Basic Requirements
Most applications require that a site location plan is included. Up to five copies of this may be required, depending on the type of application.
The basic requirements for a site location plan to accompany an application are:
- Use an up-to-date Ordnance Survey base map where possible.
- The map should be of suitable size, scale and coverage to show the location of the site in relation to its surroundings.
- The site boundary needs to be drawn in red.
- Any adjacent land owned by the applicant should be outlined in blue.
Example
The following example shows what a site location plan might look like:
An Appropriate Map
The use of maps is restricted by copyright and the use of photocopied maps is generally prohibited. A suitable set of maps may be purchased from an Ordnance Survey map supplier. Ordnance Survey also provide an online service for ordering maps. See Obtaining maps.
Other alternatives (including photocopies of maps) are only acceptable from applicants or agents who possess their own O.S. licence. See copyright on maps.
There are some rare cases where an O.S. map is not suitable, such as an application to build a conservatory on a new house. If the house is less than six months old, it probably does not yet appear on the Ordnance Survey map base. If so, a developer's plan (i.e. a plan, showing the layout of a street or estate, given to the buyer of a new house by the developer) would be accepted in place of an O.S. map. Please check with us first. Under normal circumstances, non-OS plans will not be accepted.
Please note that it is not normally acceptable to use a Land Registry plan as a substitute for a site plan. There are several reasons for this, including the fact that the coverage is always insufficient and the map base is rarely up-to-date.
The Red Boundary
Please draw the site boundary, as carefully and precisely as possible, using red ink or red pencil. For the for the majority of applications, the site boundary will be the same as the property boundary, i.e. the curtilage. See more on drawing the site boundary.
The Importance of a Site Location Plan
It needs to be emphasised that the purpose of a site location plan is not merely to identify the property and pinpoint its location. A site location plan is important for the following reasons:
- A map showing the site in relation to its immediate surroundings provides much of the basic geographic information needed for the assessment of an application and is often the first item we look at. It is therefore important that the map coverage is such that the site lies at the centre of the plan rather than near the edge.
- Whenever planning permission is granted, the decision will legally apply to (and only to) the plot of land as it has been specified in the submitted application. It is therefore essential that there is no ambiguity about what is to be included within the application site and indeed what is to be excluded. This is particularly important in Change of Use applications.
- Planning application records are retained over several decades for cross-referencing and search purposes. For each application we receive, we are obliged to check our existing records for previous applications either on, overlapping with or adjacent to the same site. We also check against various other geographic data that may be relevant to the application. As many of these checks are done visually, it is imperative that we are clear and precise about the location of the site boundary for all applications.
Please note that a site location plan, the purpose of which is to show how the site itself lies within its surroundings, is not the same as a site layout plan, which shows details of the various elements within the site. See plans & drawings.
Exceptions: Tree and Advertising Applications
With some types of applications, e.g. tree pruning, tree felling or displaying of advertising signs, a separate site plan is not normally obligatory as long as the site is not otherwise difficult to identify. A clear sketch is usually sufficient and space is provided for this on the back of the form. In the case of a tree application, it needs to show the position of the tree(s) in relation to nearby buildings, fence lines and other trees. The drawing does not need to be to scale, but a few distance measurements would be helpful. For an advertisement sign, not only its position but its size needs to be indicated.
Please note that these types of application are a special case and a separate site plan is required for almost all other types of application.