Submitting A Planning Application

We welcome online submission of planning applications. These can be submitted to the National Park Authority and paid for online via the Planning Portal. Please follow the link and the instructions on the Portal website.

You can download planning application forms and guidance notes for the different types of development from the Planning Portal website. These can also be obtained in person or by post from the National Park headquarters at Hexham.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that any application is submitted correctly. However, advice on the completion of application forms, the content of applications and the calculation of the application fee is freely available from the planning officers.

On receipt of a planning application, it will be checked by a planning officer to ensure that the correct plans, documents and supporting information have been submitted, that the forms have been filled in correctly and that the correct fee has been paid. These checks are defined by the Authority's Validation Scheme (PDF Format, 173kb). Where an application is found to be incomplete or invalid, the applicant or agent will be advised with an explanation as to how the application can be made valid.

Full details of all valid applications will be published in the planning applications register within five days of the application being made valid.

If applicants choose to use professional advisors or agents, discussions or negotiations about the application will normally take place with the advisor or agent, rather than with the applicant direct.

If you need advice on whether you need planning permission, a good place to start is our Planning Policy and Guidance area.