Welcome to the Planning Control website

The Planning Control Team forms part of the Environmental Management Group within the County Council, for detailed information regarding the responsibilities of the Group, please select Responsibilities from the menu above.

Our Mission Statement:

Development Plans are the responsibility of the Strategic Plans & Policy Group, however, information about the Structure Plans, the Minerals Local Plan and the Waste Local Plan as well as the Minerals & Waste Development Framework, that will ultimately replace them, can be accessed from these pages.

Addendum to the Planning Control Charter - A Protocol For The Use Of Planning Performance Agreements

The introduction of Planning Performance Agreements (PPA’s), which are a collaborative project management tool, provides an opportunity for Planning Control to improve its service delivery when dealing with significant major applications.
This addendum has been prepared to reflect our commitment to providing an excellent service and to advise on a revised approach to the standards of service that can apply when handling major planning applications. This addendum sets out a protocol for administering Planning Performance Agreements (PPA’s).

The Addendum has now been adopted and can be viewed by following this link:

PPA Adendum to the Planning Control Charter [ 95.0k]

The Somerset Planning Portal allows you to submit planning applications for Mineral Developments by using ONLINE PLANNING APPLICATION FORMS

These electronic forms can be used to submit Mineral related planning applications. Planning Application Fees can also be paid by credit card via the secure on-line payment facility.

You can also search our live database for recent planning applications, submit representations and comments on applications awaiting a decision as well as viewing the application details and site and press notices. On the recent decisions page you can view the Decision Notice and any conditions that have been attached to a specific planning permission. More......

The Validation of Planning Applications and the Planning Application Requirements Lists

New procedures for the submission of planning applications came into force on 6th April 2008, which included the MANDATORY use of the National Standard Planning Application Forms (1APP), see below, and the introduction of the PLANNING APPLICATION REQUIREMENT's (PAR) list. The PAR, or 'National List of Requirements' is a list of documents that will be required by Local Planning Authorities in order to make a planning application valid. As well as the Government defined 'National List', local planning authorities can produce a 'Local List' of requirements which will also be required to be submitted with an application before it can be deemed as valid.

Somerset County Council's "Applying For Planning Permission: The Validation of Planning Applications For Waste And County Council Developments (Containing The Local List Of Requirements)" document has now been adopted and will be used as the basis for validating planning applications from 1st August 2008.

This document will help all potential applicants and agents (apart from Minerals-related applicants) to prepare their submissions to ensure that they can be dealt with promptly, and to make sure applications contain all the information that we require to efficiently process the application. Please follow the link below to access the document:

Validation of Planning Applications - June 2008 [ 347.0k]

REGULATION COMMITTEE

The next Regulation Committee meeting will be held on the 4th November 2008 , the meeting will commence at 14:00 in the Luttrell Room, County Hall, Taunton.

The Agenda for this meetings, which will include reports on items being discussed will be available for viewing a week before the meeting by following the link below.

Committee Agenda's, Minutes and Officer Reports can be viewed by following this link - Regulation Committee Meeting Agendas

Apply for Planning Permission for Waste and County Council Developments using the 1APP Online Forms

Apply for Mineral Planning Permission online

Search for Current and Determined Planning Applications

Search for planning applications that are under consideration or those already determined by the County Council.
(Minerals, Waste or County Council Developments only).

Make a Representation About a Current Planning Application.
You can make a representation about current planning applications directly from this site by using our 'Submit Comments' forms available on the 'Other Details' page of each application.

Search for Investigations and Enforcement Cases relating to Minerals & Waste Matters

Information on the Somerset Planning Portal pages is current and up to date as it is provided directly from our 'LIVE' database

The Planning Portal
To learn about the planning system visit the NATIONAL PLANNING PORTAL website by clicking on the logo below:

Our Planning Control Pre-application advice protocol [ 141.0k] [PDF] is also available for viewing on the 'Publications' page of the 'Planning Applications' section on the above menu, or by following the above link.
All applicants are advised to read both of the above documents before submitting an application.

Applicants of Minerals and landfill applications should be aware that these types of planning permissions are subject to a site monitoring regime which is chargeable. An information leaflet on the monitoring of Minerals and Waste planning permissions is available by following the link below, and should read before submitting an application:

Monitoring of Mineral and Waste Planning Permissions [ 134.2k]

The use of the National Standard Planning Application Forms (1APP) are mandatory for the submission of all types of planning applications, and are the only acceptable form (with the exception of Mineral related applications) to use when submitting planning application's to any Local Planning Authority.
1APP application forms for the following types of developments are available for completing and submitting online via the Planning Portal;

Waste Developments;
County Council Developments;
Listed Building Consents; (relating to County Council Developments)
Applications to Vary or Remove a Condition (Section 73 applications); and
Lawful Development Certificates.

To submit an online planning application you will have to register and logon to the Planning Portal website at :- www.planningportal.gov.uk.
Paper versions of the 1APP forms for the above categories are also available for downloading from the Planning Applications page on this website.

Please note: Applications for Mineral Developments are not included in the 1APP forms. Applications for mineral related developments should be submitted either by using Somerset County Council's own online Mineral Application forms or the paper version, both of which which are available on the Planning Applications page.

The Group produces a newsletter which contains news items, details of planning applications received, decisions made and appeals etc. as well as a round up of the work currently being undertaken by our colleagues in the Rights of Way Group, Gypsy and Travellers Services, the Mendip Hills AONB Service and the Quantocks AONB Service. To read the latest newsletter click on the link below:

Environmental Management Newsletter - November 2008 [ 247.6k]