GovTech UK Planning Portal Digital Application Service

Planning Application GDS Journey

• GDS one-thing-per-page planning application: 42 questions covering application type (householder, full planning, listed building, prior approval), site details (UPRN from Ordnance Survey AddressBase, site boundary upload), proposal description (free text + category), supporting documents (site plan, floor plans, design access statement), ownership certificate (land ownership declaration), and fee calculation.
• GOV.

UK One Login P9

planning applications require verified identity (applicant identity verified before submission).

Ordnance Survey UPRN

site address pre-filled from OS AddressBase API using UPRN -- reduces applicant data entry errors.

DLUHC Planning Portal Integration

DLUHC (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Planning Portal

national planning portal that submits applications to local planning authorities.

DLUHC API integration

• 1application receipt (Planning Portal sends planning application to LPA via DLUHC API),
• 2application status update (LPA sends status to DLUHC -- valid, invalid, determined, withdrawn),
• 3decision notification (LPA sends decision to DLUHC -- Planning Portal publishes decision),
• 4appeal notification (applicant appeals via Planning Inspectorate -- LPA notified),
• 5Building Safety Act gateway (higher-risk buildings -- Building Safety Regulator gateway check via DLUHC). ODP (Open Digital Planning): DLUHC open source planning data standard -- ClickMasters platform produces ODP-compliant planning data. Planning Fee Calculation and GOV.

Planning fee calculation

• 1householder application (extensions, loft conversions -- GBP234 fixed fee from April 2025),
• 2full planning (change of use, new build -- GBP578 per 0.1 hectare for first 2.5 hectares, then GBP1,690/0.1 hectare),
• 3listed building consent (no fee -- but complex eligibility rules),
• 4prior approval (smaller change of use -- GBP96 fee),
• 5lawful development certificate (GBP234).

Automated fee calculation

• complex rules engine (fee depends on category + site area + dwelling count + gross floor area).
• GOV.

UK Pay

all planning fee payments via GOV.UK Pay (card, Google Pay, Apple Pay) -- fee receipt PDF sent via GOV.UK Notify.

Fee waiver

disability access improvements -- zero fee (Disability Discrimination Act).

Planning officer case management

• 1application allocation (automatic allocation based on application type and officer workload),
• 2consultation management (statutory consultees -- Highway Authority, Environment Agency, Historic England -- automated consultation letters via GOV.UK Notify),
• 3site visit logging (officer site visit recorded -- photos, notes),
• 4decision drafting (officer drafts decision notice -- conditions, reasons for refusal),
• 5delegated decisions vs committee (applications above threshold go to planning committee -- committee agenda management). Statutory 8-week decision target: automated alert when application approaches 8-week statutory deadline -- DLUHC performance statistics reporting.