Planning glossary - Reserved matters

Planning term

Reserved matters application deals with some or all of the outstanding details of the outline application proposal, including:

  • appearance - aspects of a building or place which affect the way it looks, including the exterior of the development
  • means of access - covers accessibility for all routes to and within the site, as well as the way they link up to other roads and pathways outside the site
  • landscaping - the improvement or protection of the amenities of the site and the area and the surrounding area, this could include planting trees or hedges as a screen
  • layout - includes buildings, routes and open spaces within the development and the way they are laid out in relations to buildings and spaces outside the development
  • scale - includes information on the size of the development, including the height, width and length of each proposed building

The details of the reserved matters application must be in line with the outline approval, including any conditions attached to the permission.

If your proposals have changed in any way, you may need to reapply for outline or full planning permission. Some, though not all, details may have been formally submitted and approved at the outline application stage, if the applicant chose to do so, or the council insisted.

The outline decision notice, issued by the council, will state which matters were reserved for later approval.

Permission lasts for two years from the last date that the reserved matters were approved, or, three years from the date that outline planning permission was approved – whichever date is the later.