What’s a Planning Application Supporting Statement? Our Planning Expert Explains

3. Describe the kind of development project you’re undertaking

The next step is to outline your planning proposal. Try to keep this simple and clear – you want to give the impression that your project is conventional and uncontroversial rather than complex or overly ambitious. It’s typical to provide dimensions (the depth, width and height of your extension or new build) and highlight the materials you would like to use.

You may also take the opportunity to summarise why you need the new development. While this isn’t strictly relevant, and the case officer won’t grant you permission on the basis of what you want or need, it does no harm to point this out as context.

That’s especially true if you’re proposing, say, an extension that enlarges a poky galley kitchen or one that would enable each of your children to have their own bedrooms. These points will help them understand the proposal in a practical light.

4. Be transparent about any previous planning applications

In this section, you can inform the case officer of any previous submissions that may be significant to your proposal. If you initially applied for a larger scheme and it was refused, you may wish to show how you took the council’s concerns on board and made appropriate changes. Don’t worry about including the ones that aren’t directly relevant to your current development.

If you were recently granted planning permission for something similar, you should provide details of what was approved. Likewise, if you have consent for a project that you haven’t yet implemented – known as an extant planning permission – this can be an important material consideration, as it may indicate that you already have the right to carry out a closely related scheme.

CASE STUDY Getting planning permission for this oak frame self build in Essex

Matt and Sarah Switzer joined forces with a local couple to try for planning permission for two homes on their 1.5-acre site. The Switzers meticulously studied the historical planning refusals for the plot, putting together a 30-page document addressing each point.

A lack of affordable and suitable housing in the area worked in the couples’ favour – who submitted two off-the-shelf designs from Welsh Oak Frame as part of their application, which also ticked the council’s boxes for a sustainable design that blended into the location’s countryside context.

The planning officer recommended a refusal, however, for fear that granting permission would open the floodgates to over-development of sites outside the dedicated boundary. But the two couples did not intend to build and move on – they wanted these to be their forever homes.

Two local councillors showed their support for the builds by requesting that the couples’ application was called into for deliberation by the planning committee. “The meeting cracked open a window of opportunity, as we were allowed to speak for a few minutes to justify our reasons building,” says Matt. “The committee members came to look at our site and voted unanimously in our favour – and our dream began to become real.”

read the story

5. Make yourself familiar with the local planning policies

It is not necessary to copy out all the council’s policies into your supporting statement. However, it could be a good idea for you to read them yourself, so you know how your application will be assessed and can then show how it meets key requirements.

Planning expert Martin Gaine speaks with visitors at Build It Live, where self builders can access specialist advice on every stage of their project

This segment is also an opportunity to interpret the policies and guidance. For example, if you think your proposal meets a certain criterion, you might note that the wording of a policy suggests flexibility or highlight that a section of a supplementary planning document uses phrases like ‘where practical’ or ‘in most cases’, implying the guidance is not absolute. There is no need to include a policy section at all if you don’t have a point to make about one or a specific interpretation.

If you are a self builder, it is worth checking whether the council has particular policies that support self build projects. You should also find out if it can demonstrate a five-year housing land supply and whether it has passed the government’s Housing Delivery Test, as councils facing a housing shortage are under greater pressure to allow the development of new homes.

6. Make a strong case & explain why your project deserves approval

The most important part of your supporting statement is where you address the key planning issues and argue why your application merits approval. For example, if the primary consideration is whether a rear extension could overshadow a neighbour’s side window or obstruct their view, this is the point you should focus on.

Be sure to go straight to the heart of your case. Most proposals for extensions and new builds are assessed primarily on their design and impact on neighbours, so there is little benefit in writing at length about how your development is acceptable because you have included a green roof and solar panels, for instance.