There is no single drawing-and-report package suitable for every project. [1][2]
The drawing set
The statutory requirements include a plan identifying the land and other plans, drawings or information necessary to describe the development. Plans and drawings must use an identified scale and show north where required by the application rules. [1]
For a typical house alteration, the relevant council checklist may call for existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, roof plans, site or block plans and sections. Sections are especially useful where levels, roof form or the relationship with neighbouring buildings need explaining. Check the actual checklist rather than assuming that floor plans alone are sufficient. [2][3]
Use a drawing register to distinguish existing information from proposals. A useful final check is to compare every elevation with the plans and sections: windows, roof edges and changes in level should describe the same building.
Forms, boundaries and ownership
The form, site plan and development description should refer to the same proposal and land. Ownership certificates and any required notification of other owners are separate from drawing preparation; an accurate survey does not complete those obligations. [1][2]
For leasehold or shared-land situations, settle the certificate and notice requirements before submission. Do not choose a certificate simply because you occupy the property. [2]
Supporting statements and reports
Councils publish local validation requirements identifying when additional information is needed. Depending on the site and development, this can include design, heritage, tree, ecological, flood-risk or other specialist information. Requirements should be checked for their trigger, not treated as a universal shopping list. [3][4]
Make a schedule with four columns: required item, reason it applies, person preparing it and final file name. Where you consider an item unnecessary, explain that against the relevant requirement instead of silently omitting it.
Biodiversity information: the August 2026 change
From 6 August 2026, applications for sites of 0.2 hectares or less can use the new biodiversity net gain exemption, but not where development impacts onsite priority habitat. Householder development remains exempt. The self-build and custom-build exemption was removed for new applications from that date, subject to the published transitional arrangements. [5]
The application still needs to identify whether biodiversity net gain applies and explain a claimed exemption. Do not rely on a report template written before the change or assume that a small red-line area settles the priority-habitat question. [1][5]
Before pressing submit
Check file names, revisions, legibility, the site address and consistency between the form and drawings. Use the council's current checklist alongside the national requirements. A complete package enables validation; it does not pre-judge whether the design is acceptable. [2][3]