A planning application pack costs £295 at Fixed Fee Plans, and the council charges £548 on top for a householder application. We complete the forms, work out the ownership certificate, draw the location plan and block plan, and check the pack against your council's validation list, for people who already have their drawings.
A common cause of delay is an invalid application: a red line that misses the access, an ownership certificate for the wrong case, a form that contradicts a drawing. The council writes back, the clock does not start, and weeks go by. A pack built to the council's list the first time avoids that wait.
What is in an application pack?
Four things the drawings do not cover. The application form, completed from your drawings. The ownership certificate and any notices. A location plan, edged in red. A block plan showing the proposal on the site. Article 7(1)(c) of the Development Management Procedure Order requires a plan identifying the land, and any other plans, drawings and information necessary to describe the development, so these are the legal minimum before the council's own list adds more.
We also check the council's local validation list for your address. Many councils want more than the national minimum: a design and access statement in some cases, a heritage statement near a listed building, a flood risk assessment in a flood zone, a tree survey beside trees. The pack lists what yours asks for and what we have supplied, and where your council asks for something we do not produce, we say so and name the service that does.
Why does the red line matter so much?
Because it defines what the application covers, and it must match everywhere. The practice guidance says the application site should be edged clearly in red, include all the land needed to carry out the development, such as access from the highway, and that any other land the applicant owns close to or adjoining the site should be edged in blue. A location plan should be based on an up-to-date map, typically at 1:1250 or 1:2500.
Get the line wrong and it does not just fail validation; it can make the permission worthless, because it may not cover the access you rely on. We draw the line once, on licensed mapping, and use the same line on every plan and in every form. If the title documents show a boundary that differs from the fence on the ground, we flag it before the line is drawn.
What is the ownership certificate?
A declaration of who owns the application site, and it is not optional. The practice guidance says an application is not valid, and so cannot be determined, unless the relevant certificate has been completed. It also says completing a false or misleading certificate, knowingly or recklessly, is an offence with a maximum fine of up to £5,000.
Which certificate applies depends on who owns the land: certificate A where you own all of it, and B, C or D where someone else owns part and notice must be served on them. We ask you the questions, read the title if you have it, and prepare the notices for you to serve. The declaration is yours, and so is the signature, which is why we explain the choice, not just complete the box.
What does it cost?
Our fee is £295, published and fixed. The council's fee is separate, and paid to the council: £548 for a householder application. If the council cannot validate the application it must notify you and return the fee, according to GOV.UK, but the cost of the delay is yours, which is why the pack is checked first.
To send the application too, our submission service handles the portal and queries, and the complete planning drawing service at £645 drawings + £150 survey (£795 total) includes survey, drawings, pack and submission together. If your scheme needs a statement, see the design and access statement page, and the CIL forms are free with every planning service. The permitted development checker shows whether you need to apply at all.
Frequently asked questions
What goes in a planning application pack?
The application form, ownership certificate and any notices, a location plan edged in red, a block plan and the fee. Councils add their own requirements, which we check against your address.
Do I need a pack if I have the drawings?
Yes. Drawings alone are not an application. The forms, ownership certificate and location plan are what let the council register and validate it.
What size should a location plan be?
Typically 1:1250 or 1:2500, on up-to-date mapping, scaled to fit A4 or A3. The site is edged in red, and other land you own nearby in blue.
Can I fill in the ownership certificate myself?
You can, and you sign it either way. We prepare it from the facts and explain which certificate applies, because a false or misleading one is an offence.