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Explanation of the Council’s approach to registering applications that raise more complex issues
As part of the Council’s commitment to continuously improve services, it is seeking to ensure that applications contain all the information needed to assess the proposal and make a decision from the point at which they are registered.
Following this approach will:
- Avoid an application being declared invalid due to the absence of a required supporting submission;
- Avoid delays in the processing of valid applications (arising from requests for supporting statements after the application is submitted, and sometimes also requiring a further period of consultation);
- Help officers to process the application efficiently;
- Ensure that those consulted, including statutory consultees and the public, have all the information needed to comment on the proposal;
- Minimise the risk of abortive work and redesign work;
- Overall, help deliver a speedier decision.
This approach was started in 2004 and adapted in accordance with the Validation of Planning Applications - Guidance for Local Planning Authorities, Dec 2007
The approach in Sheffield will be:
- to only require information necessary to determine the application and/or to draft the planning permission and any conditions;
- for information requests to be proportionate to the type and scale of application being made;
- to minimise the need for further submissions of additional information, in order to allow the Council a reasonable opportunity to determine applications within Best Value Performance Indicator (NI 157) targets; and
- to give the applicant more certainty about the type of information required from the outset.
This checklist provides guidance and links to detailed advice relevant to Sheffield, as well as on national issues, which will help applicants to submit a properly supported application. Applicants do find this guidance useful because it makes clear what the requirement in sheffield are.
The Council is mindful that agents can face commercial pressures to submit applications before it is possible to pull together all the required supporting submissions. In view of the difficulties this creates for consultation and assessment, the Council will not undertake any work on applications that are invalid through lack of information, and will not be in a position to negotiate with or advise applicants.
Exceptionally, if the Council agrees, in the case of a highly beneficial regeneration scheme, that there is a both a genuine reason why some of the information could not be prepared in advance and a genuine reason for urgency, the Council may specifically agree to start the process of assessing substantial supporting submissions that are ready. However, this is subject to the proviso that this can be resourced and does not unfairly disadvantage other applicants. None of the statutory consultation processes can be started until the application is complete and valid.
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