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Allerdale Planning Applications: A 2026 Guide After the Cumberland Council Reorganisation

Bhavesh Ramburn

Allerdale planning applications now go to Cumberland Council

If you are searching for a planning application in Workington, Maryport, Cockermouth, Keswick, Wigton, or anywhere in the former Allerdale district, the responsible Local Planning Authority (LPA) is now Cumberland Council, not Allerdale Borough Council. Allerdale was abolished on 1 April 2023 as part of the Cumbria structural reorganisation and its planning functions transferred to the new unitary Cumberland Council.

You can reach the live planning service via the Cumberland Council planning and building control service page. Historic Allerdale Borough Council applications are still searchable from this page; the council has retained the records under the new branding.

What changed in April 2023

The structural changes were made by the Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022, with commencement from 1 April 2023 under the Cumberland Council (Establishment) Order 2023. Two unitary councils replaced the six predecessor district councils in Cumbria:

  • Cumberland Council — covers the former Allerdale, Carlisle, and Copeland districts.
  • Westmorland and Furness Council — covers the former Barrow-in-Furness, Eden, and South Lakeland districts.

The reorganisation was made under the Local Government Act 1972 framework, which permits the Secretary of State to restructure English principal local authorities. All live planning applications on 1 April 2023 transferred automatically to the successor council; no application had to be re-submitted.

How to find a planning application in the former Allerdale area

Cumberland Council operates a single search portal for the whole authority area at the planning and building control search page. The search accepts:

  • A full or partial address.
  • A planning application reference (the legacy “FPA” or “HOU” prefix from Allerdale is preserved; new applications use a “FUL”, “HOU”, “LBC” or “VAR” prefix under the Cumberland numbering scheme).
  • A ward or parish name.
  • A date range or decision status.

For applications determined by 31 March 2023 under Allerdale Borough Council, the record remains the legal decision and is still searchable. For applications determined from 1 April 2023 onward, Cumberland Council is the decision-maker.

For England-and-Wales national context (Cumberland Council is a signatory of the standard 1APP forms), the Planning Portal continues to host the application forms and fee calculator.

Application fees and statutory timelines

Cumberland Council charges the standard national planning application fees set by the Town and Country Planning (Fees) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). Indicative fees for the most common application types in 2026:

  • Householder application (extensions and alterations to an existing dwelling): £258.
  • Full planning permission for a new dwelling: £541 plus £162 for each additional dwelling.
  • Change of use: varies by class, typically £541 or higher.
  • Prior notification / prior approval (where applicable under the GPDO 2015): £120.
  • Listed Building Consent (where the property is statutorily listed): £293.

The statutory determination period is 8 weeks for householder and most local applications under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and 13 weeks for major developments (defined under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015). Cumberland Council generally meets these targets but can extend via a further-information request that pauses the clock.

Permitted Development in the former Allerdale area

Permitted Development rights in the former Allerdale area are the same as elsewhere in England: granted by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (the GPDO). PD rights are subject to local restrictions:

  • Article 4 Directions — Cumberland Council has inherited any Article 4 Directions that were in force in the former Allerdale area on 31 March 2023. They remain in force until varied or withdrawn by Cumberland. Check the local plan for current Directions.
  • Conservation Areas — parts of Cockermouth, Keswick, and several Cumbrian villages are designated Conservation Areas where PD rights for external alterations and demolition are restricted.
  • Listed Buildings — additional Listed Building Consent is required for any alteration affecting the character of a listed building. The Lake District and Cumbrian coast have a high concentration of statutorily listed buildings.

For an England-wide explanation of how PD rights work and what they cover, see our guide on Permitted Development Rights in 2026.

Cross-boundary considerations: Lake District National Park

A material part of the former Allerdale district — including Keswick, Borrowdale, Buttermere, and parts of the Derwentwater shoreline — lies within the Lake District National Park. Planning applications in the National Park are decided by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA), not Cumberland Council, because national parks in England have their own planning authority.

If your property is in the National Park boundary, you must apply to the LDNPA. The LDNPA’s planning service has its own pre-application advice, application forms, and committee process, and its policies (the Lake District National Park Local Plan) are different from Cumberland Council’s. The same statutory 8-week and 13-week determination periods apply.

For a worked example of how local-authority planning applications look elsewhere in the UK — including the devolved Scottish system, which is structurally different from the English unitary-council model — see our Aberdeen planning applications guide.

Next steps and resources

Editorial note. This article is for guidance only and does not constitute regulated advice. Cumberland Council is the successor LPA for the former Allerdale area, but applications inside the Lake District National Park boundary are decided by the Lake District National Park Authority. For project-specific questions, consult a chartered planning professional registered with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).