Tactical Planning

Pre-planning Phase

Local Councils encourage applicants, developers and their agents to engage in pre-application discussions, especially with major development proposals.

The value of these discussions with local planning offices cannot be under-estimated.

Pre-planning discussions help in “testing the waters” by providing early indications of the local authority’s view of a scheme.

It also clarifies the necessary information requirements for subsequent applications, helps improve the quality of development proposals, assists in providing certainty to developers, as well as saving time and money spent on working up proposals.

The Planning Office will make it clear as to where modifications or amendments could make the proposal acceptable in principle, and equally, if the scheme is wholly unacceptable, where it is in conflict with policy or guidance.

Planning Application Phase

When submitting a planning application, especially a 'full application', all details of the proposal should be submitted to the Planning Office.

When the formal application form is received, it will be checked and entered into the 'Planning Register' and allocated a dedicated number. However, it will not receive 'validation' until the planning department is satisfied that the minimum required documents have been submitted.

However, an application may still have certain documents missing (which may not be critical enough to stop the validation process) and these will still be receiving close attention/amendment. Furthermore, there may be other applications for related developments that have not yet been submitted, upon which the main application may be dependent.

Withdrawal of Application

If it becomes clear that an application would be recommended for refusal, a developer may choose to 'withdraw' the application and resubmit it again later after taking on board advice.

If the re-application is only perceived as being revised, then as long as it is resubmitted within 12 months of the original application date, no further planning charges will be incurred.

If however the application has materially changed, it could be perceived that a new application has been submitted and thus planning charges will be incurred all over again.

Evaluation Phase

There must be a clear division between the role of pre-planning assistance and one of evaluation of the application in my mind. By its very nature, a planning application cannot be an amorphic document constantly changing after submission. There has to be a cut-off point.

Any liaison role between developer, planning office and specialist consultees would then have to cease I feel. It is only right and proper to enable a full evaluation to take place on the merits of the application, prior to writing up the report for Committee, without submitted documents being constantly altered.

Questions I'd like to ask:

1. How far into the planning process does the pre-planning 'customer service' role extend?

2. What dictates the dividing line between a 'new' and 'revised' application?

3. If there are missing documents or other applications upon which the main application is dependent, is it right these are still outstanding or receiving attention when the main application has been validated?

4. When does a customer advice role switch to one of plan evaluation?

I'm particularly interested to see the extent to which experienced developers can perhaps influence a local planning office into providing a preferential service, using it almost like a technical consultancy service. This may also extend to the specialist consultees that applicants continually meet with as well.

For more information, see the NKDC website.

The Planning Application Process

http://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/section.asp?docId=3386

The Validation Process

http://uk.sitestat.com/nkesteven/nkesteven/s?North_Kesteven.Environment_Planning_and_Waste.Planning.Development_Control.The_Planning_Process.Local_Validation_Criteriapdf&ns_type=pdf&ns_url=http://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/upload/public/attachments/992/Local_Validation_Criteria.pdf