Submitting an application

All applications require some supporting information. The level of detail required is dependent on the scale and complexity of what you are proposing. If you have submitted a pre-application enquiry you will have been informed by your case officer what your submission requirements are. If you are in any doubt about the submission requirements, please contact your case officer.

If you have not submitted a pre-application enquiry, the following information should be of benefit to you.

You are encouraged to submit your application online through the Planning Portal.

Guidance Notes and Fees

In addition to the comprehensive local validation list (see below), the Council has produced a guidance note for submitting an application. This note covers all types of applications and is quite generic. You are advised to read this in conjunction with the Local Validation List 2011 to ensure you have submitted all the required information.

Please note that the Local Validation List has been revised and is currently out for consultation. If you wish to view the revised version and/or comment on its contents please see our consultations page.

To further assist you in submitting a valid application, we have produced guidance for specific types of development. We hope to expand the types of development this covers in the near future. 

It may be the case that your application falls within more than one of the developments below. If that is the case, please ensure you have all the information required for each type of development.

Planning Fees

Please note that planning fees will be increasing by 15% effective from 22 November 2012. All applications received on or after this date will be subject to the new fees.

We are able to accept payment in the following forms;

  • by telephoning PlanningLine. Please call 020 7361 3012 and quote your reference number and the amount you need to pay
  • online through the Planning Portal. If you are submitting your application via the Planning Portal, you can make your payment securely through their website
  • by submitting a cheque with your completed application. Please write the site address on the back of the cheque and staple it to the front of your application form
  • in person on the ground floor of the Town Hall. You can make your payment in cash, by credit or debit card, or by cheque

Application Forms

All applications require the completion of an application form. There are a large number of planning application forms and it is not always obvious which form should be completed.  If you are in any doubt as to which form you should complete, please telephone PlanningLine on 020 7361 3012.

Please click on the link below to access all the application forms. In addition to the application forms, we have provided links to guidance notes produced by the Planning Portal on completing the forms.

Plans and Supporting Information

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has produced a comprehensive list of the possible requirements we may have in order to process a planning application. Some of the requirements are national ones  and some of them are the requirements the Royal Borough may have in order to deem your application valid and determine your application.

Please note that ALL submitted plans, elevations and sections must include the following information

  • the print (paper) size
  • the relevant scale at that print size (eg 1:50 at A3, 1:100 at A4)
  • a scale bar showing the length of one metre and ten metres
  • key dimensions

Site location plans

Every planning application needs a site location plan and block plan showing the location and boundaries of the site you are planning to work on. You can use the Planning Portal's 'Buy a Plan' service to ensure that you meet our requirements, whether you are a planning professional or first-time applicant. If you are unsure what sort of map or plan you need to include, please see their 'Best practice guidance document'.

Design and Access Statements

Depending upon your proposed development, you may need to provide a Design and Access Statement with your application. Statements should explain how access arrangements would ensure that all users will have equal and convenient access to buildings and spaces and the public transport network. The Statement should address the need for flexibility of the development and how it may adapt to changing needs. Please access the link below for further advice. You will also find examples of Statements and a template you can use to produce your Statement.

Submission

Once you have all the required documentation, you may submit your application in any of the following ways:

Online Submission

You are encouraged to submit your application via the Planning Portal. If you do chose to submit via the Planning Portal, please be aware that we will not accept any documents that cannot be printed to scale on A3 size paper. In addition, you must comply with the following requirements.

  • all drawings submitted electronically must be A3 or smaller - we will not accept documents that cannot be printed to scale at A3 or A4
  • attach all drawings as .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) files rather than .tif files
  • other files types that will be accepted are .jpg, .doc and .xls files only - we are unable to accept CAD files
  • any single attachment must be no bigger than 5 MB

All drawings must include the following information

  • the print (paper) size
  • the relevant scale at that print size (eg 1:50 at A3, 1:100 at A4)
  • a scale bar showing the length of one metre and ten metres
  • key dimensions

Files larger than 5MB should be submitted on disk, otherwise in conventional hard copy. If you cannot reduce your documents to be printed at A3 or A4, you must submit hard copies of these to us and make this clear on your online submission

Please note that there is a maximum size limit of 25MB for applications submitted via the Planning Portal. For major applications or other applications likely to exceed these limits, we suggest you complete the application form on line and submit drawings and other information to the Council in hard copy and on disk. You should indicate that items have been submitted separately on the 'add/remove attachments' screen. Please keep to the 5MB individual file size when submitting drawings or documents on disk.

Please do not submit .exe files or use zip utilities to compress file sizes. These are not accepted either through the Planning Portal or on disk as they may mask a virus.