New checklist launched to aid planning application process in #NorthDevon

New checklist launched to aid planning

application process

New guidance is being published on Sunday 1

April 2012 to help applicants and agents submit valid planning applications.

The guidance, called the 'Local List', has

been produced jointly by North Devon Council and Torridge District Council. It

gives advice on what needs to be provided with applications to help make the

planning process easier, faster, and more consistent between the two

districts.

North Devon Council's Executive Member for Planning, Councillor

Mike Edmunds says: "From April to June last year, NDC received 446

planning applications, However, because of missing plans and information, about

193 couldn't be validated, holding up the whole planning process. Therefore, we

hope this new, simplified Local List will provide better guidance for everyone,

making it clear to applicants what information is needed, and ultimately cut

down on the number of invalid applications we receive."

Torridge District

Council's Lead Member for the Natural and Built Environment, Councillor Gaye

Tabor, says: "The new Local List creates a level playing field for all

applicants and agents, no matter which district their application refers to.

We've also tried to simplify how the information in the Local List is

presented, by providing bite-sized information for different types of

applications on our websites. By doing this, we hope more applications will be

validated first time round, and therefore improve the time it takes to

determine them."

The new Local List follows a consultation by the

councils last April, which asked for people to have their say on how the

document could be improved. The responses that were gathered were then

considered by officers when creating the new Local List. Instead of the

previous 150 page document, it is now broken down into manageable checklists

for various types of applications, such as householder extensions or works to

listed buildings.

The new Local List guidance can be found at www.northdevon.gov.uk/planning_local_list

 and at www.torridge.gov.uk/planning_local_list

.

Source:http://www.torridge.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=7745