Outline planning permission and reserved matters

Outline planning permission allows for a decision to be made on the general principles, or 'outline', of a proposed development. It allows you to determine whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable, before putting forward a fully detailed proposal.

'Reserved matters' are aspects of a proposed development which an applicant can choose not to submit details of when making an outline planning application (they can be 'reserved' for a later determination/decision). If outline planning permission is granted, the reserved matters must be agreed by submitting a reserved matters application at a later stage.

The reserved matters include:

• appearance - the aspects of a building or place within the development which determine the visual impression that the building or place makes, including the external built form of the development, its architecture, materials, decoration, lighting, colour and texture
   
• means of access - the accessibility to and within the site, for vehicles, cycles and pedestrians, in terms of the positioning and treatment of access and circulation routes, and how these fit into the surrounding access network (please note: if means of access is a reserved matter, details of the area where access is to be situated must still be provided)
   
• landscaping - the treatment of land (other than buildings) for the purpose of enhancing or protecting the amenities of the site, and the area in which it is situated; this includes:
  • screening by fences, walls or other means
  • the planting of trees, hedges, shrubs or grass
  • the formation of banks, terraces or other earthworks
  • the laying out or provision of gardens, courts, squares, water features, sculpture or public art
  • the provision of other amenity features
     
• layout - the way in which buildings, routes and open spaces within the development are provided, situated and orientated, in relation to each other and to buildings and spaces outside the development
   
• scale - the height, width and length of each building proposed within the development, in relation to its surroundings

You can find more information about outline planning permission on the Planning Portal.
 

How to apply

You can apply online on the Planning Portal website for both outline planning permission and approval of reserved matters at a later stage.

Alternatively, you can download the outline planning permission application form and submit it to us via email or post. You can then do the same for the reserved matters approval application form.

Further guidance

The Planning Practice Guidance pages on the GOV.UK website also have answers to common questions, including:

• What is an Outline Planning Application?
• What are Reserved Matters?
• Is there a time limit for making an application for approval of Reserved Matters?
• What details need to be submitted with an Outline Planning application?
• Can details of Reserved Matters be submitted with an Outline Planning application?