Certificate of ownership
When a planning application is made for land that is not owned solely by the applicant, owners of the land to which the application relates must be informed.
Article 12 of the Town & Country Planning (Development Management) Procedure Order 2010 requires that planning applications are accompanied by a certificate confirming either that the applicant is the sole owner of all the land to which the application relates, or that notice has been served on all person(s) that are an owner of the land or a tenant.
Owners are people having a freehold interest or a leasehold interest the unexpired term of which is not less than seven years. This means that there can be more than one owner. In addition, the application may relate to more than one piece of land, so notice may have to be given to several people.
A written notice must be served on all owner(s) that the applicant knows the names and addresses of, telling them that the application is being made. Where the applicant has taken reasonable steps to ascertain the names and addresses of owner(s), but has been unable to do so, then an advert must be taken out in the local press.
The applicant must then confirm to the local authority that the owner(s) have been informed on a ‘certificate of ownership’ or ‘ownership certificate’(an article 12 certificate):
- If the applicant is the only owner of the land, certificate A is submitted.
- If the applicant is not the only owner, and the names and addresses of all the other owners are known, certificate B is submitted.
- If the applicant is not the only owner, but only the names and addresses of some of the other owners are known, certificate C is submitted.
- If the applicant is not the only owner, and they do not know the names and addresses of any of the other owners, certificate D is submitted.
Failure to follow this procedure may make a planning application invalid, or may even make a planning permission invalid. It is an offence to knowingly complete a certificate of ownership incorrectly.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Certificates in the construction industry.
- Conservation areas.
- Detailed planning application.
- How long does it take to get planning permission.
- Listed buildings.
- National Planning Policy Framework.
- National Planning Practice Guidance.
- Neighbourhood planning.
- Outline planning application.
- Permitted development.
- Planning appeal.
- Planning authority.
- Planning conditions.
- Planning enforcement.
- Planning fees.
- Planning objection.
- Planning obligations.
- Pre-application advice.
- Title.
Featured articles and news
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation which closes 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.