Start with the official service
Official Edinburgh planning actions
How to submit a planning application in Edinburgh
Planning applications in Edinburgh are submitted through ePlanning Scotland. The City of Edinburgh Council's guidance explains the local application process and directs users to the official service.
Before starting, make sure you understand the type of consent that may be relevant to the proposal. Planning permission, listed-building consent, advertisement consent and a certificate of lawfulness are separate routes with different purposes. The Council or a suitably qualified adviser can help with a property-specific question.
- Use ePlanning Scotland for the official online application
- Use the Council's guidance for local requirements
- Check whether another consent may also apply
- Keep proposal-specific advice with the authority or a qualified professional
Planning permission and building warrants are different
Planning permission concerns development and land use: broadly, what is proposed, where it is proposed and its relevant effects. A building warrant concerns whether building work complies with building regulations. A project can require one, both or neither depending on its facts.
Project Intel does not decide whether a permission or warrant is required. For food-and-drink premises, the Council's official guidance is a useful starting point because planning, building warrant, listed-building, roads and licensing matters can overlap.
How to search, view and comment
Use the official Council route to search by address, application reference or other available criteria, view public documents and submit a comment where the consultation remains open. The weekly lists are also useful for understanding applications received and decisions made.
A public record is a starting point, not a full account of delivery. Application status, documents, conditions, amendments and related records should be checked directly before relying on a particular proposal.
What Edinburgh planning records can reveal
Planning records can show proposed property change: a change of use, refurbishment, extension, shopfront, signage, seating, extraction or wider development. They can help owners, operators, advisers and local trades identify records worth reviewing in more detail.
They should be interpreted cautiously. A record may be amended, delayed, refused, withdrawn or never delivered. The useful next question is often what new official or public evidence would make the proposal more relevant.
Edinburgh hospitality evidence · 15 May–14 August 2026
The free Project Intel review groups the evidence into a defined three-month period. It includes hospitality property changes and supporting wider context; it is not a live total of every current Edinburgh application.
Examples of what the evidence can show
These examples are drawn from the stated report period. They are not current-status claims: check the official record before acting.
Hospitality conversion
The review includes office-to-hotel and apartment-hotel conversion themes, where the public record may justify closer review of internal change, services and access.
Check next: Confirm the latest planning position, likely timetable and who will appoint contractors.
Restaurant and listed-building work
The evidence includes restaurant works involving alterations and an extension at a listed property, illustrating how heritage requirements can shape a proposal.
Check next: Review the official record for the applicable consents and current status.
Public-house extraction and frontage
Records for existing hospitality premises can include frontage alterations, signage and proposed extract flues, potentially relevant to specialist services.
Check next: Check the technical detail, delivery timing and any other required permissions.
Edinburgh evidence
Explore the evidence in more detail
Start with the free three-month review of proposed changes to Edinburgh hospitality properties. The £195 Evidence Pack provides the full 54-property schedule and source-linked records; tailored support is available for another area, sector or trade.
Related Project Intel pages
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official Edinburgh planning application form?
Use ePlanning Scotland to start an online planning application. The official action panel above links directly to that service.
Can Project Intel submit my planning application?
No. Project Intel is independent of the Council and does not submit, process or determine planning applications.
How can I find planning applications near an address?
Use the City of Edinburgh Council's official search and view route. You can then check the relevant public record and supporting documents.
What is the difference between planning permission and a building warrant?
Planning permission concerns development and land use. A building warrant concerns compliance with building regulations. A project may require one, both or neither, depending on the facts.
Does planning approval mean building work will start?
No. Approval does not prove funding, delivery timing, procurement, contractor appointment or that work will proceed.
What is included in the £195 Evidence Pack?
The Edinburgh Hospitality Evidence Pack includes the 54-property schedule, wider-development and supplier-context records, detailed references and source-linked evidence from the defined review.