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Development Control

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** The Government have made a number of recent announcements relating to planning controls, for example, changes to permitted development. In the majority of cases the proposals are subject to consultation and are not part of the planning legislation. The only change that has been confirmed relates to Part 3 Schedule 2, Class F and Class G of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 where from the 1st October 2012 provided the proposal complies with the conditions set out in Class F and Class G, it will be permitted to convert the space above shop or office (Class A1 and A2) into 2 flats rather than just one and to allow for this change to be reversed without the need for planning permission. **

Development Control is responsible for handling all local planning permission 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.

You can submit applications online using the new national single planning application form (1APP as it is known) on the Planning Portal by clicking the Apply Online tab at the top of this page (you will need to register with them first but this is a simple process). 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.

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 a Building Control 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.

From 22 November 2012 the Borough implemented new statutory fees for deciding request submitted to comply with conditions on planning permissions. The fee for each request is £28 for extensions and alterations to individual houses and £97 for requests in relation to other applications. We have produced a customer guide to explain more about the fees and how we will deal with your requests. Entitled "Discharging Planning Conditions", it can be viewed by selecting the link to customer guides to the right.