Once you have obtained Planning Permission on your land, a common question we receive is how to stop Planning permission expiring?

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In this article, Sphion Ltd examine the fringes of Planning Policy and ways to ensure your planning does not expire.

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There are numerous reasons why applicants cannot start their building project straight away.  In order to stop planning lapsing on a site with full planning you can either;

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Submit a Planning Renewal application –  whereby you re-submit the original planning application, at one-quarter of the original fee price.  The renewal application must be submitted and made valid before the date at which the original application expires.  It is highly recommended you begin the renewal process at least 6 months in advance of the expiry date to enable planners time to process the application.  If granted, this holds it for 5 years, but time conditions can be anything the planner decides.

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Make a material start on site – whereby you submit a Building Control application, dig and pour the foundations, with an inspection carried out by Building Control to prove the start date.  There is nothing in Planning Policy to indicate what a ‘material start’ actually is, however this is a generally assumed requirement.

Any visibility splays must also be put in place at this stage, to hold planning on the site.  Making a material start on the site should hold planning under current policy – however Building Control does hold the powers of enforcement to ensure you finish the building project.  In particular if, in its unfinished state, the site is causing a visual nuisance.

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Alternatively, you may want to stop planning lapsing on a site with outline planning.  To do so, you can either;

Submit an Outline Planning renewal application – whereby you re-submit the original planning application (under the same policy) at one-quarter of the original fee.  This holds it for 3 years, but again conditions can be anything the planner decides.

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Submit a Reserved Matters application – whereby you submit a reserved matters application, complying with all the conditions laid out in the outline planning application.  The renewal application must be submitted and made valid before the date at which the original application runs out.  Again, it is highly recommended you begin the renewal process at least 6 months in advance of the expiry date to enable planners time to process the application.  This holds it for 2 years, but this can now vary from site to site.