Pre-Application Advice

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Last revised: 29 February 2008

Will I require planning permission?

The erection of any new house or the sub-division of an existing house into two dwellings will require planning permission. Changes of use will also generally require planning permission, including extending your garden into an adjoining field.

Extensions to existing houses, and other alterations, such as new accesses, garages and outbuildings may require planning permission, depending on a number of factors, including location, size and whether there have been any previous extensions. Helpful on-line advice is provided by the national planning portal follow here for Planning Portal

If you want the informal advice of the Council on whether planning permission is required for your proposal, you will need to complete our form 'Do I need Planning Permission?' please follow this link to download (pdf, 301 KB). The completed form should be sent via e-mail to dev.control@kennet.gov.uk, or posted to the council offices. Planning Services, Kennet District Council, Browfort, Bath Road, Devizes, SN10 2AT

Alternatively, you may wish to apply for a formal Certificate of Lawfulness for the proposed works. The forms for this are available on the Planning Portal Website please follow this link to view (External link) However, whilst this will give you a formal determination, it will require the payment of a fee to the Council.

Can I make an appointment to meet a planning officer to discuss my proposal?

The Council welcomes pre-application discussion. It enables us to be able to advise you on the planning policies that affect your proposal and to suggest changes that may make it more likely that permission will be forthcoming. It may also save you money if it is evident that there is little chance of planning permission being forthcoming.

However, in order for us to be able to give you the best advice, it is necessary for us to see in advance the ideas that you wish to pursue. This enables us to research the planning history of the site and the policies that may affect it. You should therefore either e-mail your proposals (with a covering letter) to dev.control@kennet.gov.uk or post them to the Council offices. We will endeavour to reply to you within 15 working days of receipt.

You may wish to examine the Kennet Local Plan 2011 before putting your proposal forward, to see if it is in line with the policies contained within it. The plan is viewable on line by following here

How we determine planning applications

The Council receives over 1600 planning applications annually. Each follows a similar process:

Step 1 - Receipt

The application is checked to ensure that it is complete, with the necessary forms, plans, fee and any other supporting information correctly supplied. If it is incomplete, the applicant (or agent, where used) is advised of the information required before the application can be validated.

Step 2 - Consultation

The application is scanned and placed on the Council's Planning Explorer web site follow here for MVM Planning Kennet (External link) . Before scanning, personal details of the applicant, including telephone number and signature are removed, although these details remain on the paper copy. A copy of the application is sent to the local parish or town council for their comments and to any other necessary consultee. Neighbours may be sent a letter advising them of the application if it is considered that they may be affected by it. If the application is in a conservation area, or affects a listed building, it may be advertised in the local press. A case officer is assigned to the application and he/she will carry out a site visit and will also arrange for a site notice advertising the proposal to be placed on or near to the site. Representations received by the Council are added to the electronic documents on the case file on the Planning Explorer web site.

Step 3 - Assessment

The case officer will consider all the representations received and will take account of these, the planning policies that are relevant to the proposal (both national and local) and the assessment made of the impact of the proposal at the site visit. A recommendation on whether planning permission should be granted or refused will be made.

Step 4 - Decision

Most decisions on planning applications (around 90%) are made by experienced senior planning officers under the powers delegated to them by the Council. Over 80% of applications are approved. More controversial applications are determined by the elected members of the Council who sit on the Regulatory Committee. The Regulatory Committee meet in public every three weeks. The agendas and minutes are published on the Council's web site follow here for Planning Minutes at. A scanned copy of every planning decision is placed on the Council's Planning Explorer web site.  

Step 5 - Appeal

There are no rights of appeal by third parties for applications that have been approved by the Council, either under delegated powers or by the Regulatory Committee. Those who have their application refused have the right of appeal to the Secretary of State, who will appoint an independent Planning Inspector from the Planning Inspectorate to deal with the appeal. A list of the appeals that the Council are currently dealing with can be accessed from the planning appeal page.