‘A community planning tool which assists communities to articulate issues of concern to them. This results in an action plan which can be used to inform and endorse the Parish Council”s role in acting on behalf of and representing the community.’

Where an area is designated as a civil parish, the community it contains may be represented by a Parish or Town Council which is an elected local government body. This provides a limited range of local public services and makes representations on behalf of the community to other organisations, particularly significant to planning in that it can make submissions on behalf of its community when development plan documents are being prepared and on planning applications submitted within the parish. An increasingly important role is in being proactive in the preparation of Parish Plans and neighbourhood planning (in an area covered by a Parish or Town Council it is only these bodies that can lead on neighbourhood planning matters).

Part 5

What is effectively a nationwide planning permission to carry out certain limited forms of development without the need to make a planning application. These provisions are granted under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. It should be noted that local planning authorities have the power to remove permitted development rights through planning conditions or Article 4 Directions so always double check with your council.

Planning and development act 2000

Planning and development regulations 2001 – 2018

Planning and development strategic housing development 2017

Planning committees are made up of elected councillors. One of the key roles of a planning committee is to make decisions on planning applications where the decision making has not been delegated to officers. A planning officer will make a recommendation and the committee will vote on whether or not to go with the recommendation.

A condition imposed on a grant of planning permission. Normally used to control the impact of development such as opening hours in the case of a shop, bar or restaurant.

A company that specialises in providing advice on planning matters. The Royal Town Planning Institute has an online directory providing information on planning consultancies based within the UK which can be found here.