Planning - general advice

Development Control staff deal with all types of planning applications and other consents under planning law.

Making an application can be done in two ways. Choose either an electronic submission or download the relevant form. Please read the new fees for planning applications or the separate fees for advertisements and fees for other submissions. Please also remember to read our policy documents and Validation Guidance for help in making your application. Useful information leaflets are also available.

If you are thinking about having an extension or making other alterations to your house, and you would like to know whether or not you will need to submit a planning application, you can print and complete our householder development enquiry form to send us basic details. We will then write to you giving an informal opinion. Please also be aware of changes to householder permitted development.

In some circumstances we will charge for planning advice. These charges do not apply to:

• Applications for extensions to dwellings or other domestic alterations
• Works to Listed Buildings or in relation to Conservation Area Consents
• Works to trees
• How to apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) to decided if planning permission is required. (There is statutory charge to decide an LDC application itself.)
• Planning matters relating to a planning Enforcement investigation
• Issues relating to the implementation of a planning permission.

You may also need Building Regulations Consent. For further details, please refer to Building Control - Making Applications.

If you wish to submit an application to us, you will need to supply appropriate site plans. These can be purchased from any Ordnance Survey retail outlet. Alternatively, you could use our partner site GetMapping.

Applications will wither be dealt with at officer level or at one of our three Area Planning Committees.

To view details of any valid application which has been submitted to us, please use our Public Access system. Information held on this system is constantly being updated. Alternatively, you can inspect planning applications at the borough council offices at the Gibson Building, Gibson Drive, Kings Hill or, for applications in Tonbridge, Hadlow or Hildenborough, at the Tourist Information Centre in Tonbridge Castle. Details of our weekly lists of applications received are also available for inspection.

In some circumstances, the applicant may appeal against the Council's decision.

There is a great deal of useful information on the Government supported website, the Planning Portal. This information includes a directory of Government Guidance.

Development Control also includes an Enforcement team which investigates possible planning contraventions. If you want us to investigate a possible breach of planning control, please use our Enforcement investigation form.

We can also deal with High Hedgescomplaints. For further information, please see details of High Hedges.

If you are interested in the information we have about telecommunications masts, either existing or proposed, within the borough you can look at our Telecommunications Register.

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Last updated: 09/03/10 at 14:37:55 Office use only: 3026/2011-02-09