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Contents: How to search the council’s planning register · Which documents should you request for nearby projects? · London Plan, Local Plan and site allocations · What does the three-year permission period mean? · GLA Datahub and the former London Development Database · What does a local authority search show? · Does a right to light need separate assessment? · Keep these records before deciding to buy

How to search the council’s planning register

Use GOV.UK’s planning decisions service to find the relevant council. The GLA also links to borough registers; search tools and document archives vary. ^{P1 P2}

• Start with the address and postcode, then try the development name and any application reference.
• Extend the search to opposite and adjoining plots and later phases. Use a map search where available; check the adjoining council if the site is near a borough boundary.
• Record each application’s reference, type, status and decision date. Read beyond the short results summary.
• Save the decision notice, drawings it refers to and conditions. Ask the planning department for documents that are not visible online.

These are suggested research steps. Keep proposed drawings, the accepted scheme and later amendments distinct.

Which documents should you request for nearby projects?

Read the application, decision notice and subsequent condition records separately. Permissions can carry conditions; ask for later approvals or changes relating to them as well as the original decision. ^{P2 P7}

• Site layout: the proposed building’s position relative to your flat.
• Elevations and sections: proposed storeys, height and the relationship between buildings.
• Any daylight, sunlight or overshadowing reports: which windows or homes were assessed.
• Phasing plan: how today’s open space appears in later phases, and references for any amendment applications.

These are documents to look for, not a claim that every file contains them. Pass discrepancies between sales images and decision drawings to your solicitor. Our off-plan purchase and delay guide separately covers contractual delivery.

London Plan, Local Plan and site allocations

The London Plan provides the strategic planning framework across London. Borough Local Plans must be in general conformity with it. Check the Local Plan’s policies map and the uses proposed for particular sites, known as site allocations. ^{P3 P4}

An allocation for housing or another use is not approval of a detailed building. GOV.UK explains that allocations in existing local plans do not themselves grant permission in principle. ^P5

Distinguish the adopted plan from an emerging draft on the council website. Record the document’s status, date, map boundary and site reference. Ask the planning department to confirm the current status of a draft if it matters to your purchase.

What does the three-year permission period mean?

Under section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the usual rule in England is to begin development within three years of permission. The authority can specify a shorter or longer period. This is not a completion deadline. ^{P6 P7}

Outline permission is excluded from this general section. Litigation-related extensions can also apply. Do not simply count three years from the decision and assume the permission is unusable. Ask your solicitor to check the commencement condition, subsequent decisions and whether development has lawfully begun. ^P6

GLA Datahub and the former London Development Database

The Planning London Datahub brings together borough planning data. The GLA’s London Datastore explains that it incorporates the former London Development Database (LDD); reporting or processing can lag. ^{P2 P8}

Use GLA links for a wider view of the area, then follow an application reference back to the council file. Do not treat the old LDD archive as a complete list of current applications.

What does a local authority search show?

GOV.UK says your legal representative’s searches concern the defined property or land, its restrictions and certain external factors such as road or rail schemes. They do not reveal development on neighbouring land. If this concerns you, your solicitor can request a specialist search. ^P9

Local land charges can include planning conditions, conservation areas and tree preservation orders. CON29 enquiries cover matters such as planning decisions, building control, road schemes and enforcement. These are not a single interchangeable document; ask your solicitor to explain the scope of the searches ordered. ^{P10 P11}

Does a right to light need separate assessment?

RICS explains that rights of light can remain relevant after planning permission and recommends specialist advice. This guide does not establish whether your flat has a particular right or whether it could prevent nearby development. Discuss the documents with your solicitor and a surveyor working in this field. ^P12

Keep these records before deciding to buy

• Addresses, plots and application references searched, with the date of the check.
• Application status, decision notice, relevant drawings, conditions and later records.
• Local Plan name and status, policies map and any site allocation reference.
• Neighbouring development questions sent to your solicitor and any further assessments needed.

For company and seller records, read our developer checks guide. This article concerns nearby planning documents rather than the company’s financial position.

OGKinvest’s role and fee

OGKinvest introduces buyers to new-build developers and is paid by the developer. Your solicitor handles legal review; the relevant surveyor or specialist handles technical assessment. The relevant authorities decide school admissions and planning applications.