Building Warrants, Planning Permission and Planning Policies

Planning and Building Standards Service provides the Scottish Borders with a number of services. These range from ensuring buildings are safe and energy efficient to assessing and approving planning applications and building warrants and providing the Development Plan to guide future development.

Delivering Planning Reform

Information on the local delivery of reforms to the Scottish planning system is also available.

The Service is split into three sections:

Building Standards

Processes building warrant applications and ensures buildings are safe and healthy for people to live and work in
Ensures buildings are accessible to people with disabilities
Ensures minimum standards are met in places like sports grounds, bars and restaurants.

Development Management

Advises people on the need for planning permission as well as processing the applications
Pursues unauthorised works and ensures that conditions applied to consents are met
Publishes planning decisions, committee reports and appeal decisions.

Plans and Research

Produces the Development Plan (Local Plan and Structure Plan) and Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Contacting Planning and Building Standards

Following reorganisation in April 2009, the Planning & Building Standards service of the council is administered from Council Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells, By Melrose, TD6 0SA. Should your enquiry relate to Development Management (planning applications) or Building Standards (building warrants) issues, the Telephone number for Planning & Building Standards at Council HQ is 01835-825060.Directions to Council HQ are available online.

“One stop” customer first contact centres in Peebles, Duns, Hawick and Galashiels are available to the public, and can provide initial information and forms for the planning and building standards services.
Public Access Terminals are also available in the customer first contact centres and local libraries, allowing access to the council’s online “e-planning” website, where current planning applications can be viewed and commented on online. This service can also be accessed online.

Public Access

Public Access is an on-line service provided by Planning and Building Standards. This allows you to access planning applications and building warrants on-line. Detailed planning information is available from December 2005, with more limited information available prior to this date. Please note that by using the Public Access system, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions of use.

The Public Access system works with Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or above; as well as Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Safari Browsers. The latest free version of the Internet Explorer browser is available to download (external website).
You can also make planning applications on-line.
Please note that the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has instructed all Planning Authorities to remove certain personal information from their websites. This involves searching through and redacting (editing electronically) many thousands of pieces of correspondence. Until this has been done, Scottish Borders Council has no option but to remove information from our website. We have started work on ‘live’ planning applications in order that people may continue to gain access to the fullest range of information when viewing current proposals. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. This does not prevent you from making an online application or representation and we would urge that you still do this. All personal details will be removed from new online submissions.
More detailed information on Public Access is also available.

ePlanning Public Access Survey

If you are an ePlanning Public Access user please share your user experience with us through a secure online survey. It is open to all service users and will be used to evaluate the current service and help to shape the future of the ePlanning service. The survey will take approximately ten minutes to complete. Your user feedback is appreciated.