Planning Issue can anyone help ?

Recently submitted a planning application the council have accepted my plans but have written to me asking the following question.
Submitt a supporting planning statement detailing how the development accords to with polices in the District wide local plan, developments briefs , supplementary planning guidance or advice notes must be submitted.

What to they want I read the document they refer to and cant understand what they want. When i phoned them they said read the document !

In England we have a plan-led planning system, if that makes sense. So, a local plan is drawn up, which the local authority 'adopts' and then individual applications are supposed to contribute towards that local plan. So, if the local plan supports the development of inner-city living in order to contribute towards sustainable transport objectives, then in your planning application you need to answer how your individual planning proposal will contribute towards meeting that target etc. That was a bad example, but another example may be that the local authority may have a policy of not allowing terraces on flat roofs, or balconies, in order to reduce neighbour objections. If your plan complies with these requirements, you need to state that.

Basically, what the planning department are saying to you is show how what you're proposing fits into the local plan. In what way are you contributing to the overall plan? Are you increasing the density of development on existing land by putting in a loft extension for example? Are you contributing to reducing the need for on-street parking in your road by turning your lounge into a garage? What are you doing in your plan that meets or contributes towards the targets, objectives and overall policies of your local planning department - that's what they want from you. The local plan, the planning guidance notes and most likely an explanation for householders submitting applications should all be available from your local planning office. Why not talk to them and ask them for an example of what they consider a 'good' submission so that you have some idea of what they expect? If they don't seem very co-operative, then search the internet for the UK planning portal and look up completed applications in your area where people have done similar developments already. You can download their completed applications as a PDF file and view what they wrote in their submission!

Go to the office in person and ask them to explain what they mean.

I'm not sure what exactly you are doing, but I would call and ask for a copy of the District-wide Local Plan they are referring to. Read it over, then you should be able to relate how your plans will fit into that plan.
Good luck! ;)

get a survayer this stuff is to much for peasents like you and i.

Hiya - dunno where you are, but here in Scotland a proposal for development can only be recommended for approval if it complies with the local plan (district plan in your area, I assume)

For example, if you are wanting to build a new house in the countryside (as most people do!!) there will be a bit in your local plan that states 'the building of a new house in the countryside will be approved in principle subject to the following criteria......then a big long list of things that have to apply to your proposal. Basically, they are looking for some sort of justification for your proposal. Your local library should have a copy of your adopted district wide local plan.

So what you have to do is work out which policies apply to your proposal, and show them how your proposal meets with these policies.

Further info and advice can be found at www.ukplanning.com

hope this helps!

I always assumed it was the job of the person considering the planning application to decide whether or not it meets planning objectives set by the adopted plan. Isn't that what they are paid for and trained to do? Sounds to me like a cheapskate way of making the applicant do their work for them.