Planning Charter

The planning service is responsible for a wide range of issues. These include planning, listed building and conservation area applications, appeals, enforcement and related compliance matters. Planning policy issues, including the preparation of the Council's Local Plan and Local Development Framework are also dealt with by the service.

Our customers:

Customers of the planning service fall under many categories. These can include: those applying for planning permission, those making representations on applications, Town and Parish Councils, the business community, Councillors, other parts of the Council, Statutory Bodies, interest groups, and other organisations interested in planning applications and the local planning process.

Our commitment to you:

We aim to provide a friendly, courteous and prompt service and strive to maintain high professional standards. This allows us to make the best possible decisions for local communities.

In particular, we aim to achieve the following general service standards:

• Answer telephone calls promptly during office hours
• Respond to telephone messages within one working day when requested
• Respond to letters and e-mail communications with a full or interim reply within 10 working days
• Deal fairly with complaints about the service, in accordance with the Council's Complaints procedure
• Continue to maintain and update the Development Services website to keep users informed about changes to procedures, e.g. legislation and fees

Our aims with regard to specific departments within Development Services are in the full charter available to download at the top of the page.