Planning

Planning Information

Welcome to the Planning Department at the Council of the Isles of Scilly - to help navigate the various services of the Planning Department we've put some quick links below, but you can also navigate around this site via links on the left hand side (or above if you're looking on a mobile device).

Please explore our webpages but if you cannot find the information you require email planning@scilly.gov.uk and we can help you. Email or phoning on 01720 424455 is the best way to communicate with the department. If you reach our voicemail someone will call you back if you leave us a message.

Most correspondence is acceptable via electronic communication but if you need to submit paper correspondence please take them to the reception desk at either the Library on St Mary's or the reception at the Carn Gwaval Health and Wellbeing Centre during opening hours and hand it to a member of staff.

Please DO NOT leave post in any unattended location. The postal address for the Council is:

This is where all post should be directed. 

In January 2025 the Planning Department introduced a charge for Pre-application advice: Click this link to find out more. We do, however, continue to offer a bookable in-person Planning Advice Service, which will remain free for customers, where we will attempt to answer your planning questions: Click this link to find our more

Other Quick Links

Planning Officers are generally office based, but meetings are by appointment only and we do not offer an in-person drop-in service. Free 20-minute planning advice appointments are available on Monday mornings and must be booked in advance. For more detailed advice about a specific development proposal, we offer a paid pre-application advice service.

To arrange an appointment or make an enquiry you can click the link above or you can email us at planning@scilly.gov.uk, telephone the Planning Department direct on 01720 424455, or contact the Council on 0300 1234 105. Our support staff may be able to assist directly or refer your enquiry to a Planning Officer. Telephone and online meetings can also be arranged where appropriate.

We also occasionally partner with other mainland Local Authorities, who can handle planning applications on our behalf and make recommendations.  We have previously worked with Exmoor National Park Authority and South Downs National Park Authority. We would like to assure our community that no matter what the arrangement, all planning decisions are made by the Local Planning Authority at the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

If you wish to submit a new planning application, the best way is to submit through the Planning Portal. We do, however, still accept the submission of applications by email. Any application submitted by post may be subject to delays. You should provide all the information necessary as set out in both the list of national planning requirements and local validation requirements for submitting a planning application in order to reduce the chances of your application being invalid. Please ensure you allow adequate time to plan any development project ahead of time. The pre-planning process can often reveal many unforeseen constraints, adding delays or costs to a development project.  We strongly recommend speaking to the department before making a planning application.

For information on how we handle data and Information associated with planning. Please see our Privacy Notice, linked above.

General Information

The Planning Department discharges the Council's statutory planning and related duties and plays a key role in managing competing pressures to allow a viable and sustainable community to thrive on the Isles of Scilly. There is a balance to be struck between protecting our unique environment and allowing sufficient development to house local people and enable the economy to prosper and diversify. The purpose of planning, after all, is to effectively manage development and the use of land on behalf of the wider interests of the community and future generations. Our Statement of Community Involvement explains how we involve the community in planning matters, including the preparation and review of the Local Plan and consultation on planning applications. The Council is currently reviewing the Local Plan to cover the period to 2041. You can follow progress, view the evidence being prepared and take part in current consultations on our Local Plan 2026–2041 webpages.

You can find out more about the current adopted Local Plan (2015-2030) or the new Local Plan (2026 - 2041) by clicking on the respective links above. 

You can find out about the Planning Application Process and a list of Current Planning Applications by clicking the links above Planning Applications.  In October 2018 Members of Full Council approved the Planning Protocol. This was updated in January 2021 and again in October 2026, to reflect the National Scheme of Delegation. It seeks to provide clarification to anyone involved in the planning process as to the standards and conduct of Officers and Members when determining planning applications.  The Planning Protocol 2026 Update can be viewed by clicking the link.

The Planning Department is responsible for carrying out the Council’s statutory planning functions, including preparing and reviewing the Local Plan, determining planning applications and investigating possible breaches of planning control. Planning applications are determined either by authorised Planning Officers or by the Council’s Planning Committee, in accordance with the national scheme of delegation and the Council’s governance arrangements. Further information about how planning decisions are made, including the role and membership of the Planning Committee and arrangements for public speaking, is available on our Planning Committee webpage.

For the national planning context please visit the Planning Portal or the Government's Website. The Planning Portal provides a guide detailing information on all aspects of the planning process. You can submit your planning application online from the Planning Portal website.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Goverment (MHCLG) have published a Plain English Guide to the Planning System which gives a good overview of the English planning system and how it works.

How much does it cost to make a Planning application? 

A list of locally set fees and charges for services offered by the department can be found here. Planning application fees, however, are not set locally but are set nationally by Central Government. The latest planning fees can be found here. Planning Fees are due to be increased annually on 1st April so please ensure you check the latest fees when you apply. 

Planning Appeals

If your planning application is unsuccessful, you can chose to re-submit your application, but you will need to address the reasons for refusal. If you do not feel able to address the reasons for refusal or feel the Local Planning Authority has been unreasonable in refusing your application (or imposed conditions that you feel are inappropriate) then you can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.  We provide further guidance on our appeals page and provide a list of recent appeals (back to 2015) here. 

Planning Enforcement

The Council can investigate and act if someone is developing, altering or changing the use of land or buildings without permission. Some types of development, alterations, or changes of use do not need permission. If permission is needed this is called a breach of planning control. We provide more information on the Enforcement Pages including how to raise an enforcement complaint.

Planning Aid

Planning Aid England (PAE) provides free, independent, professional planning advice and support to help individuals and communities engage with the planning system.  This includes online guidance and a limited amount of free email advice which can be accessed via an online enquiry form.  In some circumstances PAE may be able to offer additional bespoke support.  To find out more visit https://www.rtpi.org.uk/planning-aid/.

There is also free advice available at: www.planningaid.co.uk

Page Last updated: 16/10/2026 (reflecting the introduction of the National Scheme of Delegation