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The process

Whenever a local planning authority receives a planning application, it is bound by law to publicise it.

It must publish a notice in a local newspaper and either post a notice on the site that passers-by can see or notify the occupiers and owners of adjoining properties. Many local authorities do more than the minimum.


Minimum publicity requirements
As laid out in the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order, article 8.

Nature of development publicity required

  • Development that is likely to have a significant effect on the environment and so is subject to an environmental impact assessment
    • Local planning authority puts advertisement in newspaper and puts up site notice
  • Development that represents a departure from the development plan
    • Local planning authority puts advertisement in newspaper and puts up site notice
  • Development that affects a public right of way
    • Local planning authority puts advertisement in newspaper and puts up site notice
  • Development that affects the setting of a listed building
    • Local planning authority puts advertisement in newspaper and puts up site notice
  • Development that affects the character or appearance of a conservation area
    • Local planning authority puts advertisement in newspaper and puts up site notice
  • Major development (i.e. the erection of 10 or more dwellings, or in other cases the creation of either 1000m2 or more of floor space, or a site area of 1 hectare or more)
    • Local planning authority puts advertisement in newspaper and either puts up site notice or notifies neighbours
  • Development in none of the categories above or a prior approval application for telecommunications development
    • Local planning authority puts up site notice or notifies neighbours
  • Permitted development that requires prior approval by the local planning authority (except for telecommunications development)
    • Applicant puts up a site notice

Your local planning authority has to consult an array of organisations whose interests may be affected by a proposed development (according to Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995, article 10).

For potential impacts on traffic volumechange in road character, local planning authorities consult the local highways authority, which is usually the county council.

In limited circumstances, impacts concerning waste, water or air pollution are referred to the Environment Agency and applications that could affect wildlife are assessed by English Nature.

You will have a few weeks in which to comment on the planning application.

The deadline for comments is 21 days from the date a site notice is put up or notice is served on neighbours, or 14 days from the date an advertisement appears in a local newspaper (reference: The Town & Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995, article 19).

Parish or town councils have 14 days to make any representations from the date they were notified (according to article 13).

A local authority will either approve the application, sometimes with conditions or obligations, or refuse it.

In either case, the local planning authority must give reasons for its decision. Until recently, it was only necessary to give reasons for refusing planning permission.

It usually makes a decision within eight weeks. If it takes longer than eight weeks, the applicant may appeal to the secretary of state

If the application departs from the development plan and the planning authority intends to approve it, it must inform the secretary of state.

The secretary of state may then 'call in' that application - or indeed call in other controversial planning applications - which effectively takes the matter out of the local planning authority's hands.

Staying informed
To find out about planning applications in your area

Keep in touch with your local CPRE district or county group, which usually gets the weekly lists of planning applications
 
Ask your local planning authority to send you a weekly list of planning applications. There is often a charge for this service. Many local planning authorities provide the service by email, and it is more likely to be free if you choose this option


Ask your planning authority to inform you of any application that is likely to concern you


Scan local newspapers for lists of more significant applications