The Planning Portal upload stage is easy to underestimate. A map can look correct in a browser preview but still create a problem if the wrong file is uploaded, the PDF has been resized, or the location plan and block plan show different boundaries.
This guide covers the map-specific checks. It does not replace the Planning Portal's own instructions or the validation list for the authority receiving your application.
Start with an original site location plan and add a block plan if your application needs detailed site information.
Check the final files and their names before uploading a planning map pack to an online portal.
Prepare the right files
Most applications involving physical development use two complementary map views:
| File | What it answers | Common scale |
|---|---|---|
| Site location plan | Where is the application site? | 1:1250 or 1:2500 |
| Block or site plan | What is changing on the site? | 1:500 or 1:200 |
The authority may use different terminology or request additional drawings. Read the application checklist before deciding that one map is enough.
Keep the original PDF page
Do not open the PDF in an image editor and export it as a new picture. Do not photograph a printed map. Do not crop away the title block to make the map look cleaner.
The original file should retain:
- The page size.
- The stated scale.
- The north arrow.
- The graphic scale bar.
- The OS copyright and licence information.
- The red and blue boundaries.
- Any plan reference, date or address information.
These details help the authority understand what the file is and whether it is suitable for planning use.
Use clear file names
A file name should tell you and the validation officer what the document is. For example:
Smith-12-High-Street-Site-Location-Plan.pdfSmith-12-High-Street-Block-Plan.pdf
Avoid names such as map-final-final2.pdf, screenshot.png or download(7).pdf. A clear name does not make a non-compliant plan valid, but it reduces the chance of attaching the wrong file.
Check the red boundary
The red line should define the land included in the application. Compare it with the application form and any ownership information. For a householder proposal, it may include the house, garden and access. For a rural scheme, it may include the development area and the route or operational land needed for the proposal.
Do not draw the red line only around the new extension if the application concerns a wider site. Do not leave a necessary access route outside the boundary simply because it is a shared drive.
If other nearby or adjoining land owned by the applicant is relevant, check whether it should be shown separately in blue. Red and blue lines should not be used interchangeably.
Compare the location plan and block plan
The two maps serve different purposes but should describe the same application site. Put them side by side and check:
- The red line reaches the same land.
- The property address is consistent.
- Access is treated consistently.
- The detailed proposal sits inside the location-plan boundary.
- Any blue land is shown and described consistently.
The block plan can show more features and a closer view. It should not quietly change the scope of the application.
Check scale and page size
Open the PDF properties if available and confirm the page size. The stated scale must relate to the original page, not a resized copy.
For a paper submission, print at Actual Size or 100% on matching paper. For a digital submission, upload the original PDF without passing it through a tool that changes its dimensions.
The scale bar is a useful final check. If you print a copy, measure the marked interval with a ruler. If it is wrong, check the printer settings before changing the map itself.
Common upload mistakes
Uploading a screenshot
A screenshot may omit the licence wording, scale bar, north point or title information. It also makes the printed scale unreliable.
Attaching the wrong map
A location plan is not a floor plan, elevation or block plan. Read the file name and preview before selecting the upload.
Resizing to meet a file limit
Reducing an image may make the file smaller but can remove detail. If a PDF is too large, use a proper PDF optimisation method that preserves the page size and legibility, or obtain a suitable export from the map provider.
Inconsistent boundaries
This is one of the most avoidable problems. The red line on the form, location plan and detailed plan should describe the same application site.
Submission checklist
Before clicking the final upload controls, confirm:
- The authority and application type are correct.
- The location plan is the correct address.
- The block plan is included where requested.
- The red boundary is complete.
- Access is included where relevant.
- The scale and paper size are clear.
- The north point and scale bar are visible.
- OS licensing information is present.
- The file name is understandable.
- You are uploading the original planning-use file.
The Planning Portal is only the delivery channel. The authority's validation requirements still control the final document specification. If you need the maps themselves, create an aligned OS planning map pack and keep the original files with your application record.
Build the upload set offline first
Do not use the portal as your document-management system. Create a dated folder containing only the files approved for submission, then upload from that folder. A short register prevents similar-looking PDFs being confused.
| Suggested filename | Content | Final check |
|---|---|---|
01-site-location-plan-P01.pdf | Wider site and red line | Site, roads, north and scale visible |
02-existing-block-plan-P01.pdf | Existing plot context | Matches survey and photographs |
03-proposed-site-plan-P03.pdf | Proposed layout | Matches elevations and form |
04-floor-plans-P03.pdf | Existing/proposed floors | Titles and orientation are clear |
Avoid personal data in filenames and remove working notes such as “FINAL-final2”. Revision numbers are shorter, clearer and easier to audit.
Know what the Portal actually requires
The Planning Portal’s submission guidance says an application needs the necessary plans, supporting documents, completed form and correct fee. It also distinguishes national and local mandatory documents and warns that file size or type can affect online submission.
Its location-plan review guidance highlights north, A4 or A3 size, standard scale, OS licensing and enough identifying context. Use those checks, then apply the selected council’s current local validation list. The portal accepting a file technically does not mean the authority will regard its content as valid.
Preserve scale when reducing a file
If a PDF is too large, optimise images or remove genuinely unnecessary embedded data. Do not print it to a new arbitrary page size, convert it to a screenshot or place it inside a word-processing document. After any optimisation, reopen the result and compare page dimensions, scale bar, linework, colour and text with the approved original.
For scanned supporting evidence, use a readable resolution and optical character recognition where appropriate, but keep signed or evidential material faithful to the source. Planning drawings exported from CAD should normally remain vector PDFs because they are clearer at a smaller file size.
Review the submission receipt
After upload, use the portal’s review screen to compare each label with the selected file. Once submitted, save the confirmation, reference and exact issued PDFs together. The Portal warns that a submitted site boundary cannot simply be edited; changes go through the relevant amendment and resubmission route.
If the authority later requests a replacement, do not overwrite your record. Issue a new revision, explain what changed and check whether the form, ownership information or companion plans also need updating. A tidy audit trail turns a validation query into a controlled correction instead of a search through downloads.
A two-minute upload rehearsal
Before opening the portal, sort the folder by filename and read the set in order. Open the first page of each PDF, then the last. This catches multi-page exports with an accidental blank sheet, a hidden working drawing or a different paper size halfway through the file.
Next, search the PDFs for the site address and drawing number. Searchable text is helpful for administration and accessibility, although the visual drawing must still stand on its own. Confirm that no password or security setting prevents the authority from opening, printing or annotating the file.
During upload, use the portal’s document category and description fields precisely. “Plans” is less helpful than “Proposed site plan – drawing PL-003 revision P03”. Do not rely on a thumbnail to verify content; thumbnails can hide page scale, revision text and fine boundary errors.
If something goes wrong
If the upload stalls, preserve the prepared set and note the time before trying again. Avoid repeatedly re-exporting or renaming files unless the error identifies a file problem. If the portal reports a size limit, optimise a copy carefully and verify it against the master as described above.
If you notice a substantive mistake after pressing Submit, contact the authority or use the proper amendment route. Do not assume that uploading a second similarly named file silently replaces the first. A clear message stating the application reference, withdrawn drawing and replacement revision reduces the risk that both remain in circulation.