Block Plan for Planning Applications
A 1:500 Ordnance Survey block plan showing your site in detail — buildings, boundaries, access and parking — with the red line boundary, north arrow and scale bar councils require. Draw the boundary yourself, see the price as you go, and download the council-ready PDF straight away.
Rather we drew it for you? Send us the address and we will prepare it — useful if the boundary is complicated.
What a 1:500 block plan shows
Where the location plan proves which site you mean, the block plan shows what is actually on it. At 1:500 the plot boundaries, building footprints, access and parking are all legible, which is what a planning officer needs to judge the proposal against its neighbours.
The red line boundary
The red line is the single most-checked element on a planning plan, and the most common reason an application is returned as invalid. It must enclose everything the application covers — the building, the affected curtilage, and any access running from the site to a public highway. If you own adjoining land that is not part of the application, that is outlined in blue instead.
If you are not certain where your line should run, describe what you are applying for when you order and we will draw it to match, then send it back for you to check before you submit.
Common applications that need one
Householder extensions
Rear, side and wrap-around extensions where the council needs to see the footprint against the plot boundary and the distance to neighbours.
Loft and garage conversions
Conversions and outbuildings where the existing footprint and its position within the curtilage must be shown.
New dwellings and infill plots
Subdivided gardens and infill sites where the red line defines a new plot that does not yet exist on the map.
Dropped kerbs and access
Vehicle crossovers and new accesses, where the plan has to show the frontage and where the access meets the highway.
Supplied under our Ordnance Survey licence
We are an Ordnance Survey partner. Every plan comes from current, licensed OS mapping and carries our licence number, which is what a planning officer checks for. You do not need a licence of your own.
Our guarantee: if a council rejects a plan because of the mapping, the scale, or a missing required element — north arrow, scale bar, licence number, production date or grid reference — send us their notice and we will correct it free or refund you. It does not cover the position of a boundary you drew or asked us to draw, or a refusal on planning grounds.
How to order
Find the site
Enter the postcode or place name. The site is centred on current OS mapping at a true 1:500, and you see the plan before you pay anything.
Draw the red line
Click the parcels that make up your application site, or draw the boundary freehand. Add a blue line for other land in the same ownership. The area and the price update as you go.
Pay and download
A print-ready A4 PDF with the north arrow, scale bar and our OS licence number, ready to submit alongside your location plan.
Block plan questions
What is a block plan?
A block plan — sometimes called a site plan — is the close-up view of your site, normally drawn at 1:500. It shows the buildings, plot boundaries, access and parking on and immediately around the site, with the land your application covers outlined in red. It is submitted alongside the wider 1:1250 location plan.
What is the difference between a block plan and a location plan?
A location plan is the wider context at 1:1250, showing your site among the surrounding roads and properties. A block plan is the detailed view at 1:500, showing the site itself. Most householder applications need both, and councils will return an application that is missing either.
What scale should a block plan be?
Councils normally ask for 1:500. Very small sites are sometimes accepted or requested at 1:200. The scale must be stated on the drawing with a scale bar, so an officer can confirm it has not been resized.
What is the red line boundary on a block plan?
The red line encloses all the land your application covers, including any access from the site to a public highway. Other land you own adjoining the site but not included in the application is outlined in blue. An incorrect or missing red line is one of the most common reasons an application is returned as invalid.
Does the block plan show my proposed extension?
No. The block plan we supply shows the site as currently mapped by Ordnance Survey, with your red line boundary. Your proposed works are shown on separate proposed-plan drawings, normally produced by an architect or a technician. Many applications need both, and the two are checked against each other.
Which areas do you cover?
Great Britain — England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is mapped by Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland under separate licensing, so we cannot supply plans there.
What if my council asks for a change?
We redo the plan free for 30 days from purchase — moving the red line, changing the scale, or reissuing it. Extend that cover to twelve months for a small one-off fee.
How many copies can I print, and can you post them?
You can print up to five copies of your plan. We can also print and post copies, including large-format prints for site meetings, presentation boards and planning committees — we are a printing and framing company, not only a map supplier.
Can the plan carry my practice or agency branding?
Yes. Architects, surveyors and estate agents can have plans issued under their own name and logo. Tell us when you order, or set it up on a trade account.
How is the plan licensed to me?
The plan is licensed for your own property matter — your planning application and directly related use. It may not be resold, redistributed, published, or supplied to a third party for their own use.
Order your 1:500 block plan
Order it with your 1:1250 location plan and we will prepare both together, matched to the same red line boundary.
Create Your Block PlanSizes and prices
Block plans are priced by the ground the sheet covers. 1:500 is the usual request; 1:200 and 1:100 show a small plot in closer detail. Check which scale your council asks for before ordering.
| Plan | Paper | Area covered | Ground | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:100 | A4 | 18 × 18 m | 18 × 18 m | £6.95 | Create |
| 1:100 | A3 | 25 × 25 m | 25 × 25 m | £14.95 | Create |
| 1:200 | A4 | 36 × 36 m | 36 × 36 m | £7.95 | Create |
| 1:200 | A3 | 50 × 50 m | 50 × 50 m | £16.95 | Create |
| 1:500 | A4 | 90 × 90 m | 90 × 90 m | £11.50 | Create |
| 1:500 | A3 | 1.6 ha | 125 × 125 m | £23.95 | Create |
| 1:500 | A2 | 3.6 ha | 190 × 190 m | £27.95 | Create |
| 1:500 | A1 | 7.6 ha | 276 × 276 m | £37.95 | Create |
Prices exclude VAT. Every plan includes the red line boundary, north arrow, scale bar, stated scale and paper size, our Ordnance Survey licence number, and both a print-ready PDF and a PNG image. Free changes and re-downloads for 30 days.
Related services
Site location plan 1:1250
The wider-area plan councils require alongside your block plan.
Learn moreOS maps for planning applications
What plans your application needs and how they are prepared.
Learn morePlan scales explained
What 1:500, 1:200 and 1:1250 mean, and how much ground each covers.
Learn more