Which plans and drawings a planning application needs
Most planning applications are refused a start rather than refused permission — the council returns them at validation because a drawing is missing or wrong. This is what a typical application is expected to contain, and where each drawing comes from.
Last reviewed 1 August 2026. General guidance for England, Scotland and Wales — your council’s own requirements take precedence.
The two map-based plans
Almost every application includes two plans drawn on Ordnance Survey mapping. They answer two different questions, which is why one cannot substitute for the other.
A location plan answers "where is this?". It shows the site in its surroundings at a wide scale, normally 1:1250, with the land the application covers outlined in red. Councils commonly expect to see at least two named roads so the site can be found unambiguously.
A block plan — also called a site plan — answers "what is on it?". It is drawn closer in, commonly at 1:500 or 1:200, and shows the building footprints, plot boundaries, access and parking on the site itself.
Both must be to a true, stated scale on licensed OS mapping. A screenshot from an online map viewer is not a substitute: it has no certified scale and no licence, and it is one of the most common reasons a plan is rejected.
The drawings that come from a designer, not a map
The remaining drawings describe the building rather than the land, and are measured or designed rather than mapped. An architect, architectural technologist or surveyor produces these — a map supplier cannot, because the information does not exist in Ordnance Survey data.
- Existing and proposed floor plans, commonly at 1:50 or 1:100
- Existing and proposed elevations — the view of each face of the building — commonly at 1:50 or 1:100
- A roof plan, where the roof changes
- Sections through the building, where levels or height are the issue
- A design and access statement, required for some application types and not for others
Why "existing and proposed" matters
Councils assess change, so most drawing requirements come in pairs: what is there now and what is proposed. Submitting only the proposed drawings is a routine validation failure, because the officer has nothing to compare them against.
The location plan and block plan are usually the exception — they show the site as it exists, with the application boundary marked. Where a proposal changes the site layout substantially, some authorities ask for a proposed block plan as well.
Requirements come from two lists, not one
In England, what an application must contain is set by a national list that applies everywhere, plus a local list published by each planning authority covering things specific to that area — for example a tree survey, a flood risk assessment or a parking layout.
Scotland and Wales run their own planning systems with their own requirements. Do not assume guidance written for England applies unchanged.
This is why no honest guide can give you a definitive list. The national half is stable; the local half is not, and it is the half that catches people out.
Common questions
Do I need both a location plan and a block plan?
For most applications, yes — they show different things at different scales and councils normally ask for both. A small number of application types need only a location plan. The application form and your authority’s local list will say which apply to your proposal.
Can I draw the plans myself?
You can mark the red line boundary yourself, and many applicants do. The underlying map must be licensed Ordnance Survey mapping at a certified scale, which is why councils look for a licence number on the plan. Floor plans and elevations need to be measured accurately and are usually worth having drawn professionally.
What happens if a drawing is missing?
The application is not registered. It is returned as invalid, you supply the missing document, and the determination period starts from the date it is finally validated — so a missing drawing costs you the whole delay, not just the time to produce it.
Are the requirements the same across the UK?
No. England, Scotland and Wales have separate planning systems, and within England each authority publishes its own local list alongside the national requirements. Northern Ireland is different again and is mapped by Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland rather than Ordnance Survey.
Need the plans themselves?
We draw location and block plans on current, licensed Ordnance Survey mapping at a true stated scale, with your red line boundary, north arrow, scale bar and our OS licence number. Draw the boundary yourself and see the price before you buy.
Create your plan