Planning Applications

What happens to my planning application?

Receipt & Registration

Once we have received your application, an acknowledgement letter will be sent on day of receipt.  We will then check the application to make sure that it contains the necessary information and meets the legal requirements. This includes all the necessary plans/drawings, certificate of ownership and the appropriate fee. If we do not have all the information, we will not be able to register the application and we will write and tell you.

Once your application has been checked, an acknowledgement letter will be sent to you. This will provide you with the name of the case officer dealing with your application, plus your application reference number. You will need to quote this in making any contact by phone or in writing to us.

Please note: only the case officer dealing with your application, as named on your acknowledgement letter, will be able to deal with any detailed enquiries about your application. Other officers within the department will have no information about your proposal and will therefore not be able to handle any enquiries. Again, if you have an agent we will deal directly with them.

Consultations

When an application for planning permission is received, details of the application will be publicised. This is so that people living near the site of any proposed development are made aware of the proposals. It also provides an opportunity for people to comment on how they think the proposed development might affect them, or the general amenity and character of the area. This publicity can take the form of letters, site notices or adverts in the local press. Consultees will have 21 days to comment on the application, after which a decision can be made.

Consultations will also take place with statutory agencies, utility companies, Town and Community Councils and other sections of the Authority such as Highways and Public Protection.

A weekly list of submitted applications, giving details of the proposal is produced and is available to the public for inspection at County Hall.

Site Visit/Additional Information

The case officer will carry out a site visit and seek any additional information that may be required.

We cannot accept amendments to applications once they have been submitted. If you wish to change elements of your application you may be advised to withdraw the application and resubmit it.

Decision

Once the consultation period is over, and the officer has made any necessary visits and has all the information required, a decision on the application can be made.