What Is a Block Plan?
UK planning explanation of block plans, typical 1:500 scale, and how they differ from location plans.
Read guideBlock Plan for Planning Applications
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Licensed map area · A4 Portrait · 1:500 · map 180×180mm
Before you order
What you receive with a block plan
- What will I receive?
- A fixed-scale PDF base map with your boundary and annotations, north point, scale bar and OS licensing information. CAD is also available.
- Is it right for my application?
- For the detailed map part of an application. Check whether you need to show proposed buildings, dimensions, access or landscaping in addition to the existing mapping.
- Which scale and coverage?
- Start at 1:500, or choose 1:200 for closer detail. Coverage changes with scale and paper size. Add a location plan if your checklist asks for both.
- Why PlanningMapsUK?
- We are an Ordnance Survey Licensed Partner. Preview your map before payment, read customer feedback below, and check our corrections promise for faults attributable to our map output.
- What does it cost, and when is it ready?
- PDF plans from £7.95. Your selected coverage, format and any extras determine the total shown in the builder. Standard digital orders are available to download after payment and generation; printed copies take longer.
Check our OS partner profileRead our map corrections promise
Open the 1:500 PDF example image ↗Block Plan Example
Example 1:500 site and block plan
A closer planning map view shows the application property, adjoining buildings, roads and the red-line site boundary at the scale commonly requested for block plans.
See the sheet before ordering: view the A4 1:500 block plan samples.
Block Plan Guide
Buy a 1:500 Block Plan of the site in detail
A block plan is the site-detail map of buildings, boundaries, access and the proposal. Search an address, draw the red line on licensed OS MasterMap, and download a 1:500 or 1:200 PDF. Most applications also need a 1:1250 site location plan so the council can identify the land in the wider street.
- 1:500 (and 1:200) site-detail map of buildings, boundaries, access and the proposal
- Neighbouring properties stay on the sheet so the layout can be read against adjoining plots
- Licensed Ordnance Survey partner output with north point, scale bar and acknowledgement printed on the sheet
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When you need a block plan
Order this drawing when the authority must see how the site is laid out, not merely where it is. Householder extensions, loft conversions that alter the footprint, dropped kerbs, driveways, garden rooms, outbuildings and many full applications ask for a 1:500 block plan or site plan. If the local list says “block plan”, “site plan” or “site layout plan”, this is the product.
- Extensions, outbuildings and garden rooms where the new footprint must sit on the plot
- Dropped kerbs, driveways and other access changes that need the highway edge shown
- Parking, bin stores and layout changes in the curtilage
- Tight urban sites where 1:200 is needed so neighbouring walls and windows remain readable
What a block plan must show
Unlike a location plan, a block plan is judged on site detail. Officers look for the existing house, adjoining buildings, the red-line boundary, access, and — where the local list requires it — the proposed works on the same OS base. A sheet that only shows the house in a sea of empty white space will often come back.
- The application building and immediately adjoining buildings
- Red line around the site, including access to the public highway
- Driveways, parking, dropped kerbs and other hardstanding relevant to the proposal
- North point, scale bar and licensed OS acknowledgement on a 1:500 or 1:200 sheet
Typical block-plan scales
1:500 is the default for most houses. Choose 1:200 when the plot is small or the proposal sits hard against a neighbour — terraces, infill, side-return extensions and some dropped-kerb applications. Do not use a 1:1250 location plan as a substitute; that sheet is for identifying the site. Broader location-plan scales live on the site location plan page.
Block-plan rejection reasons we see most
Validation failures on this drawing are about missing site detail, not missing neighbourhood context.
- Neighbouring buildings omitted so the proposal cannot be read against the adjoining plot
- The extension, outbuilding or crossover is described in the forms but not shown on the 1:500 sheet
- Access, parking or the dropped kerb left off the red line or the drawing
- A 1:1250 location plan uploaded where the local list asked for a block plan or site layout
When to pair it with a site location plan
Keep this page for the close site layout. Add a site location plan when the council also needs the 1:1250 (or 1:2500) context map that identifies the land from named roads. Most applications need both. Draw the same red line on each sheet.
Three block-plan checks councils actually make
A block plan fails when the officer cannot read the layout on the plot: missing neighbours, missing access, or the proposal left off the 1:500 sheet.
- 1 Show the site, not the neighbourhood
The job of this drawing is the plot. Neighbouring buildings, boundaries and access must be on the 1:500 or 1:200 sheet. Wider road context belongs on a location plan.
- 2 Show access and the proposal
Dropped kerbs, driveways, parking and the new footprint have to appear on the block plan when they form part of the application. A red line around the house with a blank garden is a common reason this sheet is returned.
- 3 Use licensed 1:500 or 1:200 mapping
The sheet must be current Ordnance Survey mapping at the site-detail scale the local list names, with a north point, scale bar and licence acknowledgement. A 1:1250 location plan or a web-map screenshot will not substitute.
Block plan sizes and prices
1:500 and 1:200 site-detail sheets on A4 to A1. These prices are for the closer layout of buildings, boundaries and access — not for a 1:1250 location plan.
A4 Standard Paper Size — Portrait
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Plan | 1:200 | 35m x 35m | 0.12 ha | £7.95 |
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 90m x 90m | 0.81 ha | £14.95 |
A4 Standard Paper Size — Landscape
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Plan | 1:200 | 50m x 22m | 0.11 ha | £7.95 |
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 125m x 57m | 0.71 ha | £14.95 |
A3 Large Format — Portrait
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Plan | 1:200 | 50m x 50m | 0.25 ha | £21.95 |
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 127m x 127m | 1.6 ha | £28.95 |
A3 Large Format — Landscape
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Plan | 1:200 | 76m x 40m | 0.30 ha | £21.95 |
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 190m x 100m | 1.9 ha | £28.95 |
A2 Extended PDF Format — Portrait
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 200m x 200m | 4 ha | £39.00 |
A2 Extended PDF Format — Landscape
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 250m x 160m | 4 ha | £39.00 |
A1 Maximum PDF Format — Portrait
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 283m x 283m | 8 ha | £49.00 |
A1 Maximum PDF Format — Landscape
| Map Type | Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block Plan | 1:500 | 400m x 200m | 8 ha | £49.00 |
Print Printed Copies — optional checkout add-on
| Option | Paper Size | Copies | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printed Copy Pack | A4 | 5 colour copies | Single-plan add-on posted to your address | £10.00 |
| Printed Copy Pack | A3 | 5 colour copies | Single-plan add-on posted to your address | £15.00 |
| Bundle Print Pack | A4 | 6 colour copies | Bundle add-on with 3 copies of each plan | £10.00 |
Popular Plan Protect — optional PDF-only checkout add-on
| Option | Term | Includes | Excludes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single PDF Plan Protect | 12 months | Boundary and annotation edits, plan name / produced-for changes, map-view tweaks up to 10%, and PDF re-downloads | No CAD, no new scales, no new paper sizes | £4.95 |
| Bundle Plan Protect | 12 months | One Protect purchase covers all PDF plans in the bundle, plus re-downloads during the active term | No CAD, no new scales, no new paper sizes | £8.95 |
CAD DWG & DXF Files — Editable formats for professionals
| Map Type | Recommended Plot Scale | Coverage | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Plan | 1:200 | ~32m × 32m | 0.1 ha | £14.95 |
| Site Plan | 1:200 | ~50m × 50m | 0.25 ha | £22.95 |
| Block Plan | 1:500 | ~90m × 90m | 0.81 ha | £29.95 |
| Block Plan | 1:500 | ~130m × 130m | 1.7 ha | £39.95 |
Includes both DWG and DXF formats. CAD files are supplied in real coordinates, so the scale shown here is a plotting guide rather than a fixed paper-output constraint.
Planning Guides
Helpful guides before you order
Block Plan for Planning Applications
Learn what councils expect from a block plan and which common mistakes cause rejection.
Read guide1:500 vs 1:200 Site Plan
Choose the right site-detail scale for a tight urban plot or a standard householder block plan.
Read guideBlock Plan vs Site Location Plan
When do you need a block plan and when do you start with a site location plan?
A block plan is the detailed site plan around the proposal. A site location plan is the wider 1:1250 map that places the land in context. Many applications need both.
Buy a block plan
Choose this when you need a 1:500 or 1:200 site plan showing buildings, access, boundaries, parking, and the detailed layout around the proposed works.
Create 1:500 block planStart with a site location plan
Choose this when you need the wider planning map that shows where the land sits in relation to surrounding roads, plots, and local context.
Create 1:1250 site location plan Our Promise
Acceptance Guarantee If We Get It Wrong
If a planning authority flags a PlanningMapsUK map-preparation or compliance fault, we will review it and correct the affected map free of charge.
If the issue is caused by our map output:
- Let us know exactly what the council feedback said
- We will correct and reissue the affected Site or Location Plan free of charge
- Where the issue comes from customer inputs or a changed brief, we will quote for a correction or new order instead
Our FaultAcceptance GuaranteeCorrection and reissue
Block plan questions
What is a block plan in UK planning?
A block plan (also called a site plan or site layout plan) is the closer drawing of the property. At 1:500 or 1:200 it shows buildings, boundaries, access, parking and the proposal on the plot — not the wider neighbourhood context of a 1:1250 location plan.
When do I need 1:500 and when do I need 1:200?
1:500 is the usual block-plan scale for householder and most full applications. Use 1:200 when the site is tight — a terrace, a small infill, or a proposal where neighbouring walls, windows and access need to read clearly on the sheet.
What must a block plan show?
The application property and adjoining buildings, the red-line site (including access), existing and proposed layout where the local list asks for it, parking and dropped-kerb or driveway changes, and a north point plus scale bar on licensed OS mapping.
Do I still need a site location plan?
Usually yes. The block plan does not identify the site in the wider street. Pair this drawing with a 1:1250 site location plan unless the local list clearly says a block plan alone is enough.
Why do councils reject block plans?
Typical block-plan failures are missing neighbouring buildings, a proposal that is not shown on the 1:500 sheet, access or parking omitted, using a 1:1250 location plan when the list asked for a site layout, or unlicensed mapping.
Is a block plan the same as a site plan?
In most English planning lists, yes — “block plan” and “site plan” describe the same closer OS drawing. Some authorities say “site layout plan”. The wider map is separately named a location plan. See also the dedicated site plan page if that is the term you searched.
Can I show an extension or dropped kerb on this plan?
Yes. A block plan is the sheet for the new footprint, driveway, outbuilding or crossover relative to the existing house and boundaries. Mark the red line around all land needed for those works, including access to the highway.
What file do I download?
A council-ready PDF of this 1:500 or 1:200 block plan, with optional DWG/DXF for CAD. Printed copies can be added at checkout.
Create your 1:500 block plan
Search the address, mark the red-line site, and download a licensed block plan showing buildings, boundaries, access and the proposal.