All planning applications must include a certificate showing details of site ownership. The certificate is proof that an applicant has told, or is, the owner.
An owner is defined as
Not following the proper process can result in your planning application being rejected.
An applicant must send us one of the following with their application:
For certificates B and C, an applicant must serve written notice on the owner(s) to tell them an application is being made. Verbal notification is not sufficient. Please provide proof of notice served with your application.
For certificates C and D, an applicant must advertise in the local press that they are making an application and do not know the owner(s) of some, or all, of the land. A copy of the published notice needs to be included with the application.
If an applicant has to serve notice on an organisation, they should address it to the secretary or clerk of the organisation at their registered or principal office.
Permission is not legal when the correct certificate has not been served, or when incorrect information is given.
If a certificate is inaccurate, a correct certificate will need to be signed and/or served before the application is decided. We will not make a decision on an application until a correct certificate has been received.
To avoid problems, we also recommend looking into land ownership and get land registry records to support your application.
We have created the below guidance for ownership certificates. If you have any additional queries, please contact our Planning team through our contact page.