Can I view planning applications from decades ago?

melb

hi there I am familiar with the planning portal on my local council's website but does anyone know how I can look for historic applications from probably 40 or 50 years ago on a particular house?
The reason I ask is a house has come up for sale opposite us and on the estate agent's details it says that "on the deeds for the house there is planning permission for a pair of semi-detached houses" on the back garden (it is very large and could accommodate them).
I haven't heard of planning applications being on deeds before (but what do i know and why would they lie about it) but have been trying unsuccessfully to find out online where I might be able to see the application if it does exist.
Many thanks for any help.

Alter_ego

40-50 years ago online applications did not exist. Unless they have scanned paper ones & put on line it's very doubtful if they are available. Perhaps in CC archives.
Planning permission will have expired anyway.

melb

thanks for your reply - yes in our area it expires if you do not start building within 3 years and have not renewed it.  I suppose if permission was given at any stage in the past it will make it more likely to be given now - especially as new homes are springing up everywhere locally (quite rightly in my opinion as I am not a NIMBY lol!)

FreeBear

Pretty sure planning permission expires after 3 years regardless of where you are in England/Wales. Local development policy changes over time, so whilst PP may have been granted 40 years ago, it doesn't always follow that it would be granted now.

Mutton_Geoff

If you make an appointment (when they are open again), the planning department will bring the property file from the library to a desk where you can view the documents. You can buy copies of the documents from them but they don't like you taking photos of anything. For my last house, I did this and saw previous planning applications for work that was carried out in the early 1960s and again in the mid 1970s.

TELLIT01

If the estate agent are providing that information, they may have a photocopy of the deeds and would be willing to let you see them, assuming you are interesting in purchasing the property.

Davesnave

FreeBear said:

Pretty sure planning permission expires after 3 years regardless of where you are in England/Wales.

......unless a significant start is made on the proposed work.

In the past, I've seen a site with footings from ages ago for sale with the assumption that work could be resumed.

DevilDamo

melb said:

I am familiar with the planning portal on my local council's website

So you are aware those are two different things and that you cannot search the Planning Portal for Local Authority Planning applications

As others have said, it is rare for historic applications to have been uploaded to the LPA’s public access system. In some instances, applications for new development usually results in the LPA going back through the archives and uploading the information in that particular property. If anything was to be uploaded, it would more than likely be the Planning approval as opposed to any drawings.