Apply for planning permission
Before you apply, it is important you have all the relevant information:
Plans, drawings and documents
For professional assistance in submitting an application, see the Partner Agent List (PDF) or go to the Planning Portal website: Planning Portal - Buy a Plan.
Once you have the necessary information you can start an application. If you need more help, you can learn how to apply at the Planning Portal website.
You are advised to seek pre-application advice from the council before submitting an application. See the pre-application advice page for more information.
If you are submitting a major application, see the planning performance agreement page. We recommend you consider using this option as a way of giving you more certainty of service deliver in the planning process for your development.
We recommend you make your planning application online.
Start a planning application online
Benefits of applying online:
- Save your application and return to it later
- Submit your application online at any time
- No postal delays or printing costs
- Immediate delivery and confirmation
- Pay the fee online or by telephone
- Supporting documents and plans can be attached
- Secure, online record and audit trail of all your applications
Once your application has been submitted, it will be passed to a planning officer who will assess the suitability of your proposal and issues such as the effect on the local area, the environment and other people and properties.
Please note: We will charge 10% of the expected full planning application fee on the return of invalid planning applications.
Most decisions will be made within eight weeks however, more complex applications may take longer. Procedures for determining planning applications are set out in the following document:
Paper application forms are available from the Planning Portal website: Planning Portal website - Paper applications forms.
The role of parish and town councils in relation to planning applications is explained in Annex 1 to the Swindon Borough Parish and Town Council Charter 2015. You can view this document on the Modern Gov website.