The government defines outline applications as
a planning permission for the erection of a building, which is granted subject to a condition requiring the subsequent approval of the local planning authority with respect to one or more reserved matters
- Development Management Procedure Order 2015
Outline applications are one method of exploring whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority. They are usually done before a more fully detailed proposal is submitted (known as a reserved matters application).
Outline applications are not normally accepted for
- changes of use
- extensions
- householder development
- developments in a conservation area.
What to include
Outline applications need to include enough information to show that the proposed use and development can be satisfactorily accommodated by the site.
You will need to submit the following:
- completed application form
- design and access statement
- application fee
- site location plan
- information about the proposed use or uses, and the amount of development proposed for each use
- where access is a reserved matter, information to show the areas where access points are proposed
- environmental impact assessment
- sufficient plans, drawings and any other information for matters that are not reserved for approval
- any other information required by the adopted local list of application requirements.
- The following items are frequently required at the outline stage:
If you show details at the outline stage about a matter which is reserved, then you must clearly confirm this on your plans and drawings by stating ‘for illustrative purposes only’.