Plans and drawings should be used appropriately to illustrate the details of the proposed development. The nature of the plans and drawings needed to accompany an application will vary, depending on the type of application and on the nature of the proposal (see what to include with your application). The most common types are described below.
Site Location Plan
Most applications require that a site location plan is included. Up to 5 copies of this may be required, depending on the type of application. It normally consists of an Ordnance Survey map (usually A4 size and 1:1250 or 1:2500 scale) with the boundary of the site marked in red. See more on site location plans.
Site Layout Plan
If appropriate, this should be included to show the various different elements within the site, e.g. buildings, walls, paths, trees, etc. The amount of detail needed will depend on the nature of the application.
The plan should be to a recognised metric scale (typically 1:500) and the north point should be indicated. Any measurements given should be in metric.
Please note that the site layout plan should not be confused with the site location plan. The location plan mainly shows the site's surroundings, whereas the layout plan shows the details within the boundary. The two together should complement one another and it is expected that there should be no difficulty reconciling them.
Detailed Plans & Drawings
If appropriate, floor plans and elevations should be included. For alterations and extensions, it is normally preferable to produce separate drawings for both the existing building and the proposed alterations. See the following example:
In simpler cases this may not be necessary, provided that the existing and proposed elements are clearly distinguishable.
All external materials must be adequately described.
All dimensions need to be in metric and plans should be drawn to a recognised metric scale. Floor plans should normally be to a scale of 1:100 or 1:50.
Although there is no restriction on the size of drawings, we urge applicants not to submit sheets that are unnecessarily large or unwieldy. When applications are presented to Committee, we need to scan and copy many of the submitted plans and drawings for display. Sheets that are larger than A3 are difficult to copy, so we prefer smaller-sized sheets wherever possible.
Sketches
Hand-drawn sketches, although normally considered to be inadequate for illustrating design details, are a useful way of indicating sizes and distances, particularly for positions of trees or dimensions of advertisement signs. Again, all measurements need to be in metric.
Photographs
Photographs showing aspects of the existing site can sometimes be useful. They can be particularly useful in tree applications. Please include photos whenever you think that they might be helpful. Digital photos may be included on a CD.