Applications

This page details how application procedures take place at the Council's Development Control section. 

Pre-application advice

1. Provide full and comprehensive pre-application advice.
2. Further details of this are included in the Planning Control and Conservation Protocol, available from the Planning Control section.
3. Register and acknowledge all complete applications within 2 working days.
4. Where an application is incomplete, write and advise, within 2 working days, what is required to register it.
5. Publicise all applications, advertise them as required and consult immediate neighbours.
6. Encourage all those with a legitimate interest in an application to make comments, even where they have not received written notification.

Consideration of Applications

1. Provide information on the current status of an application.
2. Assess all comments in the context of development plan policies, national planning advice and all other material considerations. The receipt of objections will not necessarily result in an application being refused, nor will the absence of objections result in an automatic approval.
3. Visit the site to assess the impact of the proposal.

Determination of Applications

1. Where an application is to be determined by committee, to write and advise the applicant, agent and anyone who wrote in to comment on the application 5 working days before the relevant committee.
2. Make officer reports to the committee available for public inspection 5 working days before the relevant committee date.
3. Produce a written report on all applications.
4. Aim to determine 60% of major applications which include over 10 dwellings or 1000 square metres of industrial, commercial or distribution floorspace within 13 weeks.
5. Aim to determine 75% of minor applications minor which include under 10 dwellings and less than 1000 square metres of industrial, commercial or distribution floorspace within 8 weeks.
6. Aim to determine 80% applications which include change of use, householder developments, advertisements, listed building and conservation area consents within 8 weeks.

Decision Notices

1. Issue a decision notice within 3 working days of the decision being made.
2. Aim to complete legal agreements within 3 months of the committees' resolution to grant permission subject to such an agreement.
3. Advise anyone who wrote in about an application of the decision within 5 working days of the decision being issued.

Call-in of Applications

1. City Councillors have the power to 'call in' applications categorised as 'delegated of officers' for determination by an Area Committee.
2. A call into an Area Committee requires written requests from 4 Councillors, on valid planning grounds, before the end of the statutory consultation period.
3. Where applications are determined by an Area Committee, there is a 5-day call in period where the application can be called in to the Strategic Development Control Committee. Again 4 Councillors' written requests are a pre-requisit.
4. Similarly, in the circumstances referred to above, certain decisions made by the Strategic Development Control Committee are subject to a 2-day call in period.
5. Once an application has been called in to Strategic Development Control Committee, the constitution does not provide any more call in powers.
6. Only applications which were considered by Strategic Development Control Committee in the first instance can be called in to full Council, at the written request of 12 Councillors.

Page last reviewed 9 Apr 2008