Planning Permission
Background Information
The planning system is important for regulating the local environment in our towns and cities as well as our countryside. Planning regulations are administered by Local Planning Authorities; these can be County, District, Borough or Unitary authorities. Your project may need planning permission; you can easily find this out by contacting your local planners for a chat as soon as possible. If it turns out you do need planning permission this will enable both you and them to identify any potential problems in advance and possible avenues to solving them.
There are two types of planning application:
- Outline application - This only applies to large developments such as new housing estates, business parks etc. This application can often be just a simple location plan and a site plan showing the siting of any building, its external appearance, access routes, landscaping and design.
- Full application - Covers smaller developments including some project work. You will need to provide detailed information about the appearance of the project including the type and colours of materials you are planning to use.
The local planning authority also give approval on:
- Listed building consent
- Conservation area consent
- Tree preservation orders
- Rights of Way
- Advertisement consent
- Change of use
It's worth knowing that planning authorities have a lot of scope in the discretion and judgement on the planning decisions they make. It really is worthwhile talking to them first.
You will need to pay a fee for your planning application, the amount will depend on what your application is for, but the cost will be the same with each local authority. Click here to download the Town and Country Planning Fees (PDF Document, 17Kb). Some Parish Councils, charities and community groups may be eligible for discounts. To find out more ask your local planning officer.
Making an Application
Making a planning application is not as complicated as it may first appear, however at some point in the process you may need to use professional services. You may have someone within your group who can provide these services. If not don't panic as there are many voluntary organisations that can provide your group with help, in particular Planning Aid* which is provides free planning advice for charities and community groups.
Step by Step
1.
- Check what types of approval are needed for your project
- Find out how much your application will cost
- Identify potential problems
2. Talk about your proposals to:
- Your local planners
- Local residents and interest groups
- Local councillors, the parish or community council
3. Complete your application form, ensure you have all the paperwork you need and then send it to your local planning authority with the fee.
4. Make sure you have allowed time in your project timetable to get planning permission.
Timescale
It should take your local planning authority about 8 weeks to process your application and give you a decision. If the proposed development is complicated this may take longer and your local planning authority will let you know if this is the case. Find out the name of the planner who is dealing with your application and keep in touch, this way if any problems occur you'll be able to discuss and resolve them quickly.
Conditions
The planners may give planning permission but impose conditions on the development. This may cover a number of things including landscaping - appearance and species, appearance of a building, materials to be used, levels of noise allowed and maintenance agreements. These conditions must be met. If they aren't the planning authority may take enforcement to make the group comply.
Refusal
Your local planning authority may refuse your planning application,
however, discussing your project and keeping in contact should enable
you to resolve any problems that may arise. If they do refuse your application
they will give you the reasons in writing.
If you are unhappy about the reasons (or about any conditions imposed
on planning permission) you can talk to your local planning authority
to find out if changes to the application will make a difference. You
can make 1 modified application within 12 months free of charge.
Remember - talking to your local planning authority at an early stage in your project can help make the process much smoother and allow you to identify and resolve any potential problems before they become problems.
Further Information
The urban Planning Pack is a handy publication which
aims to guide you through the planning system. It is available from:
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
41 Botolph Lane
London
EC3R 8DL
Tel: 0207 9299494
E-mail: online@rtpi.org.uk