By knowing what is going on and where to look for further information, you are in a much better position to respond to future development. Finding the right information can be difficult: all development proposals are not listed in one place and information can be technical and complicated. But finding this information means that you can get involved as soon as possible and make your voice heard.

Your Local Planning Authority (LPA) oversees planning in your area and will have information about most planning activities. Your LPA usually is the planning department of your council.  You should check which council you are dealing with first and then find out which London LPA is yours

Where you need to look depends on your question. This is a list of the main information sources on planning. For each source, it is briefly explained what you can find.

• Your council’s online planning database – search and comment on planning applications

• Your council’s Duty Planner – helps you with your question on planning in your local area

• Your council’s Consultation Hub – view ongoing consultations in which you can share your views about the future of your neighbourhood

• Your borough’s Local Plan and other policy documents

• The London Plan – London’s regional planning policies

• The National Planning Policy Framework – planning policy for England

• Planning Portal – helps you assess if you need planning permission for building work to your property

Your LPA has an online database on planning applications and development proposals in your borough. The database helps you find:

• Live planning applications, for which an applicant is looking for planning permission from the LPA. You can search for planning applications using a reference number, address or postcode.
  
  
• Live planning applications, for which an applicant is looking for planning permission from the LPA. You can search for planning applications using a reference number, address or postcode.
  
  
• You can comment on a planning application if a decision has not been made yet. You can also find the planning history (including past planning applications and planning conditions) for a property.
  
  
• Find out what the steps are for the planning application process if you are looking to make a planning application yourself.
  
  
• Get planning advice from the information service or Duty Planner. You can also get advice about a listed building (a building protected for its historical or architectural value).

• Apply for planning permission and find the required forms to make an application.

Every council should have a Duty Planner to explain planning applications and basic planning matters to members of the public. You can contact them via the council’s website. They can:

• Check if you have all the documents you need for your planning application.
  
  
•  Give you general advice on a planning application.
  
  
• Explain what development is permitted under national legislation and already has consent.
  
  
• Discuss relevant planning policy in your area.
  
  
• Tell you who the case officer is for a planning application that you have seen on the planning database.

You might have to make an appointment with the Duty Planner for further advice, for which the council can charge a fee. The Duty Planner often cannot give you detailed information on a planning application someone else has made; major planning applications have a case officer (a planning officer working for the council) who knows the details of the application. You can ask for the contact details of the case officer.

Your LPA must ask for your views on a new Local Plan, Area Action Plan or other planning policy. The consultation hub on your council’s website will show you when consultations are live: these are defined moments where you can give your views. The formal consultation period is only 21 days, so it is easy to miss it. You can sign up to the council's newsletter to stay informed about when a Local Plan will go up for consultation. Once the consultation closes, you can also find its results on the consultation hub.

The Local Plan guides what development should go where and how it should be designed. It contains:

• A map of the site allocated in your area for development
• More detailed policy on topics such as affordable housing
• A long-term view for your borough

The Local Plan will form the basis for decisions made on planning applications. If you influence the Local Plan development, you might want to avoid having to respond to multiple planning applications, as this can be time consuming and not necessarily the most efficient way to make a representation. You find the Local Plan on the website of your council. Your local library and the council usually have a paper copy of the Local Plan. What your council must do to make information accessible has changed because of Covid-19 pandemic. The government is also further changing the regulations that set out what councils must do to make information accessible to the public.

The LPA may review, update or replace the Local Plan at any time. The Local Development Scheme (LDS), also available on the council's website, gives a timetable of which planning documents will be prepared when. The LDS may be out of date, so it is important you check the exact timeline of the development of a Local Plan with the planning department of the council.

The London Plan is the Mayor’s planning strategy for London. The policies in the plan are usually less detailed than in the Local Plan but set important requirements for future development. The London Plan designates Opportunity Areas and Intensification Areas, which are places earmarked for largescale development and regeneration. The new plan is due to be published by the Mayor of London and will replace the 2016 version of the London Plan. The London Plan is available on the website of the Greater London Authority, the regional public authority for London.

Local plans must conform to national policy. The Government has set out the national policy on planning for England in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG). Knowing something about the national planning policy can be helpful when talking to a planning officer or objecting to a planning application.

The Planning Portal is the official online source of planning information for England. You can find:

• Whether you need to apply for permission from your local planning authority for the works you want to do
  
  
• Helpful guides for when you need permission for loft conversions, extensions, conservatories, outbuildings, porches and other works to your own property
  
  
• How to make a planning application for your development plans and find a planning consultant or other built environment professional
  
  
• How to make a building control application to get approval that your plans comply with building regulations. Building control is different from planning permission, and you might need both for your project

It can be difficult to find the information that you are looking for. Planning portals are often difficult to navigate, planning applications may consist of many online documents and the Local Plan is a very long document.

Don’t give up:

Knowing what is going on in your area is key in order for you to use the planning system at your advantage. You can always contact your Local Planning Authority or your councillor for help: you have the right to know what is happening in your area and access publicly available information.