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Barrow Planning Applications: A 2026 Guide After the Westmorland and Furness Reorganisation

Bhavesh Ramburn

Barrow planning applications now go to Westmorland and Furness Council

If you are searching for a planning application in Barrow-in-Furness, Dalton-in-Furness, Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Sedbergh, or anywhere in the Furness Peninsula or the old South Lakeland area, the responsible Local Planning Authority (LPA) is now Westmorland and Furness Council, not Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council. Barrow Borough was abolished on 1 April 2023 as part of the Cumbria structural reorganisation and its planning functions transferred to the new unitary Westmorland and Furness Council.

The planning service can be reached via the Planning and Building Control service page. Historic Barrow 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 Westmorland and Furness Council (Establishment) Order 2023. Two unitary councils replaced the six predecessor district councils in Cumbria:

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

For a parallel worked example of how the same reorganisation affected the other new Cumbria unitary — and a worked example of Cumberland Council’s planning process in the former Allerdale area — see our Allerdale planning guide.

How to find a planning application in the former Barrow area

Westmorland and Furness Council operates a single search portal for the whole authority area at the planning application search page. The search accepts:

  • A full or partial address.
  • A planning application reference (the legacy Barrow Borough reference is preserved; new applications use a standard prefix under the Westmorland and Furness numbering scheme).
  • A ward or parish name.
  • A date range or decision status.

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

For England-and-Wales national context (Westmorland and Furness Council uses the standard 1APP forms), the Planning Portal continues to host the application forms and fee calculator.

Application fees and statutory timelines

Westmorland and Furness 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). Westmorland and Furness Council generally meets these targets but can extend via a further-information request that pauses the clock.

Permitted Development in the former Barrow area

Permitted Development rights in the former Barrow 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 — Westmorland and Furness Council has inherited any Article 4 Directions that were in force in the former Barrow area on 31 March 2023. They remain in force until varied or withdrawn by Westmorland and Furness.
  • Conservation Areas — Barrow Island has a designated Conservation Area (a planned Victorian industrial community). Parts of Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands, and Kendal town centres are also designated, 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 Furness Peninsula has 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: Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks

Two national parks extend into the Westmorland and Furness Council area — and properties in those areas are not decided by the council:

  • Lake District National Park — most of the old South Lakeland district, including Ambleside, Windermere, Coniston, Grasmere, and the high fells, is inside the National Park. Planning applications in these areas are decided by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA).
  • Yorkshire Dales National Park — the Howgill Fells above Sedbergh are in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, decided by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).

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

Next steps and resources

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