What is Planning?
Whether you live or work in an area, developments and regeneration proposed by the Council (sometimes known as the Planning Authority) or private developers will affect your life in some way.
The person or organisation wanting to develop land (i.e. build something) or change the way in which land or buildings are used, needs a planning permission from the Council.
The Council has two main roles in planning
- it produces planning policies that are used to guide development. Planning policies are are most important thing that is considered when deciding to grant planning permission.
- it makes decisions about whether to grant planning permission or not. This is called "development control".
The Council primarily decides:
- What's built where;
- What's redeveloped;
- What's left as open space;
- Which properties may or may not have extensions or conservatories;
- The location of shops, schools, roads, medical centres, phone boxes and even street lighting;
- The proportion of housing schemes that are designated affordable.
Those decisions are made by the Council in the best interests of the area looking to ensure that the needs for housing, shopping, employment, community facilities, transport and open space are accomodated whilst the rights and amenity of existing residents, businesses community groups and voluntary organisations are protected.
It also seeks to ensure that new development is environmentally sustainable. This means making the best use of buildings and land for the good of everyone now whilst at the same time safeguarding the environment for the benefit and needs of our children and future generations.
We are constantly updating this section of the website.