Planning Applications

When a planning application is received by MSDC, there are various statutory steps it must go through, The council planning department will administrate the planning process, whilst the planning committee of elected councillors grant the approval or reject the application.

Each application has a period of public consultation, from which anybody or organisation may comment. Statutory consultees get notified as a matter of course, but residents will need to find out from the website or local papers, or sign up to the MSDC LDF alerts.

A planning officer is appointed to document the consultees responses, ensure that the planning applications meets requirements and has the required documents, such as plans and design and access statements. The officer will then prepare a report on the issues and how they relate to the various policies which is submitted to the planning committee. Anybody can attend the planning committee meetings, and can speak for a few minutes by prior arrangement.

If the application is rejected, the applicant has the right of appeal and a planning inspector is appointed by the Planning Inspectorate to review the evidence. As was seen at the Chatfield Road determination, the views of local residents are often ignored in this process. His determination is final (unless it can be proved his decision is factually incorrect, in which case the courts become involved).

Issues which are considered in planning applications (covered mostly by the National, Regional and Local Policies):

sustainability
housing need
affordable housing
designated environmental areas
biodiversity
highways
statutory services (gas, electricity, water etc)
education

public transport
landscape
heritage
spatial planning and urban coalescence
archaeology
local facilities
ecology

Permitted Development

Some statutory service, county council and government Agencies (such as highways, water, gas, electricity, Environment Agency) have exemption from needing to seek planning permission for some of their work (ie flood defence works) under general development orders. Residents also have 'permitted development' rights to build small extensions and erect sheds etc in their properties without needing planning (unless living in a designated area or where the council has removed permitted development rights under the original planning permission).