Planning decisions on householder and other minor applications are usually completed within 8 weeks. Major applications may take 13 weeks to decide or longer (these may benefit from a formal planning performance agreement with the applicant).
The planning process can be complicated with many stages. Key stages are set out below and you can find out more about the decision making process for planning applications on the planning portal.
Validation of applications
When an application is is received it is checked to make sure we have all the correct information and fees. This is known as validation.
Assessing planning applications
All applications are assessed against the adopted policies of the development plan.
Consultations on Planning Applications are carried out to make sure that people who may be affected are aware of the application, and have an opportunity to comment.
Making a decision
95% of applications are decided by a senior planning officer under powers delegated to them by elected members of the council. More contentious applications are considered by the Planning Applications Committee.
We aim to make decisions within the statutory period but this is not always possible.
When your application(s) has been determined you will be sent a decision notice(s) by post:
- if the application is approved, the notice will set out any conditions attached to the approval and the reason for these conditions
- if the application is refused the notice will set out the reasons. You then have the opportunity to make an appeal