Outline or full?
Outline planning permission establishes whether a type and amount of development is acceptable in principle, for example "one detached dwelling" on a plot. Details are left for later approval as reserved matters:
- Access
- Appearance
- Landscaping
- Layout
- Scale
Some or all of these can be included at outline stage. Full planning permission approves the complete design in one go.
When outline makes sense
- You're buying or selling land and want to establish its value
- You want to test the principle before paying for detailed design
- The site is in a location where the principle of development is the main question
When the principle is straightforward and you know what you want to build, a full application is often quicker overall.
Reserved matters
Once outline permission is granted, the reserved matters must normally be submitted within three years, though the decision notice will set the exact deadline. We prepare the detailed design, drawings and supporting documents and take them through to approval.
Who'll handle your project: Benjamin Plunkett, our Managing Director and Planning & Heritage Consultant, is your point of contact from the first site visit to the decision. Charlie Plunkett MCIAT produces the drawings.
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