Top 10 reasons why a planning application is marked invalid

When you submit an application to us, our Validation Team will check whether you have provided the information that we will need to assess your application. This process happens before your application is available to view online, and before it is assigned a Planning Officer. We call this process ‘validation’.

On average, around 40% of applications received are ‘invalid’. An invalid application is an application submitted to us that is missing information we need to make a decision on your application.

If your application is found to be invalid, we will contact you with details of what’s required/missing, and how to submit this to us. An invalid submission will delay your application. We won't be able to start considering your proposal until we have all the information we need.

To help you avoid the delays associated with an invalid application, we have listed below the 10 most common reasons why an application may be invalid.

See our validation checklists for full details of what you need to submit with your type of application.

1. Application submitted without a CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) form

CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) is a charge on new development based on internal floor space (so inside the walls). There are two forms you may need to complete Form 1 Additional Information, and form 2 Assumption of Liability.

Any application that creates new floor space (gross) will need to submit Form 1: CIL Additional Information
Any application that is liable will need to submit Form 2: Assumption of Liability. Form 1 will show you if the application is liable, please double check this as it is one of the most common reasons a form is incorrect or not provided. If the proposal creates a new dwelling or annex, it will always be liable.

The Planning Portal provides accompanying guidance notes (PDF, 129KB)

2. Missing or incorrect plans. Including, sections, elevations, and floor plans

In most cases, a planning application will require drawings/plans. They will need to be submitted alongside your application. Each drawing will need:

to be to the scale set out in the validation checklist
to be correctly labelled with a description (e.g. existing ground floor elevation or proposed ground floor elevation).
to show the address for the proposal.
the plans to match each other, and match the description provided in the application form.

3. Location Plan is incorrect or missing

A location/site plan needs to be submitted for every new planning application. Your plan needs to:

at the correct scale (set out in the validation checklist)
show the full address of the proposal.
show us clearly the area relating to the proposal. We need you to outline the area with a red line. If you own any other land surrounding this, you should outline it in blue.

4. The Block Plan/Site Plan is incorrect or missing

A block plan/site plan will need to be included within your planning application. It will need to:

at the correct scale (set out in the validation checklist).
show the full address of the proposal.
show the buildings, adjacent streets, and any trees or ponds that may impact the proposal.

5. The Application form is incorrect

Application forms will need to:

have a signed and dated declaration at the bottom
include a description of works that matches the plans
be the correct application form for the proposal (for example, a householder or listed building proposal will need to be completed on the correct application form, rather than using the full planning consent form)

6. No Heritage Statement submitted

A heritage statement is needed for any application that may affect a designated or undesignated heritage asset. This could be a historic building (e.g listed building), archaeologically sensitive area (e.g Scheduled Monument), or historic landscape (e.g. registered parks).

7. The Ownership Certificate is missing, or the wrong one is completed

All householder, full and outline planning applications need an accompanying certificate of ownership. The certificate is submitted with your planning application form. The application form guidance notes provide advice on the correct certificate to complete. Further advice can be found in the National Planning Practice Guidance.

8. No application fee received, or the wrong fee has been paid

The Planning Portal provides a useful fee calculator and guidance on planning application fees (PDF, 109KB) and exemptions. By completing and paying for your application through the Planning Portal, your application will automatically submit to our systems and we can start validating your application.

When you submit an application by post or email, it can take longer to process your payment, and considerably longer to process a cheque. To ensure your application is processed as quickly as possible, please apply through the Planning Portal.

Please ensure that you know which type of application you need to apply for. Often we receive incorrect fees where a Householder Application is applied for, and the application is actually for Full Planning Consent.

9. A Design and Access Statement has not been provided

A Design and Access Statement must be submitted for major applications, listed building consent applications, applications in world heritage sites and conservation areas where the application is for one or more dwellings, or where the floor space created by the building or buildings is 100 square metres or more.

You can check what needs to be included, and further information on Design and Access statements at making an application

10. Ecology reports have not been submitted

You may need to submit an Ecology report within your application. The validation checklist for your application will tell you what is required. See Ecological Assessments for more information on when this is required and what you need to include.

You can also use the Wildlife Assessment Tool for guidance on whether you may need to organise an Ecology Assessment.

If a report is required and you don't submit one, this can add considerable delay before your application can be validated, as these reports can often take some time to complete.

Pre-application Advice

Using our pre-application advice service can really help you understand whether your proposal is likely to be accepted, and what documentation you will need to submit as part of your application, including whether you need to seek specialist advice. This can help you avoid submitting an invalid application.