Development Control

The Government has increased the fees for planning applications from April 6 2008. A summary of the revised fees and the Government directive mandating these may be downloaded at  the foot of this page.

Development Control is responsible for handling all local planning applications. If you  propose to develop land,  construct  new buildings, extend  existing ones or change the use of a building or piece of land you will normally have to make an application for planning permission.  We all want to live in a comfortable environment and it is the duty of the  Local Authority to control the sort of development which can take place in your area.  Using planning permission we can balance the need for building and improving homes, businesses and industrial premises with the need to maintain the environment so that our surroundings do not become overcrowded or unsightly.

There are two Development Control teams: One for the northern part of the Borough and the other for the southern part of the Borough. Each team covers the whole range of applications for their area, ranging from major developments such as housing estates and shopping centres down to householder applications for small extensions and the like.

You can submit applications online using the new national single planning application form (1APP as it is known) on the Planning Portal by clicking Apply Online above (you will need to register with them first but this is a simple process).  You can also get a paper copy from the portal after registering with them.   If you cannot access the portal then please contact our Customer Service Centre on 01628-683810 for assistance or to obtain a paper copy of the relevant forms, although we would encourage you to use the portal in the first instance.

Every week we publish lists of the applications we have recieved and those we have decided which can be seen here on the website. Some decisions are made by special panels and the proceedings of these panels can be seen using the link  on this page. You can also obtain a range of leaflets dealing with planning and our Planning Matters newsletter.

Remember that in addition to planning permission your proposed development may also require Building Regulation approval. You can contact our Building Control Consultancy to obtain more advice.  Certain home improvements are exempt from the requirement to submit a Building Regulation application.  You may complete and return our pre-submission application form to obtain confirmation in writing as to whether your proposal is exempt.  In addition, there is also a booklet entitled 'Building Regulations Explanatory Booklet'.  Please contact the Building Control Consultancy for a copy.

•   Summary of Fee changes April 6 2008 (pdf 44Kb)

•   Planning Fees Circular 2008 (pdf 63Kb)