Service Standards for Planning
The following Service Standards will apply to Planning Services :Development Control
| Service Standards you can expect from us | Your contribution – how you can help us |
| By letter or meeting, as appropriate, we will provide guidance and advice on development proposals including, if possible, the appropriate required fee for such an application before an application is submitted. | Submit a full description of your proposal with, where appropriate, supporting plans and technical information. |
| We will register and acknowledge receipt of planning applications within 3 working days where applications are received complete. | Let us have 5 sets of application forms and plans along with the correct fee. We often need to consult other organisations and extra plans speed up this process. |
| Where applications are not complete for registration we will advise on the necessary amendments within 5 working days. |
| We will seek to raise the standard of development in terms of design, layout and landscaping and will negotiate, where appropriate, to improve submitted proposals. |
| We will decide applications in accordance with Council policies set out in the Development Plan, unless material considerations dictate otherwise. | Make sure that the application plans are accurate and clear and show the site in relation to adjacent properties. |
| Where appropriate we will suggest modifications which could be made to overcome objections to the proposal. |
| We will provide the appropriate Development Control Committee date, except when the application is to be determined under powers delegated to Officers. |
| We will deliver top quartile performance for householder planning applications. | Discuss your proposal with us before formally applying. |
| We will issue decision notices within 2 working days of the decision to approve or refuse your planning application being made. |
Enforcement and Appeals
| Service Standards you can expect from us | Your contribution – how you can help us |
| We will deal with all enquiries in a helpful and courteous manner. | Please provide us with as much information as possible including your name and contact details so that we can advise of progress and seek further information if needed. All details will be kept confidential. |
| We will acknowledge all complaints of a potential breach of planning control within three working days of receiving it. |
| We will visit the site within 1, 3 or 10 working days according to priority, as set out in our Enforcement Policy. |
| We will make an initial assessment of the complaint within 10 working days. This may determine that there is no breach of planning control, that further investigation is necessary, that a breach has occurred, or that urgent action is required. We will advise accordingly. | Please provide further information if you are able to, without putting yourself at risk. |
| We will negotiate in order to resolve the breach and invite a planning application where this would enable the control of development to be best achieved and where such development would otherwise be likely to be in accordance with the Development Plan. |
| We will serve appropriate notices if it is expedient to do so, according to the harm caused, and if the breach cannot be resolved through negotiation. |
| In appropriate cases we will confirm that no further action need be taken. |
Local Development Framework
| Service Standards you can expect from us | Your contribution – how you can help us |
| We will produce a Local Development Framework (LDF) to replace the adopted Local Plan. This will be a series of separate documents. The documents, their content and timetables will be set out in the Local Development Scheme. | See the Local Development Framework homepage |
| We will ensure the Local Development Scheme is kept up to date through revisions as approved by the Government Office. Progress on the production of documents will be reviewed annually and published in the Annual Monitoring Report. | See the Local Development Monitoring homepage |
| We will publish the Annual Monitoring Report in January each year. It will report progress being made on the implementation of policies within the Local Plan and the LDF policies as they are adopted. | See the Local Development Monitoring homepage |
| We will publicise and consult upon all LDF documents as set out in the Statement of Community Involvement (adopted 2006). We will provide on-line consultation wherever possible. LDF responses will be fully taken into account but not responded to individually. | Ensure that you comment within the set deadline. Comment online if the facility is available: www.talktomidbeds.co.uk |
| A database of contacts will be maintained in relation to the LDF. All those on the database will be sent an LDF Update Newsletter, which will be published at least 3 times a year. | Make sure any changes in your details are notified to us. |
| Progress on the LDF will be reported on the Council’s website (or relevant micro-sites) which will be kept up to date. | See the Local Development Framework homepage |
Special Projects
| Service Standards you can expect from us | Your contribution – how you can help us |
| Expert advice will be provided in relation to works to Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas, Conservation Management Plans. The Listed Buildings at Risk Register will be maintained. | Provide a full description of the works you are proposing, supported where appropriate, by plans and technical information. |
| Expert design guidance will be given for new developments when requested from the public and potential developers or agents. Guidance will be prepared in the form of Supplementary Planning Documents. |
| Development briefs, planning frameworks and masterplans will be produced in partnership with other organisations, new and revised Conservation Area Statements and Supplementary Planning Documents will be publicised and consulted upon in accordance with the Council’s procedures, including the Council’s website (or relevant micro-sites). |
| Tree and Hedgerow related applications will be determined within the timescales set out in Government Regulations. | Ensure applications are complete and supported by all necessary information. |
| Expert advice will be given on tree related matters when requested from the public, with a focus on trees covered by Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas. |
| The Council’s tree stock will be carefully managed and maintained in line with British Standard 3998 (1989) – under revision at present, and to accord with Health and Safety Legislation. |
| We will work in partnership with others to bring forward regeneration and development schemes in the District’s main town centres, and sites allocated for employment purposes. |
| We will provide relevant and useful information to enquirers and potential investors about employment land and property opportunities in the area. |
Linked documents:
* Download Planning Services Standards 2008
(application/pdf; 34kb)
* Download Planning Services Standards 2008 Special Projects
(application/pdf; 16kb)
* Download Service Standards 2008 DC
(application/pdf; 22kb)
* Download Service Standards 2008 Enforcement
(application/pdf; 16kb)
