Planning information and advice

Stages of the application process

Stage 1 - Acknowledgement and Publicity

The Council will acknowledge your application. If necessary your neighbours will be invited to inspect the plans and make comments. Local papers sometimes list applications which have been submitted. Other consultations will be made e.g. Highway engineers as necessary.

Stage 2 - Site visit and assessment

A planning officer will visit the site, by appointment if necessary, to enable an assessment to be made. He or she will have to judge its impact on the street scene and the outlook and amenity of your neighbours amongst other things. At this Stage amendments may be suggested to make the scheme more acceptable.

Stage 3 - Report and recommendation

A report will be prepared which describes the proposal, the results of any consultations, including objections, and the issues raised with a conclusion recommending a decision.

Stage 4 - Decision

In simple cases where no objections are received and all proposals for house extensions the applications are normally determined by the Department of Development and Environmental Services. These are known as delegated decisions.

Other applications are considered by the Planning Control Committee made up of local councillors. The Planning Committee meetings are open for the public to attend and both applicants and objectors are invited to speak if they wish under the Council's Have your Say initiative.

When a decision has been made a notice will be sent to you, or your agent, informing you of the outcome.

If permission is granted then conditions may be attached which you will have to comply with.

Sometimes neighbours who have objected are unhappy that permission has been granted but they have no right to appeal against such a decision.

If planning permission is refused then the Council must give you good planning reasons, often to do with the impact of your scheme on the local area. If you wish you may appeal to the Secretary of State for the Environment against the Council's decision..

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