What is Planning Permission?
Planning Permission is a legal document that allows a specific development to be carried out at a particular site. This is issued by the local authority as a result of a planning application having been submitted and the proposals being found to be acceptable.
After being granted, the planning permission is attached to the land itself rather than to the applicant. The work can be implemented by anyone, not necessarily the person who applied for planning permission in the first place.
There are several types of planning application, including Outline Planning Application and Change of Use. In addition, there are several other types of permissions associated with planning, that are specific to trees, advertisements, listed buildings and conservation areas. These are all basically similar and are all dealt with under the same system and are processed in the same way. The fees differ for each type of application and some are them are free of charge.
Who grants permission?
Most applications are evaluated by professional planning officers, who will either grant or refuse permission according to whether or not the proposal conforms to the regulations, accepted policy and guidelines. Less straightforward applications are decided by the Planning Applications Committee. In rare cases, the Department for Environment becomes involved. See The Application and Decision Process.
Do I need permission?
Not every new development needs permission. Unfortunately, it is not generally easy to assess whether or not permission is required, as there are many diverse factors involved. General rules of thumb such as "small house extensions are exempt" can be misleading, as they apply to some situations but not to others. It is always advisable to speak to a planning officer and allow him/her to make the assessment. Please ensure that the officer is given all of the relevant details. See Do I Need Permission?.
Also note that, irrespective of whether planning permission is needed, Building Control Consent may be required. This is dealt with separately, outside of the planning system. The difference between planning and building control needs to be understood.
How to apply
The relevant forms can be obtained from our office. You can either call at the Customer Service Centre in the Town Hall, or contact our Call Centre on 01325 388799, or email planning.enquiries@darlington.gov.uk. You will need to submit the forms, along with plans, other documents and the correct fee. See more on how to apply.