Planning Flashcards
(72 cards)
What are the stages of the development application and appeals process?
- Pre-Application
- Application and validation (3 to 5 working days)
- Determination period – minor apps 8 weeks, major 13 weeks, EIA 16wks
- Consultation and Publicity - relevant stakeholders, including statutory consultees (e.g., highways authorities, environmental agencies) and the public. Varies but 21 days.
Decision – deletation or committee - Appeal to the planning inspectorate – within 6 months (household is 12 weeks).
- Written representations – statements and evidence / Hearings – more formal. Public – Inquires.
Provide an overview of the consultation process and stakeholder management
- Led by the LPA.
- Applicant submits details of anyone interested in the land
Provide an overview of the decision-making process and role of key stakeholders
- LPA with Planning Officers, Planning Committees (Councillors), Statutory Consultees (Highways, EA, Natural England, Historia England) and Local Residents. Planning Inspectorate.
What is the purpose of pre-application advice?
To confirm validation requirements
This ensures that all necessary information is provided before formal application.
What should a planner be familiar with regarding their locality?
Appropriate planning policy and procedures
This includes understanding local regulations and guidelines.
What types of site surveys and details are important?
Site planning history, flood risk, biodiversity, archaeology, architectural character, conservation, accessibility, highways, services and utilities
Each aspect plays a crucial role in the planning process.
What are Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)?
Documents that assist a Local Plan, providing further clarity for decisions on issues like affordable housing and sustainability
SPDs help to elaborate on policies within the Local Plan.
What is the role of design guides in planning?
They are often adopted as SPDs and provide material weight in planning decisions
Design guides help maintain consistency and quality in developments.
What are design codes?
Detailed rules adopted as part of a Local Plan or as SPDs, giving them material weight
Design codes ensure that developments adhere to specific standards and criteria.
What planning obligations are you aware of?
- Section 106.
- Section 278.
- Community Infrastructure Levy.
What is a Section 106?
- It was established under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 and is a legally binding planning obligation between a Local Authority and the developer and is negotiated in order to give planning consent.
- It is a contribution that seeks to minimise the impact of the development on the local community with the developer either carrying out works which will provide community benefits or giving money to the LA to fund community improvements.
- It is often used to improve approach roads, provide new open space or fund repairs to historic buildings.
- Contribution must be reasonable, relevant & necessary to planning e.g. regarding scale.
What is your understanding of a Section 278?
- Established under the Highways Act 1980.
- It is an obligation for a private developer to fund and carryout improvements to the road network if the development is likely to impact on the existing infrastructure.
- Improvements can take the form of traffic control measures or in exceptional circumstances, new roads
What is your understanding of the Community Infrastructure Levy?
- It is a levy charged by local authorities to capture the value in land gained when developers receive planning permission.
- It is charged at a per square meter rate by individual councils and is used to fund district-wide infrastructure needs; parks, schools, community facilities, health facilities and leisure centres.
- The rate differs depending on the development and exemptions are given to charities and social housing; LBE is £35, Islington £80 - £450 per sqm.
- Section 106 planning obligations can still be used for site-specific mitigation measures.
- Applied on developments over 100 sqm.
What is the difference between the Community Infrastructure Levy and a Section 106?
- CIL applies to all schemes that qualify.
- S106 applies only to schemes whose development affects a community.
- S106 – to the land not the person.
- Not all authorities adopted CIL
- S106 can be on affordable housing
- CIL is worked out at a fixed rate: S106 is calculated as whatever’s reasonable for its scale & impact
- Aim of CIL is to reduce the negotiation required to complete a S.106 agreement and standardise and speed up the planning approach
What does a planning application contain?
Each Local Planning Authority differs with their requirements but generally contain the following:
1. Completed application form.
2. Application fee.
3. GEA & GIA summary.
4. Full set of drawings: architectural, landscape, civil & services engineering, CGIs.
5. Site location plan.
6. Design & Access Statement.
7. Energy Statement that demonstrates the proposed development will meet the highest standards of sustainable design and construction.
8. Details of materials including samples if necessary.
9. Assessment of flood risk.
10. Details of employment.
11. Green travel plan.
12. Transport assessment.
13. Ownership certificates.
14. Sequential Needs assessment.
15. Statement of community involvement.
16. Secure by design statement.
17. Arboricultural survey.
18. EIA survey.
19. Landscape: Visual impact & open space assessment.
20. Air quality.
21. Noise impact.
22. Contractor’s method statement.
23. Site waste management plan
What is a Design & Access Statement?
It’s a supporting document for a planning application that illustrates the process behind, and justification of, the proposal. It also details how people of all ages and abilities can use the building.
How would you manage the process of discharging planning conditions?
- Liaise closely with the architect – requesting weekly updates of discharging of conditions.
- Liaise with the Clerk of Works to gain an opinion of whether building works were in line with planning requirements.
Produce a planning tracker to record:
o Discharged conditions.
o Outstanding conditions.
o Pre-Commencement conditions - e.g:
o Provision of a green roofs.
o Surface water drainage plan.
o Final Waste Servicing Management Plan.
o Section 278.
o Section 106.
o Ecological Assessment.
What is the Town and Country Planning Act 1947?
- Planning permission was required for land development , ownership alone no longer meant you had the right to develop.
- Introduced local authorities and local plans
What is the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended),
- Superseded 1947 / dived planning up / public / introduced S.106 and Planning Conditions
which governs land use and development permissions.
What is the NPPF?
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which sets out planning policies in England and how they should be applied
- Guidance for local planning authorities (LPAs) and decision-makers, both in terms of plan making (Local Plans) and decision making (positive and creative)
Balances economic growth with environmental protection.
- Streamlines the planning process.
- Devolves power to local authorities.
- Presumption in favour of sustainable development.
What are the recent NPPF changes?
- Prioritizing brownfield development, and considering “grey belt” development
- mandatory housing targets
- support LPAs
- Require Local Plans /
What are Planning Practice Guidance (PPG)?
- documents issued by the UK government to provide detailed advice on specific planning topics
What is the hierarchy of planning policy?
- NPPF (and PPGs)
- Local Planning
- Neighbourhood Planning