Major Applications Protocols

Pre-Application.

1.When initial contact is made with the Planning Services regarding a proposal that will lead to a major application being submitted the following protocols come into play:

2.A project team meeting will be convened, this should comprise the following:

  • Planning Officer
  • Team Leader
  • Development Control Manager

3.The applicant/developer will be asked to put in writing details of the scheme and accompanying drawings.

4.On receipt of information, consideration of proposal to be undertaken by the project team, which will also include the Head of Planning Services, housing, environmental health, conservation, design and highways input as necessary.

5.If the matter is straightforward, the planning officer will give comments to the applicant by telephone or letter as appropriate.

6.If the matter is not straightforward and the project team agree a meeting with the applicant/developer is necessary the applicant/developer will be invited to meet with the project team. Officers will provide initial views as far as they can at this stage.

7.The Head of Planning Services will report the contact to Corporate Director – Environment and it will be flagged up at Departmental Management Team meeting and its progress will be tracked at DMT.

8.Where it is agreed that the Councils written comments are needed, a letter will be sent to the applicant with officers’ views of the proposal. This will be within 4 weeks of the meeting.

9.When the applicant considers that the application is ready for submission a further meeting with the Project Team is advised. At such a meeting a multi- disciplinary presence will be available.

10.The meeting will establish the resources required to process the application and likely potential blocks, for example, will the Council require specialist consultants or additional admin support for extensive consultation; a potential block for example, may be the concerns of the Highway Agency regarding capacity of the M5  thus transport models and prior dialogue with the Highways Agency may be required before an application is lodged with the District Council; but it could also involve an SSSIs that would need English Nature involvement etc.

11.The meeting will identify key consultees, those individuals and organisations that need to be involved in the project, such as highways, economic development, environment agency etc.

12.The meeting will identify key documentation that will need to be submitted to support the application, such as:

  • Environmental impact assessment
  • Sustainability assessment
  • Ecological Appraisal
  • Transport assessment
  • Retail impact statement
  • Design statement
  • Conservation appraisals
  • Appropriate flood assessment etc
  • Access statement
  • Details of proposed planning obligations

13.The likely case officer will be identified at this meeting and if appropriate a lead Project Officer.

14.If the scale of the development justifies a project officer approach the Project Officer will take over the ownership of this project in terms of processing the application.

15.The meeting will establish a likely date for the submission of the application and an anticipated determination date that assumes the applicant will submit the documentation identified at the meeting.

16.The Case Officer/Project Officer will identify a work programme/project timetable that will detail:

  • Date for advertising application
  • Consultation period
  • Possible exhibition
  • Public meetings
  • Deadline for receiving any amendments to original proposal – the assumption being that all major applications will go through at least one revision in responding to consultation exercise
  • Deadline for writing reports to DC Committee
  • Date of provision meeting for DC Committee
  • Consideration of whether a steer from elected members is desirable prior to submission of the application.

Valid Applications

17.The Project Officer/case officer shall determine the number of documents/drawings to be submitted with the planning application and shall verify the application can be validated for processing.

18.The developer should be encouraged to find out local concerns before designs are finished.

19.The Planning & Admin Manager and Press Officer will be notified when an application is to be submitted and shall be involved during the consultation arrangements.

Post Submission

20.A project steering meeting of key officers will be set up and time-tabled to meet through to determination.

21. Consideration to be given to the involvement of the Building Control manager.

22.Minutes will be taken of the meeting and actions identified.

23.The minutes/action sheets will be forwarded to the Head of Planning Services for progress tracking at DMT.

Section 106 Agreements

24.The Head of Member and Legal Services shall be informed at the earliest possible opportunity about possible involvement in drafting heads of terms of Section 106 Agreement. If there is a capacity issue that may delay the drafting of the 106 agreement the Head of Legal and Members Services will determine whether the drafting will be put out to the private sector.

25.When a major application is to be recommended for approval subject to a section 106 agreement, a full list of the proposed heads of terms should be attached to the Committee report.

26.The proposed heads of terms should be discussed with the applicant.

27.The solicitor acting for the applicant should be identified and contact with the Council’s solicitor should be established prior to Committee.

28.Confirmation must be sought that the Council’s legal fees will be covered by the applicant.

29.A draft in full of the proposed conditions should be discussed with the applicant.

30.Developers should be encouraged to make available to the Project Officer the results of viability studies on a confidential basis.

Schemes Requiring Revisions

31.Central Government expects the Council to determine 60% of major applications, including the completion of associated legal agreements, within 13 weeks of the date of validation. The targeting of applications for a decision within this deadline will limit the opportunity to negotiate, or make changes to the submitted scheme.

32.Following validation it will not be possible to submit fresh drawings or modifications that alter fundamentally the nature and description of a proposed development. If this is desired then the submission of a fresh application will be necessary and the appropriate application forms will need to be completed.

33.In cases where a major application has been submitted without prior dialogue or where officers comments have been ignored, i.e., where significant revisions are required in order to make it acceptable, the application will be reported to Development Control Committee un-amended. The applicant will, however, have the option to withdraw the application prior to Committee decision and resubmit a revised scheme in the form of a new application.

Karime Hassan
5th May 2005.

Page last updated on 5 December 2007