Preparing and submitting your application
If you do need planning permission or another planning consent for your development, you must submit an application to us. Even if you do not think that you require our formal permission, you may decide that you want to apply for a certificate of lawful development for peace of mind.
You can submit online in one of the following ways:
- For many Lawful Development Certificate applications, you can use our new Apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (Public Beta) service. Find out more about Lambeth’s innovative digital planning services, and ways you can get involved, on our project page.
- For all planning application types, apply through the Planning Portal.
When preparing your application, please ensure that you complete the application form carefully and review the guidance about the information that should be submitted with your application, including the notes that accompany your application form and our Local Planning Application Requirements (PDF, 2.25MB). Around half of the applications that we receive are found to be incomplete (‘invalid’ in planning speak) either because the forms have not been completed properly, the fee is incorrect, or there are errors or omissions in the supporting documents. Our list of 10 reasons for ‘invalid’ applications shows the most common pitfalls to be avoided.
We recommend that you submit your application online through the Planning Portal, but it is also possible to send it to us by post. However, from a sustainability perspective our preference always is to receive applications electronically.
When you submit a planning application to us we will publish it on our planning application database and in our weekly planning lists. The information published will include the site address, the applicant's name, and the agent's name and address. The drawings and documents submitted with the application will also be published on the planning application database. We may also share your application with other teams in the council and with external partners who provide expertise through the consultation process.
In the event of an appeal, your application, including personal information, may be passed on to the Planning Inspectorate. They may share your information in a different way to us and so we recommend that you read the Planning Inspectorate privacy policy prior to submitting an application.
If your application contains sensitive information or special category data, we recommend that you contact us before submitting your application.
We are committed to protecting your privacy. Find out more about the information that we collect, and your rights, by reading our privacy notice.