Planning Applications – Which politicians do I need to talk to?
There is a myriad of people you need to talk to when you make a planning application.
It should start with the planning officers at the Local Planning Authority and a pre-app should be the minimum or a planning performance agreement (PPA) is always advisable if the site is of any significant size.
Then you need to make very sure you know who are the political decision makers. This is where it can get very confusing if you are not a political expert.
What role does the Secretary of State and Housing Minister play in this? Well, unless you have an enormous site (for thousands… not hundreds of houses) they are very unlikely to get involved.
What role does the MP play? Probably very little. They are NOT the decision maker but may be moved to support or object to an application on behalf of their constituents.
What about the County Council? The County provides statutory services on fairly important aspects such as Highways and Education and each one of those departments is a consultee but the County is NOT the decision maker (unless it is waste or minerals etc.).
What about the Parish/Town Council? They are the closest level of local government to communities and an important local voice and consultee. They may support or object to your application or stay neutral and merely “note” it. It is possible to engage with the community effectively with their help. In some areas the actual decision maker (The Local Planning Authority i.e District/Borough or Unitary Council) may pay more attention to them than in other areas so engage with them early and get them on your side If they have an adopted Neighbourhood Plan or Village Design Guide, their voice carries even more weight generally but ultimately, they are NOT the decision makers.
The decision makers are the District/Borough/Unitary Council and the Councillors who serve on the relevant planning committee (yes, some Councils have more than one planning committee).
That beggars the question, who are the councillors you need to talk to then?
We would recommend that you start with the Leadership of the Council and find out who are the most appropriate Councillors – the ones whose job it is to ensure that housing, jobs, infrastructure, sustainability, climate change etc. are delivered.
You should also know who the local Ward Councillors are - the people who rely on the actual votes by the public to get in again next time. They are on the ground and in-the-know with their communities. They stand most to lose if it goes wrong – so make sure you talk to them, listen properly to them and win them over.
BEST ADVICE – As a Councillor the last thing you want is to be “surprised” by a planning application. Engage objectively with the proposer and the community, listen to supporters and objectors, so you hear the facts from both sides. You can help your community achieve the best outcome acting as a bridge and working proactively with both sides.
Cllr Dr Tumi Hawkins
Tumi is the Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Planning at South Cambridgeshire District Council. She has been on the Council for 15 years and was a parish councillor for 9 years. As a member peer, she works with the LGA and PAS to provide training and mentoring to councillors.
Tumi Hawkins – can be reached on 020 4538 7200 or tumi@theccp.net
