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Cardiff Planning Applications: A 2026 Guide for the Welsh Capital

Bhavesh Ramburn

Cardiff planning applications: which authority handles yours?

If you are searching for a planning application in Cardiff, Penarth, Llandaff, Whitchurch, Rumney, Ely, Caerau, Fairwater, Radyr, or any of the neighbourhoods within the Cardiff county boundary, the responsible Local Planning Authority (LPA) is Cardiff Council (formally the County Council of the City and County of Cardiff). Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and operates its own planning service as a principal area council.

The planning service can be accessed via the Planning service page. The comment or object to planning page, the planning permission application page, and the planning applications and decisions page are all linked from there.

How the Welsh planning system applies in Cardiff

Cardiff is in Wales, where planning is a devolved matter. The statutory framework is set out in:

  • The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 — which applies to England and Wales but is implemented separately in Wales.
  • The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 — the principal Welsh-specific planning statute.
  • The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Wales) Order 2012 (as amended) — the Welsh equivalent of the English GPDO 2015, with different class numbers and limits.
  • Future Wales: The National Plan 2040 — the Welsh national planning framework, published by the Welsh Government in February 2021.
  • The Cardiff Local Development Plan (LDP) 2006–2026 — the local plan for the Cardiff LPA area, currently in review with a new LDP being prepared.

The Welsh Government Planning Division is responsible for national planning policy in Wales. The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) handles appeals in England; in Wales, the Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) handles appeals and called-in applications.

For the broader PD framework, see our guide on Permitted Development Rights in 2026 — note that the English and Welsh PD regimes differ in important ways.

How to view or comment on a current Cardiff planning application

Public access to the live application register is a statutory right under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as applied in Wales) and the Planning (Wales) Act 2015. Cardiff operates a public-access planning register that lists all live and decided cases:

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.

Application fees and statutory timelines

Application fees in Wales are set centrally by the Welsh Government under the Town and Country Planning (Fees) (Wales) Regulations 2015, as amended. The Welsh fees are broadly similar to (but not identical to) the English fees. Indicative fees for the most common Cardiff application types in 2026:

  • Householder application (extensions and alterations to an existing dwelling): £230.
  • Full planning permission for a new dwelling: £460 plus £140 for each additional dwelling.
  • Change of use: varies by class, typically £460 or higher.
  • Prior notification / prior approval (where applicable under the Welsh GPDO): £100.
  • Listed Building Consent (where the property is statutorily listed): £250.

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. Cardiff generally meets these targets but can extend via a further-information request that pauses the clock.

For an appeal against a refusal or conditions, the appeal is made to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) rather than the English Planning Inspectorate. For a walkthrough of the English process, see our UK planning appeals guide.

Conservation areas in Cardiff

Cardiff has a substantial stock of historic buildings and conservation areas, reflecting its long history as a market town and port, and its 20th-century development as the Welsh capital. Designated Conservation Areas include:

  • Cardiff city centre — the historic core, including Cardiff Castle, the Arcades, and the Castle Quarter.
  • Llandaff — a historic cathedral village now within Cardiff, with a Conservation Area centred on the cathedral.
  • Penarth — a Victorian seaside town with a Conservation Area covering the esplanade and town centre.
  • Canton — a Victorian suburb west of the city centre.
  • Whitchurch — a historic village north of the city.
  • Pontcanna — an Edwardian suburb with a Conservation Area.
  • Roath — a Victorian suburb with a Conservation Area.

Within a Conservation Area:

  • Six weeks’ notice is required before any work to a tree.
  • Permitted Development rights are restricted for external alterations, cladding, and demolition.
  • Listed Building Consent is required separately for any alteration affecting the character of a listed building.

For the underlying householder-application context — which is the most common Cardiff 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.

Next steps and resources

Editorial note. This article is for guidance only and does not constitute regulated advice. Cardiff is in Wales, where planning is a devolved matter and the Welsh GPDO, fee regulations, and national policy framework differ from the English equivalents. For project-specific questions, consult a chartered planning professional registered with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) or the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru.