Retention and disposal schedules Planning and building control schedule

Published: 19 February 2026

Building control

Building site inspections

  • Description: Inspections, reports, environmental data
  • Retention period: 15 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Demolition records

  • Description: Applicants details, site inspections, plans
  • Retention period: 15 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10. Building Act 1984 ss.77–80 (dangerous structures and demolition)
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Applications

  • Description: Application reference numbers, corresponding addresses, all dates regarding the application, decision notices, and completion certificates
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Applications (supplementary information)

  • Description: Any other information held in the Application records that does not need to be kept permanent (as above)
  • Retention period: 15 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: Yes

Enforcements - permanent retention

  • Description: Application reference numbers, corresponding addresses, all dates regarding the application, decision notices, and completion certificates
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Enforcements - 15 year retention

  • Description: Any other information held in the Application records that does not need to be kept permanent (as above)
  • Retention period: 15 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: Yes

Technical library

  • Description: Reference material
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Dangerous structures

  • Description: Inspection notices, contact details
  • Retention period: 15 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10. Building Act 1984 ss.77–80 (dangerous structures and demolition)
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: Yes

Technical support

  • Description:
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Building Safety Regulator Operational Standards Rules (OSRs) under Building Act 1984 ss.58Z–58Z10
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Planning applications

Development management procedures

  • Description:
  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Planning advice and guidance

  • Retention period: 6 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Limitation Act (1980) S2
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Mapping

  • Description: maps and site plans
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Guidance

  • Description: Guidance and procedures
  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Planning appeals

  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Town and Country Planning Act 1990 s.69 and DMPO 2015 arts.40–41(planning register duties)
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Planning applications

  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Town and Country Planning Act 1990 s.69 and DMPO 2015 arts.40–41(planning register duties)
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Planning committee

  • Retention period: 6 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Local Government Act 1972 ss.100B–100C (access to agendas, reports and minutes for 6 years)
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Statistics

  • Retention period: 10 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Training

  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Planning compliance

Covenant controls

  • Description: Local Government Covenants and Correspondence
  • Retention period: 12 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Limitation Act 1980 s.8 and s.15
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Procedures and legislation

  • Description: Planning act legislation and guidance
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Planning enforcement

  • Description: Planning Act enforcement notice, evidence for court cases
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Town and Country Planning Act 1990; Local Land Charges Act 1975; HM Land Registry Practice Guide 79
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: Yes

Planning policy

Conservation areas

  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Housing development

  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Local plan

  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

National planning guidance

  • Retention period: 6 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Natural environment

  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Local development scheme

  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Duty to co-op

  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Sustainable development

  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Supplementary planning documents

  • Description: Research data, consultation responses, Statement of consultations
  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Neighbourhood planning

  • Description: Neighbourhood plans, responses and actions
  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Section 106 Agreements

  • Description: Legal Agreements
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Urban design

  • Description: Policy and strategy
  • Retention period: Until superseded
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Brownfield register

  • Description: Register of Brownfield Sites
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Monitoring

  • Description: Annual monitoring reports, correspondence
  • Retention period: Life of plan
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Development plan

  • Description: Policy and plans
  • Retention period: Until replacement plan adopted
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

External duty to co-op

  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

  • Description: Live cases of payments to CIL, Regulation list of CIL
  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Planning Act 2008 and Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010
  • Personal data: Yes
  • Special category data: No

Land charges

Administration

  • Retention period: 7 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Finance

  • Retention period: 7 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Resources

  • Retention period: Permanent
  • Action: Retain
  • Reasoning: Business requirement
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No

Search process

  • Retention period: 6 years
  • Action: Delete
  • Reasoning: Local Land Charges Act 1975 s.10 and Limitation Act 1980
  • Personal data: No
  • Special category data: No