Location Plan for Planning Applications

When you need a site location plan

Order this drawing when the authority must see where the proposal sits, not how the buildings are arranged. That is the usual first map for householder planning, prior approval, lawful development certificates, listed-building applications and many full applications. If the local list only says “location plan”, this is the product — not a 1:500 layout.

• Planning permission where the site must be identifiable from named roads
• Lawful development certificates and other confirmation of permitted development
• Prior approval and other submissions that still need a red-line location plan
• Rural or larger sites that need 1:2500 context so surrounding roads stay on the sheet

What a location plan must show

National guidance and most local lists describe a location plan as a metric OS-based map at 1:1250 (or 1:2500 in the countryside), with the application site edged in red and enough surrounding context for an officer who has never visited. Access to the public highway belongs inside the red line even when the works themselves are at the rear of the plot.

• Continuous red line around the building, garden, parking and access to the highway
• Blue edge on any other land you own that adjoins the site
• North point, scale bar and enough named roads or landmarks to identify the site
• Current licensed OS mapping — not a Google screenshot or an old deed plan

Typical location-plan scales

Use 1:1250 for most urban and suburban houses. Switch to 1:2500 when a 1:1250 sheet cannot show enough neighbouring roads, which is common on rural lanes and larger plots. Broader 1:5000 and 1:10000 options exist for estates and unusual sites. A 1:500 or 1:200 sheet is a block plan, not a location plan.

Location-plan rejection reasons we see most

Validation teams fail location plans for context and identification errors, not for missing parking bays. Fix these before you upload to the Planning Portal.

• Red line that stops at the house and omits the driveway or access to the highway
• Not enough surrounding properties or unnamed roads, so the site cannot be identified
• Unlicensed mapping, an expired extract, or a screenshot with no OS acknowledgement
• Submitting a close 1:500 layout when the local list asked for a 1:1250 location plan

When to pair it with a block plan

Keep this page for the context map. Add a block plan when the council also wants buildings, boundaries, access and the proposal shown at 1:500 or 1:200. Many householder applications need both. Start the location plan here, then order the matching closer sheet from the block-plan builder so the red line is consistent.