Apply for planning permission
You can apply for planning permission and a range of other consents online through the Planning Portal from the link below.
The online process guides you through applications with help available at each stage. You can save your work and break away at any time. As soon as you submit an online application you get a reference number and we receive an email notifying us so that we can begin to process it.
You will be guided through the screens step by step to ensure you select the correct application form.
You can view the relevant privacy notice in relation to how we will use your personal information which is held against your application.
2. Fees, charges and how to make a payment
Different types of planning applications have different charges. You can find out how much your application will cost by using the Planning Portal fee calculator.
With effect from 6 December 2023 the planning fees increased in line with Government legislation.
You can download a simple guide to the increases here.
If you need further advice you may contact us on our generic email planning@sandwell.gov.uk which is monitored daily but can take up to 10 working days for a response.
You can also contact our Planning and Building Consultancy Customer Service Advisors on :- 0121 569 4054. Please bear with us as we can experience a high demand in calls.
Make a PAYMENT
- Telephone - please contact our Customer Services Team who will be happy to take your details and get our secure payment line to call you for all debit/credit card payments
- By BACS (Bankers Automated Clearing System) Our bank details are:-
Account name: Sandwell MBC
Sort Code: 60-15-39
Account number: 69624178
(Please reference your payment with your application number or the location address of your submission). Can we ask that once payment has been made that you email building_consultancy@sandwell.gov.uk with the date of payment, amount paid, application reference (if known) and payment reference. These details are required to ensure we can find your payment and enable us to process your application further.
- By Cheque – cheques made payable to Sandwell MBC
3. Validation Checklist
Sandwell Council adopted a revised validation list in September 2023 to assist applicants with relevant information that is now required for the submission of planning applications.
You can view the revised validation list here.
All major planning applications now required to provide Biodiversity net gain (BNG) and other minor development will also be required to do so from April 2024. Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is an approach that aims to improve biodiversity within the proposed development compared to before development commenced. Planning applications submitted following the dates referred to above cannot be validated without BNG forming part of the application submission.
Relevant legislation and further information can be found on the links below.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/30/schedule/14/enacted
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gain#what-biodiversity-net-gain-is
The Environment Act 2021 came into effect on 2nd April 2024 which now requires small development sites to achieve BNG. A small site is defined as:
- A residential development where the area within the site boundary is less than 0.5 hectares or the number of dwellings is between 1 and 9 on a site of area 1 hectare or less.
- A commercial development where the area within the site boundary is less than 1 hectare or the floor space created is less than 1,000 square metres.
- A development that is not the winning and working of mineral or the use of land for mineral working deposits.
- A development that is not waste development
- A development that is not a householder development
More information on the Small Sites Metric can be found here