What scale should planning drawings be at?

Plans and elevations are commonly at 1:100 or 1:50, with location plans at a standard mapping scale. Your local planning authority publishes its own validation requirements, and those are the ones that count.

Can I submit hand drawn plans?

They must be accurate, to scale and legible. In practice measured, drawn plans are what officers expect, and anything ambiguous invites a validation query.

How long does determination take?

There are statutory target periods for householder and full applications, and validation itself takes time before the clock starts. Check current timescales with the local planning authority for your area.

Do planning drawings work for the builder?

No. They show form and context, not construction. The builder needs the building regulation and technical package, which is a separate and much more detailed set.

Drawings · Cornwall

Planning application drawings, what a valid submission actually contains

Applications get held at validation far more often than they get refused, and the cause is usually a missing or incorrectly scaled drawing rather than a bad design. Knowing what the pack has to contain before it is submitted is the cheapest time saving available on any project.

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The standard pack

Content varies with the type of application, but a householder submission usually needs all of the following, and each has to be drawn to a recognised scale with a scale bar and a north point.

Location plan at a standard scale showing the site outlined in red
Block or site plan showing the proposal in its plot, with boundaries and access
Existing floor plans and elevations, drawn from a measured survey
Proposed floor plans and elevations, showing every affected elevation
Sections where levels or roof form need explaining
Supporting statements where the site or the proposal calls for them

Why existing drawings have to be accurate

Officers compare existing and proposed drawings directly. If the existing drawings are inaccurate the comparison is meaningless, and if the discrepancy is spotted later it can undermine the permission itself. That is why every application we prepare starts with a measured survey.

What holds applications up

Missing scale bars, an incorrect red line boundary, elevations that omit a side of the building, an ownership certificate completed wrongly, or a fee that does not match the application type. None of them are design problems and all of them cost weeks.

After submission

Validation comes first, then consultation and the officer's assessment. Where an officer raises a concern, a small amendment during the application is almost always faster than a refusal followed by a resubmission, which is why staying responsive during the determination period matters.

Frequently asked

Straight answers.

What scale should planning drawings be at?: Plans and elevations are commonly at 1:100 or 1:50, with location plans at a standard mapping scale. Your local planning authority publishes its own validation requirements, and those are the ones that count.
Can I submit hand drawn plans?: They must be accurate, to scale and legible. In practice measured, drawn plans are what officers expect, and anything ambiguous invites a validation query.
How long does determination take?: There are statutory target periods for householder and full applications, and validation itself takes time before the clock starts. Check current timescales with the local planning authority for your area.
Do planning drawings work for the builder?: No. They show form and context, not construction. The builder needs the building regulation and technical package, which is a separate and much more detailed set.

Need a planning application prepared?

We will survey the property, prepare the full pack and handle the submission and officer queries.

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