Site levels - Planning validation requirements

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Description 

You need to submit site level drawings if your proposal involves a significant change in ground levels. Your drawings must show both the existing and finished levels. 

These drawings should demonstrate how your proposed development will relate to existing site levels and the neighbouring development. 

Guidance 

The site level drawings you submit must: 

• show a cross section(s) through the proposed building(s) and site 
• be drawn to an appropriate metric scale for example, 1:50 or 1:100 
• show existing and proposed with levels related to a fixed point nearby which will not be affected by the proposed works 
• show the proposals in relation to adjoining land and buildings 

If your proposal involves a change in ground levels, your drawings must show both existing and finished levels including details of: 

• foundations 
• retaining structures 
• how eaves relate to adjacent land and boundaries.  
• an explanation of how you will avoid any encroachment on adjacent land 

If your proposal doesn’t include changes to site levels and raising finished floor levels are not to be raised, you can state this on the drawings. 

You can get help and advice from our Duty Planner on site levels and planning applications. 

You can get detailed feedback on your proposal by using our pre-application advice service. 

Personal and confidential statement 

We may publish any information you submit as part of your application. You must tell us if there is any information you do not want us to publish when you submit your application.  

If however, we believe that this information is in the public interest, we reserve the right to publish it.  

We may also decide parts of your submission are not in the public interest and may redact this information. This information may include telephone numbers, email addresses and signatures. 

Depending on the details of your application, you may have to submit site levels when you applying for: 

• Agricultural development 
• Certificate of lawful use for a proposed development
• Certificate of lawful use for an existing development
• Change of use 
• Commercial, industrial and non-residential
• Demolition of an unlisted building
• Discharge of conditions 
• Householder planning consent
• Listed building consent
• Non-material amendment 
• Outline permission with all reserved matters 
• Outline permission with some reserved matters
• Permission in principle
• Prior approval
• Prior notification
• Removal or variation of conditions 
• Reserved matters 
• Residential new build 
• Technical details consent 

If your application is for one of these types of planning permission, you need to submit site levels if your proposal: 

• is to make changes to site levels of more than one metre 
• is for a site where existing vary by more than one metre 
• includes engineering operations 
• is for a new building 

You do not have to submit site levels for household and commercial extensions. 

Required by 

• National requirement. You can find details of this requirement in section 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework 
• Local requirement. You can find details of this requirement in: 
  • Local plan policy - LPP1
  • Local plan policy - LPP52
  • Local plan policy - LPP36
  • Local plan policy - SP7

These policies can be found in the Local Plan 2013 - 2033 document