The Checklist and the planning system
- How does the Checklist fit with the planning system?
- How is it integrated into regional and local planning policy?
- In major developments, is the Checklist intended for outline or full planning applications?
- Can it help speed up the planning process?
- Does it have a role in pre-application discussions?
- Doesn’t it just make extra work for the Planning Officer and Developer?
- Does the Checklist score decide whether or not planning consent is given?
- What about links to other formal assessments – eg Environmental Impact Assessments, Health Impact Assessments, Transport Impact Assessments for example?
- Does it relate to Sustainability Appraisals / Strategic Environmental Assessment?
- Can it be used in choosing sites to bring forward in options for the Development Plan Document?
- How does it help with the requirement for Annual Monitoring Reports?
- Can the Regional Checklist be used by a developer where it is not required by the local planning authority?
How does the Checklist fit with the planning system?
The Checklist has been designed to fit into the planning system. Questions are directly drawn from regional policy and are planning matters, so they are relevant to the regulation of the development and use of land in the public interest and work towards the overall goal of sustainability as set out in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and PPS1.
How is it integrated into regional and local planning policy?
This can be done in two ways:
- At regional level. Use of the checklist is required by Development policy G the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) – see ‘Who Owns the Checklist’ elsewhere in the FAQs for more info. It can be required as part of development control applications in the Regional Spatial Strategy or recommended for use by local authorities and developers as part of its implementation plan. It can be customised by local planning authorities if required (see “How can the Checklist be tailored to meet the needs of the individual local authority?” elsewhere in these FAQs)
- Local planning authorities can adopt the Checklist as a material consideration by requiring it to be filled in for applications of a particular type and size (see other FAQs) in their Development Plan Document, then either taking it as a whole or modifying it to form an SPD or appendix to an SPD (where they wish to give more detail).
In major developments, is the Checklist intended for outline or full planning applications?
Both. Since developers are increasingly putting more detail into outline applications (and local authorities are asking for more information), we have not split the questions into separate sets for outline and full applications as there is wide variance. We suggest that developers fill in the questions relating to those issues for which they are seeking outline approval (marking the others as “not applicable”, setting out which will be addressed at full application stage) and complete the remainder of the checklist at the full application stage.
Can it help speed up the planning process?
Yes. For the applicant, it ensures that they know what is required before the planning application is drawn up. It ensures that issues can be considered at the right point in the design process. Quality assurance systems have shown that redesign is more expensive the further down the design process you are, particularly where the redesign pertains to a fundamental issue. So the Checklist helps avoids expensive re-work later in the design process if something has been missed out. Since the Checklist is designed to be completed by the Developer team, they will also know the strengths and weaknesses of their application before it is submitted and can re-appraise particular features to strengthen it, if required.
For the Development Control officer, the Checklist helps to provide sustainability information in one place, in the same format, for every application. The scoring overview guides the DC officer – and Planning Committee Members – to where follow-up or auditing may be needed.
Does it have a role in pre-application discussions?
Planning Policy Statement 1 discusses the role of pre-application discussions. The Checklist provides a comprehensive framework for discussing the appropriate sustainability standards for particular development sites, for agreeing where good or best practice standards would be appropriate rather than minimums and for agreeing in advance which issues may not apply.
Doesn’t it just make extra work for the Planning Officer and Developer?
There is no new policy in the Checklist. By tailoring the Checklist to national and regional policy, it is helping to operationalise existing policy. The tool is designed to make requirements clear, up-front and understandable for the development team (in line with the P&CPA and PPS1) and to present information about the application in a straightforward, easily audited and quick format for the Development Control officer and Planning Members.
Does the Checklist score decide whether or not planning consent is given?
No. This is a tool for decision makers, not a decision-making tool. It provides an overview of the sustainability performance of the application across each of the eight sections, as well as highlighting issues which have not been addressed in the application and issues for which minimum standards have not been met. It is for the Local Planning Authority, through its Members and Officers, to determine whether or not this is appropriate and acceptable for the intended development and the site on which it is located. The Checklist is designed to make this easier.
What about links to other formal assessments – eg Environmental Impact Assessments, Health Impact Assessments, Transport Impact Assessments for example?
The Checklist does not replace the need for EIA’s – these are a statutory requirement for particular types of developments (see Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999). Since this is dealt with by formal legislation, we have not repeated it in the Checklist.
Local authorities have differing requirements of Impact Assessments which do not have a legally defined methodology, but developers and development control officers will find that questions in the checklist will inform these impact assessments. Indeed Local Authorities are welcome to highlight those questions which they would want to see answered as part of a particular Impact Assessment. Health Impacts are a good example of where this would work well.
Does it relate to Sustainability Appraisals/Strategic Environmental Assessment?
The Checklist was not initially designed to be used in Sustainability Appraisals. However comments from some local authorities and consultants suggest that it may be useful in the process. Referring to the ODPM Sustainability Appraisal/SEA guide, this would include:
- Task A1: Reviewing other relevant policies, plans and programmes and sustainability objectives
- Task A3: Identifying sustainability issues and problems.
Perhaps more importantly, the SA/SEA of the Local Development Framework can be used in tailoring the Checklist for the local planning authority. Where issues are identified in the SA/SEA which are of local, rather than regional, significance, it would be appropriate to reflect these through additional questions in the Checklist. The SA/SEA should also highlight key issues for the local development framework to address and these can be used to re-weight the checklist according to local priorities (see “Weightings” elsewhere in FAQs)
Can it be used in choosing sites to bring forward in options for the Development Plan Document?
The Checklist was not designed for this purpose, but feedback from a local authority indicates that it has been useful in designing a sequential test for the sustainability of sites.
How does it help with the requirement for Annual Monitoring Reports?
Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Local Planning Authority has to provide an annual report showing the extent to which objectives in the local development plan are being achieved. If the Checklist is completed for every development control application, the scores for specific questions can be simply and easily compiled to assess and show how progress is being made.
Can the Regional Checklist be used by a developer where it is not required by the local planning authority?
Where the local authority has not yet adopted the Checklist, the Checklist can be used as the basis for a sustainability appraisal or audit to be provided with the planning application.
The Checklist has been developed as a tool for decision makers - the local planning authority, the land owner, the developer team or the potential purchaser of a development. Therefore it is intended that the Developer should be able to use it as a guide and quality assurance tool in their design and planning process. It may also be useful in demonstrating the quality of the proposed development to other interested parties.