Some minor alterations and extensions, particularly to houses, can often be carried out without the need for planning permission. This is known as permitted development. You need to check there are no specific restrictions which may have been imposed as part of a previous permission.
Basingstoke Town, Fairfields, Brookvale and South View conservation areas are covered by Article 4 directions. In these areas you may need planning permission for replacing windows and doors, and for external painting. View individual conservation area maps.
The Planning Portal website has information about work that requires planning permission:
Check if you need planning permission
We will need to know details about the size and location of your property and the business activity to confirm if planning permission is needed.
Read our guide on running a business from home. (PDF) [149kb]
We receive many applications for temporary use of or to purchase council land/areas of public amenity open space.
Find more information on Applications to purchase areas of amenity open space
If you have a planning enquiry, send a message to the Planning Development Team
We offer a pre-application advice service. This can help you identify and overcome potential issues and speed up the application process. This may help to minimise the costs of planning applications and avoid submitting an unacceptable proposal.
If you submit a planning application without any pre-application discussions and there are difficulties unlikely to be resolved within the statutory time frame, negotiations will not normally be entered into, and the decision is likely to be a refusal.
Now is a good time to consider how you can make your home more energy efficient too to save money on your bills, make your home warmer and more comfortable and shrink your carbon footprint.
We provide free help for everyone in the borough to make their homes more energy efficient. This includes a free comprehensive full-home retrofit assessment, which you could be eligible for if your home was built before 1975 and is particularly energy inefficient, that provides a detailed property report with specific energy-saving recommendations.
There is a limited number of assessments available and you can apply until March 2025 or when they have all been allocated. To find out more, send a message to our Green Team. Please include your property’s full address and post code in your enquiry text.
For householder (such as house extensions and alterations) and small-scale business enquiries we offer a free 15-minute phone appointment.
We will provide verbal advice on your proposal and guidance on how to proceed. No written advice will be available through this process.
Appointments are available to book Tuesday to Thursday, 8.45am to 1pm. You can book up to one week in advance, but with a minimum of one working day notice.
To book an appointment: call 01256 844844
Fee: free of charge
You’ll need to provide details of the proposed development and its location. We may contact you before the appointment to discuss whether you have any plans that you can provide prior to meeting.
There will not be an opportunity to review the planning history of a site while discussing proposals.
Please research the planning history prior to your appointment.
If in doubt as to whether your planning enquiry falls within this service, please contact us.
Fee: £60.06 per request (inclusive of VAT) until 31 March 2025.
The level of information needed will vary, but we will always need:
Email your request to : development.control@basingstoke.gov.uk
Or post to: Planning Development Team, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH
Please note that responses to requests as to whether works to be undertaken are permitted development will remain as an informal response under this process. If a formal determination to confirm whether proposed development is lawful or not is required, then it will be necessary to apply on the appropriate application forms.
If in doubt as to whether your planning enquiry falls within this service, please contact us.
1-9 dwellings and commercial development of less than 250sqm:
We only provide a written response within 10 days.
No consultation with other council departments.
No site visit will be undertaken - desk top assessment only.
No follow-up meeting.
Fee: 25% of the application fee plus VAT
10 dwellings or more and commercial development above 250sqm:
We provide a written response with 28 days.
Includes consultation with other council departments as appropriate.
Fee: 25% of the application fee plus VAT
The level of information needed will vary, but we will always need:
We recommend you also send us the following information:
Email your request to: development.control@basingstoke.gov.uk
Or post to: Planning Development Team, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH
For large scale major proposals we offer a paid programmed ‘Planning Performance Agreement’ approach at the pre-application (which includes opportunity for Member panel engagement), application stage, and delivery stage in accordance with the government recommendation for such agreements.
Pre-application engagement is important as set out within paragraphs 39 to 46 of the National Planning Policy Framework. To determine the type of advice and to allocate relevant resources, sites will be considered in accordance with the principles set out on this flowchart.
Contact us for further information at developmentcontrol@basingstoke.gov.uk
Cost: £105.05 per agreement (inclusive of VAT) until 31 March 2025.
Email your request to : development.control@basingstoke.gov.uk
Provide your application number and site address.
Cost: £145 per application (inclusive of VAT)
Email your request to: development.control@basingstoke.gov.uk
Provide your application number and site address
Advice in connection with alterations or extension etc, to a dwelling for the benefit of a registered disabled person.
Proposals related to works that require planning permission only by virtue of an Article 4 Direction of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.
Submissions related to listed building consents or conservation consents only (no householder application needed).
Pre-applications submitted by:
A planning application which has had the benefit of consultation with stakeholders and interested parties prior to its submission will result in an improved proposal.
You should therefore undertake your own consultations with relevant councillors, the parish council, and local residents.
You will need to carry out consultations directly with utility companies including Hampshire County Council Highways (HCC), HCC Lead Local Flood Authority, Environment Agency planning-farnham@environment-agency.gov.uk
Our Statement of Community Involvement details the level of public engagement and consultation that developers should take with local community before submitting a planning application- see summary on pages 49 and 50.
Council staff and councillors have access to all pre-applications submitted to the council.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, we may consider pre-application submissions, which are commercially sensitive, and confidential. A public interest test will be applied to decide a proposal can be deemed as confidential. Should the information fall outside of this category, or a planning application is submitted on the site for a similar scheme, the information may be made available to the public.
If you have a planning enquiry, send a message to the Planning Development Team
We strongly advise that planning applications should be submitted electronically where possible. Paper submissions will still be processed but there may be some delay in the processing.
Online through the Planning Portal website
Paper forms and our validation checklist
All applications must comply with the information and document requirements as set out in the National Requirements checklist and the Local Requirements checklist for any given application type.
Fees are set by central government and deals with the processing of the application. The fee is non-refundable once the application has been registered. You can find out the fees through the following:
A total of 48% of planning applications last year were invalid when submitted. It is important to ensure that your application is complete and has been checked before submitting it to us, to prevent any delays in dealing with your application. Details of the information required for different types of application can be found by clicking on the relevant application form in the application types section.
The top five reasons why applications are not valid when received are:
Example of the type of plans required as part of a planning application submission. (PDF 127 KB)
Please note that A3 size plans are preferable and we are unable to accept plans larger than A1 size.
A design and access statement is a concise report accompanying certain applications for planning permission and applications for listed building consent. They provide an outline for applicants to explain how the proposed development is suitable to the site and its setting, and demonstrate that it can be adequately accessed by prospective users. Design and access statements can help decision-making by enabling us and third parties to better understand the analysis that has supported the design of a development proposal.
The level of detail in a design and access statement should be proportionate to the complexity of the application, but should not be long.
All local authorities have to consider the conservation of biodiversity (natural environment) when determining a planning application. Government planning policies for biodiversity are set out in section 11 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
As part of 1APP (National Application Form), the submission of a biodiversity survey and report is listed in Local Planning Application Requirements - further information on what is included for planning applications can be found in the biodiversity checklist.
Most of the Hampshire Local Planning Authorities (under the umbrella group of HIPOG) have adopted a joint working approach to the local requirements. All local authorities in Hampshire have identified the submission of a biodiversity survey and report as a requirement for certain application types. Find biodiversity checklists on the Hampshire County Council website.
The new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) came into effect from 25 June 2018 and will be payable on relevant planning permissions granted from this date. Visit the CIL pages for further information.
Great crested newt populations have suffered rapid declines over recent decades, due to habitat loss. The species spend most of their life on land in habitats such as woodland, hedgerows, grassland and scrub, but return to freshwater ponds in the spring to breed. They are generally found within 500m of ponds (although they can travel much further than this – even up to 1.6km).
Great crested newts and their habitats are fully protected by law and impacts on the species must be considered as part of the planning application process. Where impacts on newts may arise, developers should obtain a licence to make their activities lawful and ensure that the impact on the species will be mitigated. An evidence-based 'Impact Risk Zone' map has been published that shows the different risk zones for impacts on great crested newt. The Risk Zone map for Basingstoke and Deane can be seen below.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council holds a Great Crested Newt District (or “Organisational”) Licence, designed by NatureSpace and granted by Natural England, which provides an alternative licensing option for developments.
Please refer to the council's current guidance for further information on the Great Crested Newt District Licence Scheme page
Position Statement on Nitrate Neutrality in relation to The Solent
The council has recently received a consultation response from Natural England in relation to a planning application for residential development in the catchment of the River Test and Itchen (as part of the wider catchment to the Solent). As submitted, Natural England have advised that the application could have potential significant effects on Solent and Southampton Water Special Protection Area (SPA) and Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Natural England have advised that they require further information in order to determine the significance of these impacts and the scope for mitigation for that application. The further information required is:
Assessment of water quality impacts of the operational phase of the development on the designated sites.
Without the submission of this information, Natural England may place an objection to proposed new residential development. The issue of nitrate impact on the Solent has received coverage in the media recently. The aforementioned consultation response is the first received in this Borough. Officers have been and continue to liaise with Natural England to understand the specific issues as far as they might be relevant to BDBC. As soon as more specific advice is received this will be communicated so as to provide advice for applicants, residents and other interested parties in relation to affected planning applications.
In the meantime the council will not issue decisions for new residential development in the relevant catchment areas where wastewater generated by the development could have potential significant effects on Solent and Southampton Water Special Protection Area (SPA) and Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation (SAC), unless Natural England have been consulted and confirmed no objection to the proposed development.
Case officers of current applications and appeals will be contacting applicants/agents on this matter. If there are any queries on whether your site is potentially impacted please contact the relevant case officer.
Update to Position Statement 10 May 2022
On 16 March 2022 the council received updated information from Natural England in relation to the methodology for calculating impact of development in relation to nitrates. Specifically with regards to the River Itchen catchment the guidance advises that phosphorous and nitrogen are causing environmental effects. Previously only nitrogen was considered to need mitigation. This is a significant change and will mean that the council will only be able to grant planning permission for new residential development, which potentially affects this catchment area, where the phosphate as well as the nitrate impact can be appropriately addressed. Unlike nitrate impact where mitigation has started to be identified enabling planning permissions to continue the position in relation to mitigation for phosphates where necessary is far more uncertain. This means that unless it can be shown how a development proposal will avoid or mitigate any adverse effect on the nationally protected sites, the council will not at present be in a position to grant permission within that catchment.
On 20 April 2022, Natural England issued a revised Solent (applicable to River Test catchment) nutrient budget calculator, see below for the latest version. The council continues to liaise with Natural England to ascertain whether any further updates to the calculator are likely pending in particular following a recent Court of Appeal decision. Accordingly the calculators (one related to the Itchen catchment and one related to the Test catchment) are being published for use by applicants on the basis of it being the most up to date position at this time.
Update to Position Statement June 2022
Further to updates provided on 10 May 2022 Natural England have released updated versions for the Itchen Nutrient Budget Calculator and the Solent Nutrient Budget Calculator. The council continues to engage with Natural England and will provide any further updates at the earliest opportunity.
Update to Position Statement February 2024
Natural England have released updated versions of the Itchen Budget Calculator and the Solent Nutrient Budget Calculator which can be found in the link below. There may be further changes to the calculators if any waste water treatment works are found to be exempt from the time requirements of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act (2023). Any such exemptions are expected to be announced by April 2024. If you have a live application in at that time there may be a requirement to resubmit any nutrient neutrality information to comply with any new calculators and it is recommended that the case officer for the application is contacted for further advice. The council continues to engage with Natural England and will provide any further updates at the earliest opportunity.
View Solent Nutrients Basingstoke Catchment Map (PDF) [3.61mb]
View Natural England Summary Guide on Nutrient Neutrality (PDF) [146kb]
View Itchen and Solent Budget Calculators
View Natural England Advice on Achieving Nutrient Neutrality for New Development in the Solent Region V5 June 2020 (PDF) [2.38mb]
View Natural England Summary Advice on Achieving Nutrient Neutrality for New Development in the Solent Region V2 June 2020 (PDF) [3.61mb]
View Permit levels for Waste Water Treatment Works (WwTWs) within the River Test and River Itchen catchments (PDF) [181kb]
Strategic Mitigation - nutrient neutrality offsetting
A number of schemes are now coming forward outside of the Borough to mitigate the impact of nutrients generated by new development where this cannot be addressed on site. Such schemes are being generated by taking land out of agricultural use and putting the land to alternative uses in perpetuity following agreement with Natural England. Further details of schemes for the River Test and River Itchen catchments can be found at Nutrient Mitigation - Partnership for South Hampshire (push.gov.uk).
The Council has now entered into a legal agreement with Eastleigh Borough Council who have established such a Nutrient Neutrality Offsetting Scheme. This legal agreement enables applicants to bring forward development within the River Test catchment using Eastleigh Borough Council’s scheme for mitigation through the purchase of credits. Should applicants wish to explore whether this approach is suitable for their development proposals further details can be found at Nutrient Offset Scheme (eastleigh.gov.uk). The Council is also continuing dialogue with other strategic mitigation providers about the prospect of securing the use of further out of Borough mitigation schemes.
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development, that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand. This means protecting and enhancing important existing habitats and ensuring that environmental features which are lost or degraded are compensated for by restoring or creating new habitats; it is a necessary approach to help enable the recovery of nature across England in light of the ecological emergency we are facing.
The Council have been requiring net gain from development for some years now, but new legislation has now come into force that makes it a statutory obligation.
On 12 February 2024 , mandatory biodiversity net gain commenced for major development under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021).
Small site development includes residential development where the number of dwellings is between 1 and 9, or if unknown the site area is less than 0.5 hectares, and commercial development where floor space created is less than 1,000 square metres or the total site area is less than 1 hectare. For small sites, mandatory BNG commenced from 2 April 2024 .
Please refer to the Council's current guidance for further information on the BNG webpage.
Paying for a planning application or enquiry
If you have a planning enquiry, send a message to the Planning Development Team
When we receive your application, we will check it to make sure we have everything we need from you, including the fee. If anything is missing or insufficient we will write and tell you.
Once the application is complete, it will be entered onto the statutory register. We will send you the application number and an estimated date by which we aim to make a decision. This is either 8, 13 or 16 weeks later, depending on the type of application.
When an application is registered, it will be made public and people will be able to view and comment on the proposal.
The council will publicise the application by writing to the immediate neighbours of the proposed development site. In some cases a site notice will be displayed.
A case officer will visit the site to:
For more information view the Publicity for planning applications document.
There is a statutory period of 21 days in which people can comment on an application. This can be in support of an application or an objection. Comments received after this period will be taken into consideration until the consultation period has expired and the application is determined.
We consult with certain bodies known as statutory consultees which include amongst others the parish and town councils, the highways, landscape and conservation departments and the Environment Agency. We may also consult other non-statutory consultees such as local amenity bodies. These consultees have 21 days in which to respond.
Comments on applications are available to view online
If changes are needed to the application following the site visit and consultation period the planning officer will negotiate with the applicant to make amendments to the original proposal.
Once our case officer has considered the proposals and the consultation period has expired, we will make a decision on whether to grant planning permission.
Most decisions are made by case officers under Delegated Powers which is detailed within Part 3 of the Borough Council's Constitution. More complex or potentially controversial applications will need to go before the Development Control Committee and be decided at a Planning Committee meeting.
If your application is dealt with at a Planning Committee meeting, you have the
right to attend and speak at that meeting. You can find out more about the planning committee and view meeting dates.
View our leaflet – Can I speak about my planning application at the committee meeting?
If you have a planning enquiry, send a message to the Planning Development Team
Planning permission is usually granted subject to conditions. This may require the submission of further details for approval before development begins. If development begins and the conditions have not been approved the planning permission may not be valid. Details of how to submit condition details for approval are provided on the decision notice.
Post decision forms and guidance notes on discharge of conditions are available on the Planning Portal website.
Or they can be downloaded from our website - Planning Application forms.
We aim to deal with discharge of condition submissions within eight weeks.
If you do not comply with the requirements of the conditions we may pursue formal action which could include the serving of an enforcement notice. Planning enforcement information.
If after receiving planning permission you want to make a small change to your application you can do this as a non-material amendment, but this applies only to planning permissions and permission in principle and not to listed building consents. The procedure also allows the council to impose new planning conditions or remove or alter planning conditions.
Any significant change would require a new planning application.
We cannot accept amendments if:
We cannot normally accept amendments if:
The evaluation of any non-material amendment is specific to the constraints and opportunities of each site and what is considered a non-material amendment on one site may be material on another.
Application for non-material amendment
If you have a planning enquiry, send a message to the Planning Development Team
You may appeal to the Secretary of State where:
You can also appeal against an enforcement notice served due to an alleged breach of planning control.
To submit your appeal online go to GOV.UK Planning Inspectorate
Submit an appeal - Planning Inspectorate
You can contact the Planning Inspectorate for more information and to request appropriate forms. Contact details - Planning Inspectorate.
You can view details of appeals and associated documents. You will need the reference number of the planning application.
You can also view an appeal using the Planning Inspectorate's appeal reference number. View appeals - Planning Inspectorate
If you have a planning enquiry, send a message to the Planning Development Team
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