Determining planning applications

Determining planning applications

The Planning Officer dealing with the application will:

• make an assessment of the site
• assess any comments
• take account of relevant planning policies 
  and
• may discuss amendments with the applicant (or their agent) before the application is determined (based on our guidance on negotiation)

A decision will not be made until the consultation or publicity period is finished. However, after these time periods have passed then the application will be determined either by:

• our officers (Officer scheme of delegation of our Constitution)
  or
• our Planning Committee

An officer’s report is produced for each application, and this, together with the decision notice, is available through our searchable planning databases shortly after the decision is made.

How long will it take

We will try to decide most major applications within 13 weeks and non-major applications within 8 weeks.

Anything needing an Environmental Impact Assessment has a set period of 16 weeks.

Extending how long it will take us

If the application cannot be determined in the target time, the Planning officer will communicate this to the applicant and seek to negotiate an Extension of Time.

An Extension of Time (EOT) is an agreement between us and the applicant to allow the decision-making timescales to be extended.

It is a shared understanding with the applicant as to what steps need to be taken before we can determine the application (and the likely timescale for these to take place).

Both our Planning officer and the applicant needs to agree to it.

Benefits can include:

• giving the applicant time provide further information
• avoiding us refusing the application in order address concerns and allows us to grant planning permission
• demonstrates a commitment from the applicant to work with us and prevents them from submitting a planning appeal on the grounds of non-determination (this ensures that the decision on the application will continue to be made locally by us)

We do want to reduce the use of EoTs where possible and our officers will consider this when deciding if an EoT is appropriate - particularly for householder developments.

Any EoT agreements will be published with the application documents for transparency to allow interested third parties to see why an application hasn't been determined.

If there is a delay on an application and we haven't agreed an EoT, we will also publish why not.

Decisions

Last updated 12 December 2024