's kitchen window.
- Lowering a parapet wall, or setting a dormer back from the eaves and in from the party wall.
- Swapping uPVC windows for timber sashes on a conservation area street.
- Reducing a second-floor rear addition to a single storey.
The guidance also lets the council decide whether the change needs neighbours to be consulted again (paragraph 061). A smaller scheme often does not; a different one usually does, and that adds time.
When will the council refuse to take amendments?
Three situations come up.
The change is material. Adding a storey, moving the extension to another side of the house, or changing a house into flats mid-application is not an amendment, and the guidance says a new application should be submitted (paragraph 061).
There is no time. The council has 8 weeks for a householder application unless a longer period is agreed in writing (MHCLG, paragraph 001). Some London teams decide at week eight on what they have rather than wait. If you need longer, say so and agree an extension of time; the guidance expects councils to ask for one where more time is genuinely needed (paragraph 003).
The borough's own practice. Because acceptance is discretionary, practice differs between London councils and between officers, including how many rounds of changes they will take. Read the officer's email for the deadline and the limit, and if it is unclear, ask.
Speed varies widely. Camden decided 129 of 212 householder applications (excluding prior approvals) within 8 weeks in the year to June 2026, while Bexley decided 755 of 758 (MHCLG PS2). In a slower borough an amendment round is more common; in a fast one the window is narrow.
How should amended drawings be sent?
As full revised sheets, not marked-up PDFs. Each affected drawing gets a new revision letter, the changes clouded, and a revision note saying what changed. A short covering note lists every sheet that has changed and links each change to the officer's comment. Unchanged sheets stay at their old revision so the officer can see at a glance what is new.
Speed matters more than polish here. A correct, clear revision sent in three days beats a perfect one sent after the decision. When we drew the original set, we already have the survey and the model, so a typical revision of a few sheets is quick to turn round.
What do officers in London most often ask to change?
The comments follow the same concerns that drive refusals, which is why answering them matters. On London extensions and lofts they tend to be:
- Depth and height beside a neighbour. On a terrace with closet wings, the officer checks the effect on the next-door rear window. Common fixes are a shallower extension on the boundary side, a lower eaves line, or a sloping roof edge in place of a flat parapet.
- Dormer size. Officers often ask for a dormer set back from the eaves, set in from the party wall and kept below the ridge, so that the original roof still reads around it.
- Materials and windows. In a conservation area, the request is often for brick to match, timber in place of uPVC, or a window pattern that lines up with the floors below.
- Missing or unclear drawings. A neighbour's window not shown, a section missing, or a roof plan that does not match the elevations. These are the easiest to fix and the most avoidable.
Ask what the officer would accept, then draw exactly that. A revision that half-answers a comment often leads to a refusal anyway.
What if permission has already been granted?
The routes are different, and they are covered in detail in our amending planning permission cost post. In short:
| Route | When | Council fee (householder) |
|---|---|---|
| Amended drawings before the decision | Officer asks, change not material | None |
| Non-material amendment (section 96A) | Small change after permission | £46 (£309 in any other case) |
| Section 73 variation | Change to a condition, such as the approved plans | £89 |
| New application | Material change | £548 |
Fees are from the 1 April 2026 fee table. A non-material amendment is normally decided within 28 days (MHCLG, paragraph 007).
What if I do nothing and the council refuses?
Then the amendment route closes, and you are choosing between an appeal and a fresh application with the full fee again, because the free resubmission ended in December 2023. Our refused application post sets out that choice. Answering the officer's comments while the application is live is almost always cheaper.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fee for sending amended plans before the decision? No council fee. The application fee you paid covers the amended scheme. Our fee for the revision depends on how many sheets change; it starts at £285 for drawings we prepared.
Can I amend plans another firm drew? Yes, but we first check the drawings against the house. If they were not drawn from a measured survey, we may need one before revising, and we tell you that before you commit.
Should I withdraw and resubmit instead? Only if the change is material or the officer advises it. Withdrawing means paying the council fee again on the new application.
Will the officer tell me exactly what to change? Often, but not always. Where the comment is vague, we ask the officer what would be acceptable before redrawing, so the revision answers the concern the first time.
If the application goes through the Planning Portal, the Portal adds its own service charge: nothing, £99 or £149 including VAT, depending on the application type and complexity, paid to the Portal at submission and not normally refunded with a council fee (Ashford Borough Council, Planning Portal service charges, 11 September 2026). It is not ours and not the council's. Other submission routes exist; where your council accepts one without a charge, we can use it.
