Planning drawings in Sevenoaks, £895 fixed

What is the householder approval rate in Sevenoaks?

Sevenoaks District Council granted 579 of 641 householder decisions (90.3%) from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, counting householder planning applications and larger home extension prior approvals together. Across London the same measure was 85.8% (20,556 of 23,967). Source: MHCLG live table PS2, district planning application statistics, 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. See the other Kent councils on the Kent planning page.

What does Sevenoaks District Council need to validate an application?

• In the Green Belt, work to a house or to an outbuilding within 5m of it needs existing and proposed plans and elevations of the whole house and those outbuildings (checklist revised September 2026). (source)
• A CIL additional information form where the proposal adds 100 square metres or more of floor space, or creates any residential annexe. (source)
• A preliminary ecology appraisal for some sites, including roof alterations to older or rural buildings, with internal and external photographs. (source)
• A BS 4142:2014 noise assessment for any air source heat pump or air conditioning unit. (source)
• Common reasons for invalid applications: inconsistent measurements, missing scale bars, dashed rather than solid red lines, and rooflights or solar panels left off some drawings. (source)

Article 4 directions in Sevenoaks

An Article 4 direction removes permitted development rights, so work that needs no application elsewhere needs one here. Check yours with the permitted development checker.

• Kemsing Conservation Area (front gardens and boundaries). In July 2023 the council resolved to make a direction covering front hard surfacing, gates, fences and walls, and demolition of front boundaries; consultation on the boundary part closed on 22 October 2024. (source)
• Land south of Sepham Farm, Shoreham. An immediate direction off Filston Lane removing rights for gates, fences and walls, highway access, temporary buildings and temporary use of land. (source)
• Green Belt plots. Further directions stop Green Belt plots being sold off and developed; they target fences and temporary uses, not home extensions. (source)

Sevenoaks has 41 conservation areas, from Sevenoaks High Street and Kippington to Chiddingstone, Westerham and Shoreham. (source)

How long does a planning decision take in Sevenoaks?

Eight weeks is the statutory period for a householder application. Of the 491 householder planning applications Sevenoaks decided from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, excluding prior approvals, 463 (94.3%) were decided within eight weeks.

• A 30-minute householder pre-application meeting with a follow-up letter costs £193.38 including VAT; a letter without a meeting costs £144. (source)

Design guidance: Residential Extensions SPD. Adopted 7 May 2009, with separate sections for the Green Belt, AONB and conservation areas.

Other local costs and documents in Sevenoaks

• The council's checklist lists files over 50 MB among the common reasons for an application being invalid. (source)
• Alongside the Residential Extensions SPD, the council points applicants to its Residential Character Area Assessment SPD, the Kent Design Guide and local Village Design Statements. (source)

Planning and building regulations drawings in Sevenoaks

The same published prices apply in Sevenoaks as everywhere we work.

• architectural drawings service for Sevenoaks homeowners: £895, survey to submission, with the council fee paid separately.
• drawings for building control approval: £795, drawn to the Approved Documents once planning is settled.
• plans for a rear, side or wraparound extension: what a rear, side or wraparound extension needs, from permitted development to a full application.

Where your work is permitted development, a certificate of lawfulness starts at £950. Not sure which applies? Read do I need planning permission? first.

Neighbouring councils

Sevenoaks shares a boundary with three council areas where we publish the same council data. Each has its own approval rate, validation checklist and Article 4 areas, so check which council your address falls under before relying on any one page.

Council facts checked 13 October 2026.