Development Management Update
Somerset Council is changing the way the development management service works in order to provide better service levels. We are sorry if you have experienced delays in determining applications or if you have not been updated on why the delays are happening or likely timescales for them to be overcome.
We have recruited additional resources and have started an improvement programme which will deliver a faster, fairer and more consistent service. You can help this improvement work by only contacting us to provide information that we have requested from you – and please use our public access portal to track any applications we are processing or comment on an application.
You will notice some changes which are necessary for us to make the service better, including:
- When you submit an application for planning permission you might not get assigned a case officer straight away. As soon as an officer has the capacity to deal with your application it will be allocated to them, and you will be notified.
- We are fast tracking some types of applications, so you may receive decisions not in date order.
- We will be limiting opportunities for amendments to be made on applications for planning permission to reduce determination times. Where applications are contrary to local and national policy there may be no opportunities for amendment.
- We request that you send photographs of the site to enable desktop assessments.
- Where applications are submitted with insufficient information at the point of validation, this can cause service delays. In some cases it has taken several months to receive the necessary information. We can no longer accept this way of working and we require you to submit all required information necessary on application as set out in the Local Validation Checklist. We will write to you where applications are submitted which require further information. We will clearly communicate what we need and set strict deadlines for you to submit this information.
Changes to site notices for some areas
In aligning services we will be sending site notices out to the applicant or agent where required, to display on or near the site, and we will request that they provide a photo of the site notice, up close and at distance to confirm that it has been appropriately advertised.
If we have sent out a site notice we will await evidence of it being displayed before we determine the case.
Active or recent applications
Given current case loads we will be limiting negotiating during the course of the planning application.
- If you have not engaged in pre application advice and significant changes are required to the scheme to address concerns or consultation responses received, the application will be determined as submitted.
- If this will result in a negative recommendation you will be advised of the issues prior to determination should you wish to withdraw the application but we will not be accepting any further information or revisions.
- If you have engaged and submitted in line with pre application advice and minor alterations are required we will try to accommodate these during the application process.
This is to ensure that we can provide decisions in a timely manner and reduce delays in the system. If you have been in ongoing negotiation with us on a case, the outstanding issues will be summarised and you will be offered one chance to submit information within a reasonable time frame. The application will then be determined on that basis.
Advice on new planning proposals
If you are considering a planning proposal and need advice, you can find guidance on our Pre-application advice page. We offer basic information on whether you need planning permission and more detailed advice, including fees and documents you should include.
Advice on the validation process or checklist
Validation is a step where we check that all the necessary documents and fees (if needed) are included with your application. If an applicant or agent submits an application where there are missing documents or mistakes, it will not be considered valid. We will let you know what is missing or needs correcting to proceed.
We have put together a Validation Checklist that outlines all the requirements for a valid application. You can find this checklist on our Information requirements for planning applications page.
Enforcement
We are currently receiving a lot of enforcement enquiries, so there might be some delays in our investigation process. We will manage these enquiries based on the priority levels outlined in our Enforcement Policy.
For more information, please see our Planning Enforcement page.