For a typical house extension planning application in England, prepare a location plan, a site or block plan, and drawings showing the house before and after the work. The existing and proposed floor plans and elevations let the planning officer compare the two. Roof plans, sections and other details depend on the proposal and your council’s validation checklist.
Put the Drawings in an Order the Council Can Follow
| Drawing | What it helps the planning officer see |
|---|---|
| Location plan | Where the property sits in relation to neighbouring land and roads. |
| Site or block plan | Where the extension sits on the plot, including its relationship to boundaries and other buildings. |
| Existing and proposed floor plans | Which rooms, walls and openings are changing on the affected floors. |
| Existing and proposed elevations | How the affected exterior faces change, including openings, roof form and materials. |
| Roof plan or section, where needed | How roofs meet, or how height, ground levels and the relationship between parts of the building affect the proposal. |
Check the required scale and formatting for each drawing type before uploading. An elevation and a location plan are drawn at different scales because they answer different questions. Use drawing references, titles and revision numbers so the officer can identify the latest version. If a layout changes, check that the elevations and site plan still show the same proposal.
Find Your Council’s Validation Checklist Before Commissioning Drawings
Start with the local planning authority’s checklist for the type of application you intend to make. National requirements sit alongside local ones, and a requirement for one property may be irrelevant to another. A sloping site can make sections or level information useful. A change to a sensitive historic building can call for more detail than a straightforward rear extension. Ask your designer which additional drawings or documents the local list calls for and who will prepare them.
The drawings are one part of the submission. You may also need an application form, certificates, supporting documents and the applicable fee. Settle whether you are making a householder application or seeking a Lawful Development Certificate before instructing the drawing package. The evidence required depends on the route and the works.
Example: A Rear Extension With a New Roof Connection
A homeowner wants to extend the kitchen towards the garden and remove the existing rear doors. Their location plan identifies the plot. The block plan shows how close the enlarged footprint sits to the side boundary. The existing and proposed ground floor plans explain the changed layout, while the rear and affected side elevations show the new opening and how the roof connects to the house. If the garden falls away sharply, a section can make the relationship between the proposed floor and outside ground clearer.
The homeowner can now compare the drawing list with the council’s checklist before submission. The separate construction package can address how the roof and opening will be built once the design is settled.
If you have an address, a sketch and a brief description of your proposed works, ask Ashbridge which drawings and supporting information your planning drawings package should cover.