Public project: planning permission

Planning permission is a vitally important part of almost all projects, often making the difference between whether the project proceeds to design or not. Many clients will be unwilling to commit to paying fees for detailed design until they have received planning permission, and on particularly high risk projects, the client may wish to obtain outline planning permission before committing to significant expenditure. As a consequence planning permission can be applied for at different stages of the project's development.

On public projects it is particularly important to establish where the risk lies for planning permission, and whether it is best left with the client or the integrated supply team. The client should at least consult the local planning authority to establish the likely planning parameters for the project, and perhaps seek a screening opinion as to whether an environmental impact assessment will be required before seeking bids. The client may wish to obtain outline planning permission before tendering, or even to make the contract conditional upon detailed planning permission being received. This means that whilst we have attributed preparing a planning application to the integrated supply team, some of the tasks described below may in fact be carried out by the client or their advisers.

[edit] Assessing the type of application.

The integrated supply team considers the need for an outline planning application or detailed planning application (if no previous applications have been made by the client), and if appropriate begins to prepare an application.

The integrated supply team considers the likely need for an environmental impact assessment. If necessary they may seek a screening decision and or a scoping studt from the local planning authority. If necessary, the integrated supply team prepares or arranges for the preparation of an environmental impact assessment.

[edit] Undertaking a consultation process.

The integrated supply team consults with the local planning authority (and other appropriate statutory and non-statutory authorities) to determine the preferred form of the application, dates of planning committee meetings, committee procedures, possible planning conditions and possible planning obligations (section 106 agreement), the community infrastructure levy and the requirement to undertake an external consultation process.

The integrated supply team considers the cost effects of statutory requirements and other requirements including possible planning conditions and planning obligations (section 106 agreement) and if necessary, amends the design.

The integrated supply team discusses with the client the extent and nature of any external consultation process that will be undertaken and then begins the consultation. They then consider the results of the process and carry out further revisions to the design if required.

[edit] Preparing a planning application.

The integrated supply team co-ordinates the preparation of a draft planning application and issues this to the client for comment.

The integrated supply team considers any abnormal costs arising from the draft planning application, and If necessary, arranges a value management exercise and amends the outline or detailed planning application.

[edit] Submitting a planning application.

The integrated supply team submits the planning application including the planning fee.

The integrated supply team consults with the local planning authority on the progress of the application and likely planning conditions and planning obligations (section 106 agreement). They then bring these to the attention of the client and if necessary revise the application (there may be conditions or obligations that will impact on the client's operation of the development).

If necessary, the client and integrated supply team respond to questions from the local planning authority and make representations to the planning committee.

On receipt of a decision (or likely decision recommended by the officers' report) the client and integrated supply team consider the planning conditions and and planning obligations (section 106 agreement) that have been (or are likely to be) imposed, and if necessary revise the application.

If required, the integrated supply team revises and re-submits the planning application.

If necessary, on receipt of the decision the integrated supply team lodges an appeal.

⇒ outline plan