1. Check your planning area
Parts of Westmorland and Furness are covered by national parks, which have their own planning authorities. Your proposals may also be affected by being part of a conservation area.
Check your planning area using our online mapping tools:
If your development is in a national park then you will need to apply to the park's planning teams, not to us:
Proposals made within a conservation area are subject to tighter controls. These controls are called Article 4 directions.
Areas in Westmorland and Furness affected by Article 4 include Kendal (South Lakeland), Alston (Eden) and Dalton (Barrow).
Detailed guidance is available for Kendal and Alston conservation areas.
2. Visit the Planning Portal website
Planning Portal offers general information about planning rules in the UK. For most applications it should contain everything you need to know.
Lawful Development Certificates
If you don’t need planning permission, you may decide to apply for a ‘Lawful Development Certificate for Proposed Works’ (LDC).
It’s not compulsory but may be useful if you ever need to confirm that works are lawful under planning legislation.
3. Speak to the council
The council’s planning team offer a pre-application advice service which can speed up the planning process, advise if an application is likely to be approved or not, and highlight any potential issues.
- Get advice from the council before applying (link to come)
4. Apply for permission
You can make an application for planning permission either via Planning Portal or directly the council. Planning Portal is faster and easier, though it does charge a fee for the service.
If you decide to apply to the council, the forms you’ll need are available on Planning Portal. Completed forms can then be send using the contact details below.
Contact the planning team
Address
Westmorland and Furness Council
South Lakeland House
Lowther Street
Kendal
LA9 4DQ
United Kingdom