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Brighton and Hove Planning Applications: A 2026 Guide for the South Coast

Bhavesh Ramburn

Brighton and Hove planning applications: which authority handles yours?

If you are searching for a planning application in Brighton, Hove, Portslade, Southwick, Rottingdean, Saltdean, Ovingdean, or any of the neighbourhoods within the city of Brighton and Hove, the responsible Local Planning Authority (LPA) is Brighton & Hove City Council. The council is a unitary authority in East Sussex, separate from East Sussex County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority.

The planning service can be accessed via the Planning service page. Application search, application submission, pre-application advice, and conservation-area guidance are all linked from there.

How the English planning system applies in Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove is in England, so the primary statute is the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, supplemented by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (the GPDO) which grants Permitted Development rights for certain categories of building work.

For most residents this means:

  • Permitted Development allows a range of small extensions, outbuildings, and alterations without a formal application, subject to the GPDO limits and any local restrictions.
  • Anything outside PD requires a formal application to Brighton & Hove City Council, determined under the local development plan.
  • Applications are submitted through the Planning Portal, which hosts the standard 1APP forms and the fee calculator.
  • Brighton and Hove has substantial local variations from national PD — particularly around HMOs and conservation areas (see below).

For the broader PD framework that governs what you can build in Brighton without applying, see our guide on Permitted Development Rights in 2026.

How to view or comment on a current Brighton and Hove planning application

Public access to the live application register is a statutory right under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Brighton and Hove operates a public-access planning register that lists all live and decided cases:

You can also use the Planning Portal for national searches. Members of the public have at least 21 days from the date an application is advertised (site notice and/or neighbour letter) to submit written comments. Comments must relate to material planning considerations — impact on amenity, design, traffic, ecology, residential amenity, heritage, or compliance with the local development plan. Comments that are vexatious or relate solely to private disputes (boundary walls, party walls, loss of a view) cannot be taken into account.

Conservation areas and the Hove Article 4 Direction

Brighton and Hove has more than 34 designated Conservation Areas, the largest concentration in any unitary authority outside central London. Key conservation areas include:

  • The Old Town — the historic heart of the old fishing village of Brighthelmstone, around the Lanes and the Royal Pavilion.
  • Hove — the Victorian and Edwardian seafront and old village.
  • Kemp Town — the early-19th-century planned resort estate.
  • Preston Park — the early-Victorian suburb around the park.
  • Seven Dials — the early-Victorian estate.
  • Portland Place and Montpelier — the Clifton Hill and Montpellier conservation areas.
  • The Seafront — the Madeira Terrace and Arches, listed Grade II*.

Within a Conservation Area, six weeks’ notice is required before any work to a tree, and Permitted Development rights are restricted for external alterations, cladding, and demolition. Brighton and Hove also uses Article 4 Directions extensively — particularly to control HMO conversions in defined residential streets and to protect the character of specific terraced streetscapes. Always confirm whether your property is covered by an Article 4 Direction before starting any work.

For the broader context on HMOs and short-term letting in the city — which is a major issue in central Brighton — see our Airbnb and short-term let guide.

Application fees and statutory timelines

Application fees in England are set centrally by the Town and Country Planning (Fees) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). Indicative fees for the most common Brighton and Hove 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). Brighton and Hove generally meets these targets but can extend via a further-information request that pauses the clock.

Cross-boundary: South Downs National Park

A small portion of the Brighton and Hove council area falls inside the South Downs National Park — primarily the downland on the western edge of the city, including parts of Bevendean and the eastern downland escarpment. Planning applications in those areas are decided by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), not Brighton & Hove City 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 SDNPA via its planning service page. The same statutory 8-week and 13-week determination periods apply, but the SDNPA’s policies (the South Downs Local Plan) are different from Brighton & Hove’s.

For the underlying householder-application context — which is the most common Brighton application type — see our guide on householder planning permission for a garden office. For the broader UK LPA portal landscape, see our Bradford planning portal guide. For a worked example of how a reorganisation case can affect an LPA, see our Allerdale planning guide or our Barrow planning guide.

Next steps and resources

Editorial note. This article is for guidance only and does not constitute regulated advice. Brighton and Hove has extensive conservation-area and Article 4 Direction coverage — confirm any PD assumption with the council before starting work. Parts of the city fall inside the South Downs National Park boundary and are decided by the SDNPA. For project-specific questions, consult a chartered planning professional registered with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).