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Government of Jersey planning process

Planning applications in Jersey

Permission, the register, fees, major or minor classification, neighbour comments, decision timescales and appeals — a plain-English guide drawn from Government of Jersey guidance.

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Do you need permission?

When you need planning permission in Jersey

If the work changes the outside of a building, its use, or a protected tree, you almost certainly need permission. If it is genuinely internal or within permitted development limits, you may not.

Permission is normally required for

  • New buildings and extensions
  • Changes of use (e.g., converting a garage or outbuilding to living space)
  • External alterations, including replacement windows and doors that do not match the existing character
  • Advertisements and signs
  • Works affecting trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order
  • Any alterations to a listed building or property within a Conservation Area

Often permitted development

Permitted development is pre-authorised, but only while the work stays inside every published limit and condition. Exceeding a limit turns the work into unauthorised development.

  • Certain small rear and side extensions within size limits
  • Loft conversions that keep the roof profile unchanged
  • Outbuildings and garden structures within permitted heights and footprints
  • Porches under 3 m²
  • Replacement windows and doors that match the existing style, material and proportions
  • Internal alterations that do not change the external appearance

Listed buildings and Conservation Areas

If your property is listed or sits in a Conservation Area, the rules are stricter. Consent can be required for work that would otherwise be permitted development.

  • Listed building consent is required for any works that affect the character of a listed building, including demolition, alterations and extensions.
  • Conservation Area consent may also be needed for certain changes in a Conservation Area.
  • Some minor repairs may not need consent if the work is genuinely like-for-like and does not alter the character; when in doubt, the Government of Jersey Planning Department can advise.

Official guidance: do you need permission and replacement windows and doors.

Fees and validity

What makes an application valid

An application only enters the system once it is complete, correctly paid for and accompanied by the right plans.

The correct fee

Fees depend on the type and scale of the proposal. An incorrect fee stops the application being registered.

Location and block plans

Most applications need a location plan and a block plan at an appropriate scale, clearly identifying the site and showing the proposal in context.

Validation, then registration

Planning checks the submission for the minimum information needed to understand the proposal. Only once it is valid and registered does the decision period begin.

Current fees and forms are published on the Government of Jersey planning application pages.

The register

Searching the planning and building register

The register is the authoritative record of what has been applied for, decided, or is open for comment. You can search by reference, road or parish.

Search tips

  1. Widen the date range — the default only covers recent months, and the register holds records of all planning applications made since 2001.
  2. Enter the last four digits of the reference rather than the whole reference.
  3. Search a partial road or property name: 'Quenn' returns results on La Route des Quennevais.
  4. Leave out full stops, hyphens, commas and accents — 'Saviour' returns more than 'St. Saviour's Hill'.
  5. Wildcard characters are not needed.
  6. Paper files from 2001 to 2012 are still being scanned, so some older records have no documents online — you can ask the Planning Department to view those files.

What is published

  • A redacted copy of the application form and drawings.
  • The site location and block plan.
  • A design and access statement for larger schemes.
  • Planning Officer reports and committee reports once the application is decided.

What is redacted

  • Applicant contact details.
  • Personal financial information.
  • Comments from third parties before the decision is made.
Open the planning register

Process

From submission to decision

Every application follows the same route. The decision clock starts on registration, not on the day you submit.

  1. Validation

    The Planning Department checks that the application is complete, the correct fee is paid and the necessary plans are included. This usually takes a few working days.

  2. Registration

    Once valid, the application is registered and given a reference number. It is then published on the planning register and the formal decision clock starts.

  3. Consultation

    The application is publicised. A site notice is displayed on the application site, and the application appears on the planning register, in the Jersey Gazette and in the Jersey Evening Post. Parish authorities and statutory consultees are consulted, and the comment period runs for 21 days.

  4. Assessment

    A Planning Officer considers the proposals against the Island Plan, planning policies, design guidance, neighbour comments and any heritage or environmental constraints.

  5. Decision

    Most applications are decided by a Planning Officer under powers delegated by the Chief Officer, with every recommendation reviewed by a senior officer. Some applications are referred to the Planning Committee, which decides at monthly public meetings, and a small number are heard at a public inquiry and determined by the Minister. The Department aims to determine 85% of applications within 8 weeks for minor applications and 13 weeks for major applications.

See the official planning application process for the latest detail.

Classification

Major or minor application?

The classification sets both the target decision time and who decides.

Major — 13 weeks

  • Residential development of one unit or more.
  • New commercial development, and commercial extensions or ancillary structures over 250 m² gross external area.
  • Any mixed residential or commercial development, and any change of use of land or buildings, including domestic curtilage and outside dining areas.
  • Major material alterations, wind turbines, telecom masts, environmental impact assessments, high hedge applications and works to protected trees.

Minor — 8 weeks

  • All domestic extensions and alterations, outbuildings, loft and garage conversions, swimming pools and fuel tanks.
  • Commercial extensions and ancillary structures under 250 m² gross external area, and shopfront alterations.
  • New or replacement windows, doors, dormers, roof lights, solar panels and heat pumps.
  • New or altered vehicular access, walls and fences, moveable structures, and works that would normally be permitted development where those rights have been removed.

Comments

Commenting on an application

Every planning application is advertised, and anyone can comment during the publicity period.

Where applications are advertised

  • The planning and building application register
  • The Jersey Gazette
  • The Jersey Evening Post every Tuesday
  • A site notice displayed on the application site

Comments that are considered

  • Comments that relate to planning matters such as design, scale, heritage impact, traffic, parking, drainage, privacy and amenity.
  • Material that is polite, factual and specific to the application in question.
  • Comments submitted within the advertised 21-day consultation period.

Comments that are not

  • Personal grievances or disputes between neighbours.
  • Issues outside the planning control of the Department, such as private covenants, ownership boundaries or business competition.
  • Comments about the applicant's character or motives.
  • Matters that were not raised during the consultation period without a valid reason.

Submit comments through the comment on a planning application page.

Refusals

Why applications are refused

A refusal is not the end of the road. The decision notice lists the reasons, and many can be answered with a revised design, extra information or a heritage statement.

  • The proposal conflicts with the Bridging Island Plan 2022 to 2025, the plan that sets the policies against which applications are assessed.
  • The scale, design or siting would harm the character or appearance of the area.
  • Insufficient information has been provided to assess the impact on neighbours or the environment.
  • The proposal would harm a listed building or Conservation Area.
  • The application would set an unacceptable precedent for further development.
  • Parking, highway safety, drainage or access concerns cannot be resolved.
Get help with a refusal or appeal

After submission

Withdrawal, appeals and validity

Withdrawal

You can withdraw an application before the decision notice is issued. Whether any fee is refunded depends on how much work has already been carried out.

Appeals

If permission is refused you can appeal within the time limit stated on the decision notice. Third parties cannot appeal a grant of permission.

Validity

Permission is time limited — development must begin within the period stated on the decision notice or the permission lapses. Always read the conditions.

For notification rules, see planning notifications on gov.je.

FAQ

Questions and answers

Start your application

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