Ability to vary a planning permission once granted

Once planning permission is granted, the development which it authorises must take place in accordance with the conditions it imposes, including any plans referred to in conditions, and any associated legal agreements. See Practice Note: planning conditions—key points for more information.

However, amendments to a consented development are often needed after planning permission is granted. This can be for a number of reasons, for example because unforeseen circumstances arise after grant of the permission, requiring a departure from what is consented, or simply because the process of designing a development is lengthy and usually evolves even after permission is granted, resulting in scheme changes.

The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990) permits local planning authorities (LPAs) to entertain a number of types of amendments to planning permissions:

1. •

   applications for variations of conditions attached to a planning permission under TCPA 1990, s 73

2. •

   applications for non-material amendments under TCPA 1990, s 96A, and

3. •

   in England only, once section 110 of the