Business Planning
- How do I get advice on business planning?
- Who will determine my planning application?
- Once my planning application is approved what should I do next?
- Where can I see all planning application and decisions for the last couple of months for the area I am thinking of moving into?
Q1. How do I get advice on business planning?
For general information the publication: ‘Planning Permission: A Guide for Business’ is a guide to the planning system for businesses in England, produced by the Communities and Local Government Office. This includes a section on the Use Classes Order.
For advice on specific small-scale commercial schemes, planning officers are available to assist, either by phone during normal office hours, or at the Planning Reception between 2.00pm and 5.15pm on Mondays – Thursdays and 2.00pm and 5.00pm on Fridays, without an appointment.
Advice required on major, complex or medium scale development proposals and certain planning and development briefs will require a formal request for pre-application advice and will require the payment of a pre-application fee, depending on the scale of proposals involved.
It’s hoped that this formal pre-application advice service will help to speed up the development process and avoid unacceptable proposals. In order to provide this service to a consistent and high standard, the Council has decided that the cost should be recovered directly and not fall as a general cost to the council taxpayer.
If you wish to discuss with a Planning Officer contact the appropriate area team.
Alternatively, please use the contact details opposite.
Download the Pre-application Meeting Request form 
(PDF 42 KB)
Notes and Charges (PDF 25 KB)
Q2. Who will determine my planning application?
If an application receives three or more written objections, it will go to a committee for determination under the council’s current standing orders.
Councillors can also request that planning applications be heard at committee level. Officers have delegated powers to determine applications, which do not need to go to committee.
When an application is determined at committee, the case officer still needs to consider the application in the normal way and to make a recommendation, which the committee have the power to overturn should they so choose.
If unhappy with a decision, all applicants have a statutory right of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate within six months of the date of a planning application decision notice. Alternatively, the applicant can resubmit the application with amended design.
Q3. Once my planning application is approved what should I do next?
The first thing to do is make sure that all conditions on the approval are discharged before building commences.
You also need to check with Building Control to see if building regulations approval is required. Once this has been verified you can start building.
Decisions made on applications submitted since 24 August 2005 include a condition stating that development must commence within 3 years of the approval date. Decisions on earlier applications include a condition stating that development must commence within 5 years of the approval.
Q4. Where can I see all planning application and decisions for the last couple of months for the area I am thinking of moving into?
This information is available from our online planning applications.
