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Doncaster Planning Search: A 2026 Guide for South Yorkshire

Bhavesh Ramburn

Doncaster planning search: which authority handles yours?

If you are searching for a planning application in Doncaster city centre, Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne, Bawtry, Tickhill, Epworth, Rossington, Armthorpe, Bentley, Adwick le Street, or any of the villages and rural areas of the City of Doncaster, the responsible Local Planning Authority (LPA) is City of Doncaster Council (formerly Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council). The council is a metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire and operates its own planning service.

The planning service can be accessed via the City of Doncaster Council planning service page. Application search, application submission, and pre-application advice are linked from there.

Doncaster is in South Yorkshire, alongside Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley. These four metropolitan boroughs share a common planning service architecture but each LPA is separate. For searches in neighbouring areas, see our Barnsley planning search guide (note: Barnsley is a separate metropolitan borough).

How the English planning system applies in Doncaster

Doncaster 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.

The relevant local development plan for Doncaster is the Doncaster Local Plan 2015–2035 (adopted September 2024), which sets out policies for housing, employment, retail, heritage, design, and the environment across the borough to 2035. The Plan allocates housing sites in Doncaster city centre, Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne, and several villages.

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

How to search the Doncaster planning register

Public access to the live application register is a statutory right under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. City of Doncaster Council operates a public-access planning register that lists all live and decided cases. The register is accessible via the City of Doncaster Council planning service.

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.

Ways to search the Doncaster planning register

There are several search methods available on the Doncaster planning register:

  • By application number. If you know the application reference (e.g. “23/01234/FUL”), you can search for it directly. The Doncaster application numbers follow the format YY/NNNNN/TYPE.
  • By street name or postcode. You can search by entering a street name or postcode. The register returns all applications within a defined radius of the address.
  • By ward or parish. Doncaster is divided into 21 wards. You can filter by ward to see all applications within a specific area.
  • By application type. Filter by householder, full, outline, listed building consent, conservation area consent, advertisement consent, prior notification, or tree works in a Conservation Area.
  • By status. Filter by pending, decided, or appealed. The register can also show the decision outcome (approved, approved with conditions, refused, withdrawn).

What the search results show

For each application, the register typically shows:

  • The application reference, type, and current status.
  • The site address and a location map.
  • The applicant name and agent (if applicable).
  • The proposal description.
  • The key dates — submitted, validated, neighbour consultation, committee date, decision.
  • The decision notice and any conditions.
  • The plans and supporting documents (most applications).

For an example of how the underlying application form is structured, see our design and access statement guide.

How to comment on a current Doncaster application

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.

Comments can be submitted via the planning register online (the preferred route) or in writing to the City of Doncaster Council planning service.

For the broader context on how a planning application is determined, see our householder planning permission guide and our UK Planning Appeals 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 Doncaster 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). Doncaster generally meets these targets but can extend via a further-information request that pauses the clock.

Conservation areas in Doncaster

Doncaster has a substantial stock of historic towns and conservation areas, reflecting the area’s long history as a Roman settlement and a railway and mining centre. Designated Conservation Areas include:

  • Doncaster — the historic market town centre, including the Mansion House (one of the few surviving Georgian Mansion Houses in England), the St George Minster (a 19th-century parish church), and the High Street.
  • Mexborough — a historic town with a Conservation Area covering the market place and church.
  • Conisbrough — a historic town with a Conservation Area, dominated by Conisbrough Castle (a 12th-century Norman castle made famous by Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe).
  • Thorne — a historic market town with a Conservation Area.
  • Bawtry — a historic market town with a Conservation Area, including the 18th-century warehouses and coaching inns.
  • Tickhill — a historic market town with a Conservation Area, including the ruins of Tickhill Castle and the 12th-century church of St Mary.
  • Epworth — a historic town with a Conservation Area, including the Old Rectory (the birthplace of John Wesley, founder of Methodism).
  • Rossington — a historic village with a Conservation Area.
  • Armthorpe — a historic village with a Conservation Area.
  • Adwick le Street — a historic town with a Conservation Area, including the 12th-century Romanesque church of St Laurence.
  • Campsall — a historic village with a Conservation Area.
  • Fishlake — a historic village with a Conservation Area, including the 12th-century Norman church of St Cuthbert.

The Humberhead Levels in the eastern part of the borough are designated as an SSSI and a Ramsar wetland of international importance, supporting rare bird populations.

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 Doncaster 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.

Next steps and resources

Editorial note. This article is for guidance only and does not constitute regulated advice. Doncaster is a metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire and operates its own planning service separate from South Yorkshire county matters (which are handled by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority for strategic planning). For project-specific questions, consult a chartered planning professional registered with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).