PlanningMapsUK Blog
Detailed guidance on site location plans, block plans, large scale Ordnance Survey mapping, and the common mistakes that slow down planning applications.
Use This Hub To Choose The Right Plan
Whether you need a site location plan for planning permission, a block plan, or larger Ordnance Survey mapping, this page brings together the guides most likely to answer the question before you order.
The articles below cover Planning Portal requirements, scale choices, rural and larger-site mapping, validation failures, and the differences between maps, drawings, and full submission packs.
Featured Guides
These guides target the questions we see most often around planning permission maps, Planning Portal submissions, and buying the correct OS plan first time.
Planning Map Checks · 12 Oct 2026
No. Planning Portal's location plan tool is optional and ReQuestaPlan isn't required. Councils accept compliant plans from any supplier. Here's how it fits together.
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Property Boundaries · 21 Sept 2026
Understand the crucial difference between planning daylight guidelines (BRE 209) and common law Rights to Light under the Prescription Act 1832.
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Planning Boundaries · 18 Sept 2026
How ransom strips and unadopted private roads block planning applications, and how to verify adopted highway boundaries using OS maps and Section 36 lists.
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Practical articles for homeowners, planning consultants, architects, and property teams ordering compliant planning maps in the UK.
How the Levelling Up Act abolished the 4-year rule in England, harmonising to a 10-year rule, and how to prepare evidential maps for Section 191 LDCs.
Complete guide to granny annexe planning permission in the UK, including incidental vs ancillary rules, curtilage, and site location plan red lines.
Understand the difference between planning permission red lines and statutory notices under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, including required plans and drawings.
Understand the differences between Section 73 minor material amendments and Section 96A non-material amendments for updating approved planning maps.
How to check Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) on council maps, Conservation Area tree rules, and prepare an OS sketch map for tree works applications.
Use this planning map evidence checklist to check boundaries, scale, access, labels, file quality and consistency before sending a planning application.
Run a final seven-point check on your site location plan and block plan before submitting a planning application, including boundaries, scale, licensing and file consistency.
Find out when an old, amended or rejected planning map should be replaced, and when a correction or unchanged original may be enough for your application.
Choose and check planning maps for rural properties, farms and large sites, including scale, access tracks, red lines and surrounding context.
Prepare planning maps for rural change-of-use proposals, including barns, yards, access, surrounding context, red lines and detailed site plans.
Learn how to print an A4 or A3 planning map at its intended scale, check the scale bar, and avoid the fit-to-page settings that can invalidate a plan.
Prepare a site location plan and block plan for the Planning Portal. Check file format, scale, boundaries, naming and common upload problems before submission.
Prepare clear planning maps for a council pre-application enquiry, including the site boundary, access, scale and information the officer needs to understand the proposal.
Understand the map requirements for new-build and development-site applications, including large sites, access, phasing, CAD mapping and red-line boundaries.
Find out which planning maps are commonly used for loft conversions, dormers and roof alterations, and how to keep the site boundary and drawings consistent.
Learn which planning maps are commonly needed for a Lawful Development Certificate, how to mark the site and how the map differs from the evidence of permitted development.
Find out which planning maps are commonly used for garden rooms, garages and outbuildings, including the site boundary, access, scale and permitted-development checks.
Learn how to coordinate a site location plan or CAD base with architectural drawings, including boundaries, access, scale, revisions and file formats.
A practical guide to preparing clear planning maps for work in a conservation area, including boundaries, trees, access, heritage context and drawing coordination.
Prepare planning maps for commercial premises, shopfronts, offices and mixed-use sites, including access, parking, shared boundaries and wider context.
Learn how to prepare planning maps for agricultural, forestry and rural storage sheds, including fields, access tracks, red lines and site detail.
Understand what affects the price of a planning map, including coverage, scale, paper size, PDF versus CAD, printed copies and professional requirements.
A practical evidence-led process for checking property boundaries using map previews, title documents, deeds, physical features and professional advice.
Learn what a Land Registry title plan shows, why the red line is usually a general boundary, and how to compare it with deeds, site features and map data.
There is no automatic left-or-right fence rule. Learn how title documents, T-marks, agreements and physical evidence can help establish fence responsibility.
Understand when a blue line may be needed on a planning map, how it differs from the red application boundary, and what ownership information to check.
Compare 1:500 and 1:200 site-plan scales, including detail, coverage, paper size and when a council or designer may prefer one over the other.
Understand how much ground a 1:1250 location plan covers, how A4 and A3 affect the map area, and how to decide whether the scale suits your property.
PlanningMapsUK now offers OS MasterMap CAD and GIS exports, including GeoPackage, SHP ZIP and GML for professional planning workflows.
A practical guide to planning maps for builders, including location plans, block plans, CAD maps, client handover, quotes, and council submissions.
Applying for a dropped kerb or driveway access? Learn which planning maps you may need, how to mark the red line, and what councils look for.
A plain-English guide for DIY renovators preparing a planning application, including location plans, block plans, drawings, red lines, and when to use CAD.
Learn how to think about the red line boundary for a home extension, including gardens, driveways, access, blue lines, and common homeowner mistakes.
Planning a rear or kitchen extension? Use this practical planning map checklist to avoid red-line, scale, access, and site-plan mistakes before you submit.
Need plans for planning permission? Learn the difference between location plans, block plans, floor plans, elevations, roof plans, CAD files, and supporting documents so you order the right items now.
Need a planning permission map pack? Compare location plans, block plans, CAD maps, and bundled options so you buy the right pack for your project first time.
Need large scale maps in the UK for a planning application? Learn when 1:1250 is too tight, when to use 1:2500, A3, or CAD, and how to order the right mapping for rural or larger sites.
Need to buy maps for planning permission? Compare site location plans, block plans, CAD maps, and map packs so you order the right Ordnance Survey file first time.
What does a council expect from a site plan for a planning application? Learn what a site plan must show, which scale to use, and how it differs from a site location plan.
A clear UK guide to site plans, with examples, typical 1:200 and 1:500 scales, planning requirements and the difference between site, block, location and floor plans.
Need maps for planning permission? Learn when you need a site location plan, block plan, or CAD file, which applications need both, and how to order the right pack first time.
A practical UK guide to DWG maps, OS CAD mapping, DWG vs DXF formats, compatible software, layer structures, scale calibration, and instant downloads.
Learn what a site layout plan is, how it differs from a site location plan and block plan, what it must show, and when UK councils require one.
Find your property with our free boundary search, explore the map, and create an OS-licensed site location plan when you need a planning PDF.
A site location plan is a mandatory map required for UK planning applications. Learn what it must show, which scale to choose, and how to avoid council validation delays.
A complete guide to block plans for UK planning applications. Learn what councils check, common validation mistakes, and how to get an OS-compliant plan quickly.
A block plan is the detailed 1:500 map required for UK planning applications. Learn what it must show, when you need one, and how it differs from a site location plan.
Need a planning portal location plan? Learn what the portal expects, which file format and scale to use, why councils reject uploads, and how to buy a compliant location plan fast.
Find out how to view property boundaries online for free, read Land Registry general boundaries, check fence ownership and choose the right map for planning.
Don't let a simple mapping error hold up your planning application. Use our 10-point checklist to make sure your Site Location Plan and Block Plan pass validation.
If your council rejected a location plan or block plan, this guide explains the exact map problems to fix before you resubmit and lose more time.
Extensions, loft conversions, dropped kerbs, outbuildings, and garage conversions all need the right planning maps. Learn which map pack suits each project and what councils look for.
Comparing CAD and PDF planning maps for UK applications. Learn when your architect needs DWG/DXF files and when a standard PDF site location plan is all you need.
Confused by planning map scales? Learn when to use a 1:1250 site location plan, 1:500 block plan, 1:200 detailed layout, or 1:2500 rural map for UK councils.
Why do UK councils require Ordnance Survey MasterMap data? Understand what OS MasterMap is, why Google Maps fails validation, and how licensing works.
A red line boundary shows the land in a UK planning application, including access to the road. See what to include and how the blue line differs.
Confused between a Site Location Plan and a Block Plan? Learn the key differences, standard scales (1:1250 vs 1:500), and why councils require two distinct maps.
A practical five-step guide to ordering a UK site location plan online, choosing the correct scale, drawing the red and blue boundaries and checking the PDF.
Everything you need to know about UK planning maps in 2026. From digital submission standards and Biodiversity Net Gain to OS licensing rules.
What This Blog Covers
The blog is designed as a planning maps knowledge base, not just a news feed. Each guide is written to help readers work out what to order, which scale to use, and where common submission problems usually start.
Use the blog to spot the red-line, scale, upload, and formatting issues that regularly trigger planning validation queries.
See common rejection reasonsSeveral guides explain which document solves which part of the application so you avoid paying for the wrong map first.
Compare map pack optionsFor bigger sites and more technical submissions, the blog covers when standard 1:1250 output stops being enough.
Read the large scale guide