List of Required Information for Planning Applications

Guidance Notes

Introduction

The Government introduced a Standard Application Form from April 2008. From that date all applications must be submitted on the standard forms or they will be invalid. To support the use of this standard application form the Government is also introducing new information requirements for the validation of planning applications by Local Planning Authorities.

In December 2007 the Department of Communities and Local Government issued guidance on the Validation of Planning Applications and believes that the planning process will be greatly improved by the introduction of the Standard Application Form.

Different types of application will require different levels of information and supporting documentation to be submitted. The requirements comprise of a national core list, referred to as the ‘National List’ which will apply in all cases. In addition there is a requirement for additional items specified locally from a list provided by central government and referred to as the ‘Local List’.

The ‘National List’ sets out the statutory requirements for applications and the ‘Local List’ comprises additional information which local planning authorities can require to validate applications.

Note on Use for Applicants

This guidance note seeks to clarify and indicate some thresholds when specific requirements are likely to apply. The Council encourage applicants to take advantage of the Council’s pre-application service which will identify additional information requirements falling in the ‘Local List’.

If all the information on the ‘National’ and ‘Local’ Lists is submitted the application will be validated. Conversely, applications will not be validated where a requirement is indicated in the List but is not provided with the application.

If an application is declared invalid by the Council the applicant will normally be informed within 5 working days of receipt of the application. Invalid applications will be returned if all the items/information lacking has not been provided within 21 days of receipt of the invalid application. If all the required information has been received the application will be validated on the date of its receipt.

If there is any discrepancy between the plans and elevations the application will not be validated. Plans which are marked ‘do not scale’ or similar disclaimers will not be accepted and may result in the application being invalid.

Tameside Council welcomes the submission of applications via the Planning Portal at www.planningportlal.gov.uk . When applications are submitted via the Portal it is preferable that the documentation and plans are scaled and page sizes set at A3 or smaller. All drawings should be set to a recognisable scale, in metric, and be dimensioned. All documentation should be supplied in PDF, JPEG or Tiff file format.

Pre-application discussions are encouraged for all applications which would clarify any queries about what should be included with an electronic submission. 

National List 

All applications need to be submitted on the Standard Application Form. If you wish to submit paper copies of the form 3 copies of the form and any plans must be submitted. You can download the relevant Standard Application Form and Guidance Notes from the Planning Portal or the Council’s web site at: http://www.tameside.gov.uk/planning/applications/newbuild 

Tameside's Local List

The information submitted with the application must be sufficient to enable a full assessment of all the issues involved. It is necessary that the standard of drawings enables both officers and consultees to be able to adequately interpret the proposals. It is also important that all the information required is submitted and the application forms are completed fully and accurately. Application plans must have unique references and be clearly dimensioned. The Council’s requirements are set out at the start of the Local List and must be complied with if the application is to be registered.

The list below indicates the additional information which Tameside Council can require before validating an application. This includes guidance on thresholds and criteria for information to help applicants decide whether a particular document needs to submitted with the application in their particular case. 

Air Quality Assessment

Where the development proposed, because of its scale and nature, is likely to have significant impacts on air quality, particularly where such impact is likely to be particularly important applications should be supported by such information as is necessary to allow a full consideration of the impact of the proposal on the air quality of the area.

Thresholds

• Proposals that will result in increased congestion, a change in either traffic volumes (eg. 5% AADT or peak) or a change in vehicle speed (+or- 10 KPH), or both on a road with greater than 10,000 VPD. 
• Proposals that will significantly increase the flow on roads lying within an AQMA
• Proposals that would significantly alter the traffic composition in an area (eg. Bus stations, HGV parks, increased delivery traffic)
• Proposals that include new car parking spaces (>80 spaces) or coach/lorry parks
• Developments located in, or which may affect , sensitive areas (eg. Ecological sites), areas of poor air quality (including AQMA’s) or which may generate pollution at levels that could harm health where either direct emissions to air occur, or where any of the preceding criteria are met.
• Residential, school, public buildings or similar developments lying within an area of poorer air quality such as an AQMA.

The following thresholds (developments of equal or greater than the criteria listed below) will also be used to determine where an Air Quality Assessment is required:

For further advice see Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control (November 2004).

Biodiversity survey and report

To assess the ecological impact of proposals on wildlife and biodiversity, including any proposals for mitigating and compensating such effects, information should be provided on existing biodiversity interests and possible impacts on them to allow full consideration of those impacts. Where appropriate accompanying accompanying plans should indicate any significant wildlife habitats or features and the location of habitats of any species protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) regulations 1994 or the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

Thresholds

• Proposals on sites or adjacent to Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Sites of Biological Importance, Local Nature Reserves and Wildlife Links and Corridors as identified in the Unitary Development Plan;
• Proposals to demolish an older building or roof space, remove trees, scrub and hedgerows or alter water courses will need to include information on species present and potential impacts and the mitigation of such impacts;

For further advice see Planning Policy Statement 9 : Biodiversity and Geological Conservation (PPS9) (August 2005) and the accompanying Government Circular : Biodiversity and Geological Conservation – Statutory obligations and their impact within the planning system (ODPM Circular 06/2005) and Planning for Biodiversity and Geological Conservation: A Guide to Good Practise. The Greater Manchester Ecology Unit has produced a Biodiversity Validation Checklist for Greater Manchester details of which can be found at http://www.tameside.gov.uk/ecologyunit .

Crime Impact Statement

A statement of how the application has taken into account existing crime in the area and how the development has been designed to both address issues of crime and minimise its impact on the safety and security of the area.

Thresholds

• All ‘major’ planning applications;
• Applications for crime sensitive developments (e.g. ATM’s);
• All applications involving car parking for more than 20 vehicles;
• Any other developments if specified in pre-application advice.

Daylight/Sunlight assessment

In circumstances where there is a potential adverse impact on the current levels of sunlight/daylight enjoyed by the adjoining properties or building(s), including associated gardens or amenity space, applications may need to be accompanied by a daylight/sunlight assessment.

Thresholds

• All applications involving buildings exceeding four storeys in height, where adjoining other developed land;
• Situations where the application site itself is subject to significant shading from adjoining buildings or trees
• Any other developments if specified in pre-application advice.

Further information is available in the Building Research Establishment’s guidelines on daylight assessments, see http://www.right-of-light.co.uk/bre.htm

Design and Access Statements

A Design and Access Statement must accompany applications for both outline and full planning permission unless they relate to one of the following:

• A material change in the use of the land and buildings (unless it also involves operational development);
• Engineering or mining operations;
• Householder developments.

However statements are required for applications where any part of the dwelling house or its cartilage fall within one of the following designated areas:

• Site of Special Scientific Interest
• Conservation Area
• Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• World Heritage Site

A design and access statement is a short report accompanying and supporting a planning application that should seek to explain and justify the proposal in structured way. The level of detail required in a design and access statement will depend on scale and complexity of the application, and the length of the statement will vary accordingly. The design and access statement should cover both the design principles and concepts that have been applied to the proposed development and how issues relating to access to the development have been dealt with. A design and access statement should be proportionate to the complexity of the application, but need not be long. What is required in a design and access statement is set out in Article 4 of the GPDO and Department of Communities and Local Government Circular 01/006- Guidance on Changes to the Development Control System.

Broadly speaking the statements should explain the design principles and concepts that have been applied to the development and how issues relating to access to the development have been dealt with. The statement should address the following aspects:

• Amount of development;
• Layout;
• Scale;
• Appearance; and
• Landscaping

The statement should also demonstrate steps taken to appraise the context of the development and how the design of the development takes that context into account.

Applications for Listed Building Consent will also be required to be accompanied by a design and access statement. In particular, such a statement should address:

• The special architectural or historic interest of the building;
• The particular physical features of the building that justify its designation as a listed building; and
• The building’s setting.

A Guide has been produced by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) entitled ‘ Design and Access Statements – how to write read and use them’. The Council’s commends this to prospective developers and it can be found at CABE’s web site www.cabe.org.uk  

Economic Assessment

An application may need to accompanied by a supporting statement of any regeneration benefits from the proposed development. This should include:

• Details of any new jobs that might be created or supported;
• The relative floorspace totals for each proposed use (where known);
• Reference to any regeneration strategies that might lie behind or be supported by the proposal.

Economic Statements will be beneficial for all major employment-generating proposals and should be used to set out the economic development and regeneration benefits of the scheme. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposals will contribute, where appropriate , to the delivery of economic development and regeneration strategies at regional, sub-regional and local levels.

Threshold

• Any ‘major’ developments for commercial development
• Any developments specified in pre-application advice.

Environmental Statement

The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) regulations (S! 1999/293), as amended, set out the circumstances in which an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required. Schedule 4 to the regulations sets out the information that should be included in an Environmental Statement. Developers can request a ‘screening opinion’ from the Council to determine whether an EIA is required before submitting the application. In cases where a full EIA is not required, the Council may still require environmental information to be provided.

Flood Risk Assessment

The FRA should identify and assess the risks of all forms of flooding to and from the development and demonstrate how these flood risks will be managed taking climate change into account. It should identify opportunities to reduce the probability and consequences of flooding. It should include the design of surface water management systems including Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and address the requirement for safe access to and from the development in areas at risk of flooding.

Thresholds

• Any proposals of 1 hectare or greater in Flood Zone 1
• All proposals located in Flood Zones 2 and 3
• Any development, other than minor development, in a designated critical drainage area which has been notified to the Authority by the Environment Agency

Further information is available in Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk (December 2006)

Foul Sewage and Utilities Assessment

All new buildings need separate connections to foul and storm water sewers. If an application proposes to connect a development to the existing drainage system then details of the existing system should be shown on the application drawing(s).

Where the development involves the disposal of trade waste or the disposal of foul sewage effluent other than to the public sewer, then a fuller foul drainage assessment will be required including details of the method of storage, treatment and disposal. A foul drainage assessment should include a full assessment of the site, its location and suitability for storing, transporting and treating sewage. Where connection to the mains sewer is not practical, then the foul/non mains drainage assessment will be required to demonstrate why the development cannot connect to the public mains sewer system and show that the alternative means of disposal are satisfactory.

If the proposed development results in any changes/replacement to the existing system or the creation of a new system, scale plans of the new foul drainage arrangements will also need to be provided which include a location plan, cross sections/elevations and specification. Drainage details that will achieve Building Regulations will be required.

For further guidance see DETR Circular 03/99 and Building Regulations Approved Document Part H and in BS6297.

An application should indicate how the development connects to existing utility infrastructure systems including electricity and gas supplies, telecommunications and water supply. The applicant should demonstrate :

• That, following consultation with the service provider, the availability of utility services has been examined and that the proposals would not result in undue stress on the delivery of those services to the wider community;
• That proposals incorporate any utility company requirements for substations, telecommunications equipment or similar structures;
• That service routes have been planned to avoid as far as possible the potential for damage to trees and archaeological remains;
• Where the development impinges on existing infrastructure the provisions for relocating or protecting that infrastructure have been agreed with the service provider.

Thresholds

• All ‘major’ applications
• Any developments specified in pre-application advice

Heritage Statements

The scope and degree of detail necessary will vary according to particular circumstances and applicants are advised to have pre-application discussions with a planning or conservation officer. The following sets out the sort of information required for different applications:

Listed Building Applications

A written statement that includes a schedule of works to the listed building(s), an analysis of the significance of the archaeology, history and character of the building/structure, the principles of and justification for the proposed works and their impact on the special character of the listed building or structure, its setting and the setting of any adjacent listed buildings. A structural survey may also be required.

Conservation Area Consent

A written statement that includes a structural survey, an analysis of the character and appearance of the building/structure, the principles of and justification for the proposed demolition and its impact on the special character of the area.

Applications within or adjacent to a Conservation Area]

An assessment on the impact of the development on the character and appearance of the area.

Archaeological assessment

In the case of a major development proposal or significant infrastructure works, the applicant may need to commission an assessment of existing archaeological information and submit the results as part of the Heritage Statement.

Threshold

• Any developments specified in pre-application advice

Further guidance is provided in Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 : Planning and the Historic Environment (September 1994) and Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 : Archaeology and Planning (November 1990) . See also ‘A Charter for English Heritage Advisory Services’ produced by English Heritage.

Land Contamination assessment

In line with Planning Policy Statement 23, when considering development on land affected by contamination, the authority’s principal planning objective is to ensure that the site is suitable and safe for its intended end use. It is essential that applicants address potential pollution matters early in pre-application discussions with planning and environmental health officers.

For new development with a sensitive end use (e.g. Residential, nurseries, schools) on land affected by contamination it may be a requirement that a site investigation and remediation strategy need to be submitted with the application. If the applicant is not requested to submit information with the planning application, a condition will be placed on the planning decision notice requiring submission of the information prior to development starting.

Threshold

• Any development if specified in pre-application advice

Further guidance is provided in Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control

Landscaping details

All developments (apart from change of use not involving works) should be designed with landscaping of the site in mind and not as a separate process or afterthought after the buildings have been designed. There should be reference to landscaping in the Design and Access Statement and detailed landscaping proposals should be included which follow the design concept. Existing trees and other vegetation should, where practicable, be retained in new developments and protected during the construction period.

Landscaping schemes should include:

• Proposed finished ground levels or contours;
• Means of enclosure;
• Car parking layouts;
• Other vehicle and pedestrian access and circulation areas, hard surfacing materials, structures and ancillary objects (e.g. refuse bin area and lighting columns);
• Proposed and existing functional services above and below ground (e.g. drainage, power, communication cables, pipelines)
• Planting plans with written specifications, schedules of plants noting species, planting sizes and proposed numbers/planting densities where appropriate;
• Existing vegetation to be retained together with measures for its protection during the course of construction.

Thresholds

• Applications for full planning permission (apart from change of use) should be accompanied by a fully detailed scheme , as above;
• Applications for reserved matters for landscaping will not normally be considered separately from layout and scale;
• Householder applications should be accompanied by landscaping proposals in circumstances where the proposal would be particularly prominent or result in the loss of significant existing landscape features;
• Other developments if specified in pre-application advice

Lighting assessment

Details of external lighting and the proposed hours when the lighting would be switched on should be submitted. These details should include a layout plan with beam orientation, a schedule of the equipment in the design and a lighting diagram showing the intensity of illumination.

Thresholds

• Proposals involving the provision of publicly accessible developments , in the vicinity of residential property, a Listed Building or a Conservation Area, or open countryside, where external lighting would be provided or made necessary by the development,
• Any development if specified in pre-application advice

For further guidance see Lighting in the countryside: Towards good Practise (1997)

Noise Impact Assessment

Applications for developments that raise issues of disturbance by noise to the occupants of nearby buildings, and for developments that are considered to be noise sensitive and which are close to existing sources of noise should be supported by a noise assessment prepared by a suitably qualified acoustician.

Thresholds

• Developments that could lead to a noise nuisance to nearby occupiers and/or amenity users and for development close to a permanent source of noise (e.g. a main road or motorway);
• Any development specified in pre-application advice. Applicants for residential and commercial developments are encouraged to seek advice from planning and environmental health officers;
• Change of use applications for premises under, over or adjacent to residential development or which propose noise sensitive uses adjacent to sources of noise or for uses that would in themselves be a noise source adjacent to noise sensitive uses such as houses, hospitals and schools should include sound insulation issues in a supporting statement.

For further guidance see Planning Policy Guidance 24: Planning and Noise (September 1994)

Parking and Servicing Details

Details of existing and proposed parking provision, including cycle parking, and justification of the level of provision will be required.

Thresholds

• All non householder applications;
• For major proposals applicants will be required to justify proposals which exceed the Council’s maximum parking standards;
• In the case of householder applications, details of existing and proposed parking details will be required for proposals where existing parking would be lost;
• Any other developments if specified in pre-application advice.

Photographs and Photo montages

These provide useful background information and can help to show how large developments can be satisfactorily integrated within the street scene.

Thresholds

• Any proposal involving the demolition of an existing building or development affecting a Conservation Area or a Listed Building;
• Any development if specified in pre-application advice.

Planning obligations/Unilateral undertakings

Where a development impacts on infrastructure and service provision it may need to be the subject of a Section 106 Agreement which is a private agreement negotiated between the local planning authority and persons with an interest in a piece of land and is intended to make acceptable development which would otherwise be unacceptable in planning terms. Alternatively the applicant could submit a Unilateral Undertaking with the application. Details of the types of proposals which require Unilateral Undertakings can be found in Tameside’s Developer Contributions SPD. Where the applicant chooses to negotiate a Section 106 Agreement it is preferable that the Heads of Terms are submitted with the application to avoid delays in determining the proposal.
Thresholds

• Any development as specified in Tameside’s ‘Developer Contributions’ SPD;
• Any development if specified in pre-application advice.

For further advice see DCLG Circular 05/2005 Planning Obligations and Tameside’s Developer Contributions SPD

Planning Statement

A planning statement identifies the context and need for a proposed development and includes an assessment of how the proposed development accords with relevant national, regional and local planning policies. It may also include details of consultations with the local planning authority and wider community/statutory consultees undertaken prior to submission. Alternatively , a separate statement on community involvement may be necessary.

Thresholds

• All ‘major’ developments
• Developments not in accordance with the UDP/LDF
• Any other developments if specified in pre-application advice

Refuse Disposal details

Details are required of proposed facilities for the storage and collection of refuse, including recycling facilities and access for refuse collection vehicles.

Thresholds

• All proposals involving the creation of new dwellings or new retail, business, industrial or leisure or other similar developments;
• Any other developments if specified in pre-application advice.

Retail Assessment

In order to assess the impact of a retail development on the vitality and viability of a town centre and other local shopping centres, and to address tests applied by PPS6 in relation to the location of , and need for, proposed retail development, a retail assessment should be submitted.

Thresholds

• All Town Centre development if development of a scale that would impact on centres of similar hierarchical status.
• Edge/Out of Centre Development if development is over 2500 sq. metres (Gross Developments less than 2500 sq. metres (Gross) Impact Assessment not required unless it is likely to have an impact on an existing centre).
• Extensions up to 200 sq metres only a Need Assessment is required.
• Extensions over 200 sq. metres Need. Sequential Test and Impact
• Assessment required

For further advice see Planning Policy Statement 6 : Planning for Town Centres

Site Waste Management Plan

These should identify volume and type of material to be demolished and/or excavated, opportunities for the reuse and recovery of materials and demonstrate how off-site disposal of waste will be minimised and managed.

Threshold

• Any development if specified in pre-application advice

For further guidance see Site Waste Management Plans; guidance for construction contractors and clients (Department of Trade 2004)

Statement of Community Involvement

Applications may need to be supported by a statement setting out how the applicant has complied with the requirements for pre-application consultation set out it Tameside’s Statement of Community Involvement SPD and demonstrating how the views of the local community have been sought and taken into account in the formulation of development proposals.

Threshold

• Any development as required by Tameside’s ‘Statement of Community Involvement’ SPD

Structural Survey

A structural survey may be required in support of an application if the proposal involves substantial demolition.

Thresholds

• Applications for Listed Building and/or Conservation Area Consent involving demolition
• Applications for conversion of rural buildings in the Green Belt to demonstrate that it is capable of conversion without major or complete reconstruction
• Applications for erection of buildings on sites where there is a possibility of land instability

Sustainability Statement

Tameside aims to achieve the highest possible standards of design and construction in new developments. This means creating high quality developments that are cheaper to run, more secure, minimise their environmental impact, contribute to the local economy and community and provide healthy living and working conditions, at the same time as respecting the area’s heritage. We therefore require applications for new development to be accompanied by a statement provides information to show how proposed developments support these aims.

Thresholds

• All ‘major’ developments
• Any development if specified in pre-application advice

For further guidance see Tameside’s Sustainable Design and Construction Guide SPD. See also Sustainable Development Checklist produced by the North West Regional Assembly at www.sdchecklist-northwest.org.uk . Applicants are encouraged to use this tool.

Telecommunications Development

Planning applications and notifications for mast and antenna development by mobile phone network operators should be accompanied by a range of supplementary information including the area of search, details of any consultation undertaken, details of the proposed structure, and technical justification and information about the proposed development.

Planning applications and notifications should also be accompanied by a signed declaration that the equipment and installation has been designed in full compliance with the requirements of the radio frequency (RF) public exposure guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

For further guidance see Code of Practice on Mobile Network Development (2002)

Transport Assessment/Transport Statement

A Transport Assessment will be required for developments that are likely to have significant transport impacts. Its purpose will be to quantify and assess the impact of proposals on traffic movement and highway safety, to quantify and assess how the development could be accessed by alternative transport modes and how such alternative modes would be promoted , including, where appropriate, green travel plans; and providing details of any proposals for access or transport improvements.

A Transport Statement will not be required when the development is expected to generate relatively low numbers of trips or traffic flows with minor transport impacts. Its purpose would be to cover matters such as trip generation resulting from the development, improvements to site accessibility, car parking provision and internal vehicular circulation, traffic impacts of servicing requirements and the net level of change over any current development within the site.

Thresholds based on size or scale of land use

NB: The above does not include the following uses proposals for which should be discussed with the appropriate highway and planning authorities to determine whether an Assessment is required:

Stadiums, retail warehouse clubs, amusement arcades, laundrettes, petrol filling stations, taxi businesses, car/vehicle hire businesses and the selling and displaying of motor vehicles, nightclubs, theatres, hostels, builders yards, garden centres, Post offices, travel and ticket agencies, hairdressers, funeral directors, hire shops and dry cleaners.

Thresholds based on other considerations

• Other considerations TS TA TA/TP
• Development not in conformity with the adopted development plan
• Development generating 30 or more two way vehicle movements in any hour
• Development generating 100 or more two way vehicle movements per day
• Development proposing 100 or more parking spaces
• Development that is likely to increase accidents or conflicts among motorised users and non motorised users, particularly vulnerable road users such as children, disabled and elderly people
• Development generating significant freight or HGV movements per day, or significant abnormal loads per year
• Development proposed in a location where the local infrastructure is inadequate (eg. Substandard roads, poor pedestrian/cyclist facilities and inadequate public transport provisions)
• Development proposed in a location within or adjacent to an Air Quality

Management Area

For further guidance see Guidance on Transport Assessment (Department of Transport 2007), Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 : Transport (DETR 2001), Using the planning process to secure travel plans: Best practice guidance (ODPM and DfT (2002), Making residential travel plans work: Good practice guidelines for new development (DfT) and A guide to development related travel plan (Addison and Associates)

Tree Survey/Arboricultural implications

Where there are trees within the application site, or on land adjacent to it that could influence or be affected by the development (including street trees), information will be required on which trees are to be retained and on the means of protecting those trees during construction works. This information should be prepared by a qualified arboriculturist. The survey should be undertaken in accordance with the Council’s guidance in Tameside’s ‘Trees and Landscaping on Development Sites’ SPD.

Thresholds

• All applications involving new development on sites containing significant trees, or individual specimens, or trees which are the subject of a Tree Preservation Order;

Ventilation/Extraction Statement

Details of the position and design of ventilation and extraction equipment, including elevational plans of the ducting, odour abatement techniques and acoustic noise characteristics.

Thresholds

• All applications for purposes within Use Classes A3, A4, A5, B1 and B2;