Consent types

Application for Approval of Reserved Matters following Outline Approval

Article 6 of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015¹

When Approval of Reserved Matters is required

An application for Approval of Reserved Matters is only required when the applicant already has outline planning permission² for a development. This cannot be used as a stand-alone application for planning permission.

Outline planning applications³ are used to gain an understanding as to whether the nature of a development is acceptable, this can help ensure viability up front. Specific details known as ‘reserved matters’ can then be confirmed later.

After approval of outline planning consent, reserved matters must be submitted to gain the right for development. This deals with the outstanding details which were omitted from the outline planning application. These reserved matters can include:

• Appearance - aspects of a building or place which affect the way it looks, including the exterior of the development
• Means of access - covers accessibility for all routes to and within the site, as well as the way they link up to other roads and pathways outside the site
• Landscaping - the improvement or protection of the amenities of the site and the area and the surrounding area, this could include planting trees or hedges as a screen
• Layout - includes buildings, routes and open spaces within the development and the way they are laid out in relations to buildings and spaces outside the development
• Scale - includes information on the size of the development, including each proposed building

The details of the reserved matters application must be in line with the outline approval, including any conditions attached to the permission. If your proposals have changed in any way, you may need to reapply for outline or full planning permission.

Some, though not all, details may have been formally submitted and approved at the outline application stage, if the applicant chose to do so, or the council insisted.

The outline decision notice, issued by the council, will state which matters were reserved for later approval.

Information required

An application for Approval of Reserved Matters will require the submission of a site plan and a location plan. Alongside information detailing the matters which were reserved from the initial outline planning application.

In some cases, where conditions apply, it may be necessary to evidence how these conditions or reserved matters have been met.

Timeline

The application for Approval of Reserved Matters should be approved within 8 weeks. This begins when the Local Planning Authority accepts the application as valid. This can be up to 13 weeks for larger developments.

Permission lasts for two years from the last date that the reserved matters were approved, or, three years from the date that outline planning permission was approved – whichever date is later.

Fees

An application for approval of reserved matters will require the full fee due for the application.

If the full fee has already been paid, then the application will cost £578.

Our fee calculator⁴ can help calculate the cost of your planning application.

What happens next?

Once you have gained approval of reserved matters you are legally able to begin development on your project, subject to any conditions on the permission.

1. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/595/article/2/made
2. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/planning/planning-applications/consent-types/outline-planning-consent
3. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/planning/planning-applications/consent-types/outline-planning-consent
4. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/app/fee-calculator