What happens after planning permission

View our Customer Briefing Notes for the latest changes to the Planning Service.

After processing your planning application, we send a letter with our decision granting or refusing your application. Find out what happens depending on the decision:

Refused planning permission

If we refused your application you have a right to appeal against it or ask for a review if: 

  • you are unhappy with our decision
  • you disagree with the conditions attached to your permission
  • we didn't make a decision within the time period set by the law

How you appeal depends on who made the decision. If your application was decided by our planning officer, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed by the Local Review Body, which is a group of councillors. If the decision was made by councillors, you can appeal to Scottish Ministers.

Our refusal letter will explain how to do this in more detail. You can also view a guide to planning appeals on the Scottish Government website. 

You can request a review or make an appeal online on the ePlanning portal. Alternatively, you can get the relevant forms from the portal and appeal by post.

Granted planning permission

After receiving planning permission we will send you 2 forms to complete at different stages:

  • Notice of Initiation of Development (NID)
  • Notice of Completion of Development (NCD) 

You will need to complete the NID form to inform us when the work on the site will start. You will need to do this before starting any material operation such as constructing, demolishing, digging foundations, roadworks and a material change in the use of the land.

Once your development is completed you will need to fill in the NCD form.

It is your responsibility to obtain all necessary planning and non-planning consents before starting any development work. 

There may be conditions attached to your permission. You need to comply with these for your development to be lawful. Contact your local planning office for advice. 

Request a variation to your planning application

To make minor changes to your development, you can submit a request for non-material variation. You can only do that after planning permission is granted and before starting any work. 

We will only accept requests that:

  • are in writing with valid scaled plans clearly showing the variation 
  • don't involve a material change of use requiring planning permission
  • don't result in a change to the nature of the approved application
  • comply with the policies of our Local Development Plan
  • don't require further neighbour notification

If your request doesn't meet these criteria, you will need to apply for a separate planning permission.

There is no fee for your first request for non-material variation, if you make it within 12 months of the date of our decision on your planning application. 

To submit this request, please contact your local planning office.