The London Borough of Brent covers a diverse part of North West London, extending from the more densely developed streets around Kilburn to the suburban neighbourhoods in the north of the borough. Planning applications can involve traditional residential properties, flats, commercial premises, regeneration sites and major mixed-use developments.

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The borough includes Wembley, Wembley Park, Harlesden, Willesden, Willesden Green, Kilburn, South Kilburn, Neasden, Kingsbury, Preston, Sudbury, Alperton, Stonebridge, Church End, Dollis Hill, Cricklewood, Kensal Green, Kensal Rise and Queen’s Park. These areas contain a wide variety of property types, local centres and patterns of development.

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In established residential areas such as Willesden, Kingsbury, Preston, Sudbury and Dollis Hill, planning applications commonly involve rear and side extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings, replacement windows, property alterations and the conversion of larger houses.

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The acceptability of a proposal may depend on its scale, design, impact on neighbours, parking arrangements and relationship with the surrounding street.

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Areas including Wembley, Alperton, Church End, South Kilburn and parts of Neasden are also experiencing substantial regeneration and development. Proposals in these locations may include flats, new housing, commercial premises, mixed-use development and the redevelopment of larger sites. Brent Council identifies several of these locations as important regeneration and growth areas.

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Properties within conservation areas, close to listed buildings or affected by an Article 4 direction may face additional planning controls. Work that might ordinarily fall within permitted development rights could require planning permission where those rights have been restricted. Brent Council advises that extra restrictions can apply to conservation areas, listed buildings, Article 4 areas and protected trees.

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Before preparing an application, it is important to establish whether the proposal requires householder planning permission, full planning permission, prior approval or a Lawful Development Certificate. A change of use, property conversion, HMO, new dwelling or larger commercial development will normally require a different application route from a straightforward domestic extension.

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Using the Brent Planning Portal

 

The Brent planning portal provides access to current and historic planning records. It can be used to:

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• Search Brent planning applications by address or reference

• View submitted plans and supporting documents

• Check whether an application has been approved or refused

• Read decision notices and planning conditions

• Follow the progress of a current application

• Search appeals and planning enforcement records

• Comment on applications that are open for consultation

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Brent Council confirms that its online planning database can be used to search applications, appeals and enforcement cases and to support, object to or comment on current proposals.

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Carrying out a Brent council planning applications search before preparing a new proposal can help identify previous applications affecting the property and nearby sites. Approved drawings may provide useful context, while refusals can reveal issues that should be addressed before a similar application is submitted.

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However, an approval elsewhere in the borough does not automatically create a planning precedent. Each application is assessed according to its individual site, design, neighbouring relationships, planning history and the policies applying at the time of the decision.

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Preparing a Brent Planning Application

 

A valid application must include the correct form, ownership information, plans, supporting documents and application fee. Depending on the project, the required information may include:

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• Location and block plans

• Existing and proposed floor plans

• Existing and proposed elevations

• Roof plans and building sections

• Design and access information

• Heritage or conservation information

• Parking, transport or servicing details

• Daylight, ecology, drainage or tree reports

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Brent Council recommends obtaining pre-application advice and confirms that applications will not begin processing until the required documents and fees have been received.

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Important: Planning Application Support
Planning Application Services (PAS) can assist with planning advice, architectural drawings and the preparation and submission of applications for properties throughout Brent.