Local authority views

How to find out a local authority's views
You can get a clear indication of the local authority's view on an application from the report the planning officer has prepared for the planning committee.

This report will carry a recommendation and must be made available to the public at least three days before the committee is due to sit.

You can usefully get an earlier feel for the report's likely recommendation if you have a good relationship with the planning officers.

They are often prepared to informally discuss the issues and any objections to the application.

Talk to local councillors

It is important to brief them because they might vote to approve an application even if an officer recommends refusal; conversely, they can decide to not endorse the officer's recommendation to approve.

If the planning committee decides to approve a departure application, what happens next varies among local authorities. In some authorities the decision is passed to a meeting of the full council for formal ratification. If this is the case, you may have breathing space in which to seek a call-in. In any case, try to find out what the procedures are in advance.