Planning and development

Development Management

Development Management is responsible for processing planning applications, planning appeals, applications for works to protected trees and trees in a Conservation Area, and deals with Planning Enforcements.

Please be advised that there will be Planning Application Fee changes which will come into effect from 1 April 2025.

Effective from the same date, there will be additional charges for hard copy planning applications or applications submitted via email. 

• Pre application planning advice
• Recent planning applications - 'Weekly List'
• New Tree Preservations Orders
• Large major planning applications and appeals

On 29 August 2025, an Article 4 Direction came into effect across the Staines, Ashford North & Stanwell South, and Stanwell North Wards, which removed the permitted development right to convert a dwelling house (C3 Use) into a small House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) for up to six individuals (C4 Use).  Any dwelling house first occupied as a small HMO on or after the 29 August 2025 in those three wards, requires planning permission for conversion.  Planning permission is also required to convert a dwelling house into an HMO that is occupied by seven or more individuals. The Council has also confirmed a further Article 4 Direction covering the remaining Wards in the borough, which will come into effect on 13 March 2026.  This will remove this permitted development right to convert a dwellinghouse into a small HMO across all remaining Wards across Spelthorne from this date and planning permission will be required for this conversion.

Strategic Planning and Spelthorne Local Plan

Strategic Planning is responsible for preparing, altering and reviewing a number of key planning policy documents that are used to guide development in the Borough of Spelthorne. This includes the preparation of Local Plans and other policy documents, associated research, monitoring and sustainability appraisals. The latest news and updates regarding the Local Plan can be read by visiting: spelthornelocalplan.info/submission-of-local-plan/news-and-updates/

• Retail and Leisure Study- Household telephone survey 2026
• Grey Belt Planning Advice Note
• Local Plan update 2025
• Pre-submission Spelthorne Local Plan 2022-2037 and Staines Development Framework Regulation 19 Consultation Open
• Staines Conservation Area Consultation
• Housing Delivery Test Action Plan 2022
• Update on Statutory Listed Buildings and Local Listed Buildings

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