Outline planning permission explained

What outline planning permission is

Outline planning permission separates the decision into two stages.¹ First, the council decides whether the type of development is acceptable in principle (e.g., building houses on this field). Second, you submit the detailed design for approval.

This reduces risk. If the council is likely to refuse on principle (green belt, flood risk, lack of infrastructure), an outline application finds out without spending thousands on architectural drawings.

What you submit for outline permission

An outline application requires:

• Location plan (site outlined in red)
• Description of development (e.g., "residential development of up to 20 dwellings")
• Access details (if not reserved)
• Scale parameters (maximum height, number of storeys)
• Supporting statements (planning statement, transport assessment, ecology survey)

You do not need detailed floor plans, elevations, or materials schedules. Those come later at reserved matters stage.

Reserved matters

Reserved matters are the details left out of the outline application.² They include:

• Appearance: External materials, windows, doors, roof design
• Landscaping: Trees, planting, boundary treatment, levels
• Layout: Position of buildings, roads, parking, open space
• Scale: Height, width, depth of each building
• Access: Vehicle and pedestrian access points (if reserved)

You must submit reserved matters within three years of outline approval. The council then has two years from reserved matters approval to start work.

Reserved matters cannot change the principle. If outline permission was for 20 houses, you cannot submit reserved matters for 30. You would need a new application.

When to use outline permission

Outline permission is useful when:

• The site has planning constraints and you are unsure if development will be allowed
• You want to test the market value of the site with outline permission before investing in design
• You are promoting land for development but do not yet have a buyer or design team
• The site needs infrastructure upgrades (roads, drainage) that depend on approval in principle

Outline permission is less common for small sites (single houses, extensions). Full permission is simpler and faster for straightforward projects.

Costs and timescales

Outline planning permission costs the same as full permission. See our planning permission costs guide for current fees.

Decision time is 8 weeks (minor) or 13 weeks (major). Reserved matters applications take 8 weeks.

Total time from outline to starting work is typically 6-18 months (3-9 months for outline, 3-6 months for reserved matters, plus design time).