In accordance with the councils encouragement of early engagement with our customers in advance of a planning application, all applicants/agents are strongly advised to use our pre application enquiry service. The service is designed so that it can be responsive to the needs of our customers and ensure that we can offer professional, flexible, tailored and timely advice. It promises to help applicants save time and improve outcomes later during the planning application process and we can also discuss the type of permission needed, it’s validation requirements and how to submit.
Where there is a need to submit information considered ‘personal data’ or ‘sensitive personal data’ under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) this information should be submitted in a separate document without cross-referencing in documents that can be made public, and clearly marked as confidential. The definition of ‘personal data’ and ‘sensitive personal data’ can be found in the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and will include for example personal circumstances and health information.
Make sure all pages in a file are the right way up. All pages in a file should have the same orientation.
Avoid using colour unless it is necessary.
Put documents in separate files
Ideally have each drawing type i.e. elevations or floor plans or site plans etc. as a separate page for uploading and labelling for easy reference on the electronic systems and your neighbours.
Upload labelled colour photos of the public views of the site and proposal and relevant elevations and boundaries, in context.
File Size
When uploading supporting documents for your online application, the file size limit for each should not exceed 10MB. You can split larger documents into separate files and label them as part 1, part 2, and so on.
Your files must be less than 30MB in total.
File Names
Name and number each document or drawing clearly and uniquely, using the full suite options available on the Planning Portal. You should include the title, drawing number and version, for example Drawing 001 Revision A – Existing floor plans.
For large documents for Major or complex applications, we use Egress which will allow you to make a submit documents that exceed size limits up to 30 MB on the Planning Portal or Email restrictions. We will also accept a CD. Please contact 01962 848 177 or the case officer to make an arrangement for efficient receipt. This can be discussed as part of your pre application. It is helpful also for MDAs and Major applications that you also provide us with 1 paper copy. The case officer may request this from you.
If you submit via the planning portal you will receive an acknowledgement via the Planning Portal, and later a Winchester City Council Acknowledgement.
Your application will be checked to ensure we have all the relevant validation information, in accordance with the Local Validation List where a planning officer will contact you.
Validation is the process of checking that all relevant documentation and fee (where applicable) has been provided.
If an applicant/agent submits an application without the necessary documentation, fee, or with clear inaccuracies, we will contact the applicant/agent letting you know what is insufficient. If information or fee is not received as required or as per agreed deadline you will be charged administration fee for us to follow this up with you and administrate a formal invalidation of your application. If information, application fee or validation fee still fails to be submitted as required or as per set deadline we will return your application as invalid, and let you know we have closed down the case with option of retaining the administration fee from the refunded application fee as appropriate.
If you consider a required item is not applicable to your particular application, then you will need to discuss with the case officer who will contact you when they pick up your application in chronological order from the applications we receive from the Portal. You can negotiate informally or if your application has been formally invalidated you may send a formal notice to the authority setting out your reasons for refusing to supply the information under The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) Part 3 Article 12. The applicant/agent must have submitted all the other information needed to validate the application together with the fee (where applicable). The authority will then either confirm the information is no longer required and issue an acknowledgement letter confirming the statutory start date or disagree and issue a letter of invalidation against which the applicant may then appeal under Section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).
The extent of information requested for validation has been the subject of consultations and will be sought on the basis of what is considered to be reasonable and proportionate having regard to the scale and nature of the proposed development and material considerations - as set out in The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) Part 3 Article 11 (3) (c).
The case officer will assess your planning application in accordance with the Development Plan, Policies and other material considerations.
If your local validation requirements are met through the validation process with documents front loaded, this will speed up this process, or we may need to request this further information at this stage, but will need an extension of time to do this.
We will then consult on and advertise the application including any statutory consultees and neighbours. You can find full information about the planning application process at (link to local gov website Consultation and pre-decision matters - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Once it has been made valid the application will be available for the public to view on our public access system, where you can sign up to be notified of all applications in your area.
A Decision Notice will be emailed to you by your Planning Officer.
Changes to how planning decisions are decided
Changes are due to come into force from 31 October 2026
From 31 October 2026, national rules (a National Scheme of Delegation) will change how planning applications are decided.
The changes apply to local planning authorities in England and set out which applications must be decided by planning officers and which may be considered by a planning committee (and therefore elected members)
What is changing
More routine, technical and smaller-scale applications will be decided by planning officers.
Planning committees will focus on applications that raise significant planning issues or important economic, social or environmental issues for the local area.
In practice, this means officer decision-making becomes the default route across local planning authorities. However, before this change, officers already decided most planning applications; the main change is how and when applications are referred to committee.
What is not changing
You will still be able to view and comment on planning applications.
Planning officers will still consider your comments alongside planning policy, material planning considerations and consultation responses before making a decision
Planning applications, consultation responses and decisions will continue to be publicly available through the Council's planning system.
Process
Smaller, routine or technical applications will be decided by planning officers
Larger or more complex applications will usually be decided by planning officers, but may go to a planning committee if national and local criteria are met.
What this means for residents
You will still be able to have your say, the change affects who makes the final decision in some cases, not whether comments are considered. It is important that you make your comments in writing so they can be considered as part of the application assessment.
What this means for applicants
Nothing changes for applicants, you submit your planning application in the same way. The only change is who makes the decision.
How planning decisions are made
The new rules divide all planning applications into two categories
There will be a two-tiered application categorisation: Schedule 1 and 2.
Schedule 1 applications: These include householder applications, minor commercial or residential developments (up to 9 dwellings), discharge of conditions, and prior approvals. They must be delegated to planning officers and cannot be referred to a committee.
Schedule 2 Functions: These carry a presumption of officer decision, meaning they are also handled by officers by default. Referring them to a planning committee requires meeting strict criteria (such as significant local economic, social, or environmental impacts) plus explicit joint agreement from both a nominated senior planner and a committee member, in the case of Winchester City Council, this is the Chief Planning Officer and the
Chair of the planning committee.
‘Call in’ requests
Ward councillors, parish and town councils can no longer ‘call in’ an application to be decided by a planning committee solely on request. Additionally, the volume of public objections (no matter how many people object) will no longer automatically mean a planning application will go to a committee. Councillors can still raise planning issues and represent residents’ concerns, but national rules govern the decision-making route.
How we decide if an application goes to Planning Committee
The application is categorised based on national criteria
Relevant schedule 2 cases are considered
The nominated officer and nominated member apply the national criteria
Decision and reason is recorded
Outcome is recorded
Arrangements within the South Downs National Park
Decisions taken by the Council on behalf of the South Downs National Park Authority will follow the arrangements set out in the National Scheme of Delegation when the Council is acting on behalf of the National Park. The South Downs National Park Authority's existing arrangements apply if they are determining the application.
When the changes take effect
The new arrangements take effect on 31 October 2026. There are no transitional arrangements, so any valid planning application that remains undecided on that date will be dealt with under the new scheme, even if comments or referral arrangements that previously applied were made before then.
