You have planning permission, but the decision notice says some details must be "submitted to and approved in writing" by the council. Until they are, you can't start, or you can't move in. This guide shows you how to discharge planning conditions quickly, what it costs and what to do when the council runs late.
The steps below follow the rules in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use the same idea with their own forms and timescales, covered at the end.
Step 1: sort your conditions into an order
Open the decision notice and list every condition that needs approval. Then put them in the order the notice demands:
- Before any work starts: pre-commencement conditions, such as a construction management plan or tree protection
- Before a stage of the build: for example "before above-ground works", which usually covers materials samples
- Before occupation: parking, landscaping and bin stores
Pre-commencement conditions come first. Starting work before they are discharged can leave you building without a valid permission.
Step 2: get the right details prepared
Each condition says what the council wants to see. Match it to the person who can prepare it:
- Ecology, bat surveys and biodiversity net gain plans: an ecologist
- Tree protection and arboricultural method statements: an arboricultural consultant
- Surface water and foul drainage: a drainage engineer
- Noise insulation: an acoustic consultant
- Contamination: a geo-environmental consultant
- Materials: samples or a product schedule from your architect or builder
Our consultants directory lists specialists by discipline and area. Brief them with the exact wording of the condition. The council approves what the condition asks for, nothing more.
Step 3: submit the application
Apply to the council that granted the permission, usually through the Planning Portal or the council's own form. Include:
- the application reference and the condition numbers you are discharging
- the reports, plans or samples each condition requires
- the fee
You can discharge several conditions in one application. Batching them saves fees, but one weak report can hold up the rest, so group conditions that are ready together.
The fee
In England the fee from 1 April 2025 was £86 per request for work to an existing home and £298 per request for anything else. Fees are reviewed every year, so check the current amount before you pay. One request can cover several conditions.
Step 4: track the decision
In England the council must give you its decision within 8 weeks of receiving the application, unless you agree a longer period in writing.
Councils often ask for more information during those weeks. Reply fast. A prompt answer keeps you inside the 8 weeks, while a slow one usually ends in an agreed extension.
Step 5: if the council is late, use deemed discharge
A late decision does not discharge a condition by itself. In England you have to act:
- Wait until at least 6 weeks have passed since the council received your application.
- Serve a deemed discharge notice on the council. It must identify the application and condition and give a date for discharge.
- That date must be no earlier than the end of the 8-week decision period, or 14 days after the council receives your notice, whichever is later.
If the council still has not decided by that date, the condition is treated as discharged. Some conditions can never be deemed discharged. They are listed in Schedule 6 of the procedure order, and you and the council can also agree in writing to exclude a condition. Check before you rely on it.
Step 6: if the council refuses
You can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against a refusal, or against the council's failure to decide. Often it is faster to fix the details and apply again, especially when the refusal points to one missing item.
How long the whole process takes
Allow time for both halves of the job:
- Preparing details: from a few days for a materials schedule to several months for ecology surveys that can only run in season
- Council decision: up to 8 weeks in England, longer if you agree an extension
Seasonal surveys catch people out. Bat surveys run from spring to autumn. Book an ecologist the week your permission arrives if a condition needs one.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Every UK nation lets you apply to the council to approve details reserved by condition. The forms, fees and decision periods differ, and the deemed discharge route described above applies in England. Check your council's guidance before you apply.
Win the work: conditions as leads
If you are a consultant, every new condition that needs a report is a client looking for you. Conditions alerts send you the new conditions in your discipline and area as decisions are issued.
For the bigger picture of what conditions are and how they are used, read planning conditions explained.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the council have to discharge a condition?
In England, 8 weeks from the day after it receives a valid application, unless you agree a longer period in writing.
Can I discharge several conditions in one application?
Yes. One request can cover several conditions and pays one fee. Group the conditions that are ready so one slow report doesn't hold back the rest.
Is a condition discharged automatically if the council doesn't reply?
No. In England you have to serve a deemed discharge notice after at least 6 weeks, and some conditions are excluded from deemed discharge.
What if I started work before discharging a pre-commencement condition?
Stop and get advice. Depending on the condition, the council may treat the work as unauthorised, and the planning permission may not have been lawfully started.
Do I need a consultant to discharge a condition?
For materials or simple details, often not. For ecology, drainage, contamination, noise or trees, the council will expect a report from a qualified specialist.