Planning Applications - Information about Development
Control
The Development Control Section is responsible for assessing
proposals for the development and use of land and buildings to
ensure that the amenities of the district's residents are protected
and that new development is of high design quality.
Planning proposals are judged against the Council's adopted
policies, taking into account national planning policy. The Council
has also produced a series of Supplementary Planning Documents that
provide more detailed advice on design and development. For more
advice on planning policy, please click the link on the left of the
page.
The first recommended stage in the application process is to
contact a planning officer for informal advice and guidance on your
proposal. Once it is clear that planning consent is required, you
may then wish to proceed to a formal application. For applications
to alter or extend your home, and many other small scale proposals,
a decision will be reached in less than 8 weeks. More information
about the arrangements for processing applications can be found in
the Flowchart of Process. The majority of planning consents are
issued with a standard condition requiring the development to be
commenced within three years of the date of the decision notice -
you should bear this point in mind when submitting your application
for determination.
Development Team Approach
For the majority of householder applications and minor
development proposals, discussion with a planning officer will be
all that is required prior to submitting a planning
application.
However, major housing and employment schemes, for example,
pre-application discussions will be more detailed and complex. For
such proposals we will follow a development team approach and seek
to involve all the relevant professional officers in the
discussions. In addition, developers may be advised to carry out
some advance consultations on their proposals and seek input from
elected Members and others.
The arrangements for dealing with the pre-application stage of
such applications will vary from case to case, but will usually be
discussed and agreed at the first development team meeting.
Public Access for Planning
You can view or comment on planning applications through our
'Public Access for Planning' service. Please click the 'View
Planning Applications' link on the left hand menu for more
information.
Consultation
We have set out the arrangements for consultation on planning
applications in our adopted Statement of Community Involvement. If
you are a neighbour likely to be affected by a development
proposal, you will be consulted for your views. Full details of the
arrangements for consultation can be found in sections 7 and 8 of
the Statement of Community Involvement, which can be found by
clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
Making an Application
The preferred method for submitting a planning application is
online through the Planning Portal. You will need to register your
details, but the procedure is simple and straightforward and, if
plans are submitted electronically as well as the application, you
will avoid the requirement to provide multiple paper copies. Full
details can be found by clicking the 'Make a Planning Application'
link on the left of this page.
Validation of Applications
You must ensure that you provide all the necessary documentation
with your planning application to enable it to be validated
following submission to us. All applications must be accompanied by
documents and plans specified nationally by the government. In
addition, we have specified a number of local documents that might
be required to support your application. The national and local
requirements are set out in our publication 'Validation of Planning
Applications' - there is a link to the document at the bottom of
this page. You will also find a validation checklist linked to each
different type of planning application form when you click on 'Make
a Planning Application'.
Further Advice
You will find much advice on the website about the planning
process. The 'Questions and Answers' link at the bottom of the page
seeks to address the majority of issues and concerns raised by
applicants. If you cannot find the answer to your question please
call or email the planning department and we will provide an answer
to your question as quickly as possible. If you call at the
reception at the Council's Offices in Rochford you will be able to
speak to the Duty Planning Officer.
Tel: 01702 318 191
Email: planning.applications@rochford.gov.uk
Finally
It is important to bear in mind that your scheme might require
approval under the provisions of the Building Regulations, even if
planning permission is not required.