Planning Reports

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Charles Holt (Lincoln)

The planning process is without doubt a drag on the nation’s business, economic and social progress. Delays, cost and hassle all mount up. But so often, there are two sides to any proposal, so perhaps such a process is inevitable. The Chinese way of just mandating a development and bulldozing through any opposition is not our way.

One of the most important aspects of an application is the variety of reports that have to accompany an application. For instance, I produce many ‘Supporting Statements’. These set out the detail of what is proposed, why it’s needed, who will be doing it, and how it complies with policy.

Frequently it is the policy analysis that is most relevant to planning officers. This summer I was asked to prepare a policy analysis by the planning officer regarding a farm building. While he knew perfectly well all the policies that it would affect, he insisted that I prepare the document on behalf of my client. Of course, this saved him a job, but it did help towards our eventual success.

More annoying is when spurious reports are insisted upon, or new ‘validation requirements’ suddenly appear. For instance, I had to commission an ‘odour report’ for a new silage clamp application, despite there already being silage clamps on the farm, and nearer to other houses than the site of the proposed one! I think the planning officer couldn’t distinguish between silage and slurry…

Preliminary Environmental Assessments, BNG assessments, landscape appraisals and noise reports are amongst a myriad of others that farm and rural applications become mired in. I regularly need to commission such work for clients.

I have also just had to commission a ‘land stability and ground condition’ report on a site near to where there have been minor landslips historically. This is just for a small agricultural shed, not even for a house, but nevertheless, if we do not prepare one, the LPA will not even validate the application.

Developers of large sites are well used to submitting a range of accompanying reports with their applications. But the number and variety of them required for even small applications seems to be ever-increasing. The red tape production industry is doing very well.

If you would like help with your planning matters, please contact Charles Holt at charlesholt@fcgagric.com, or your local FCG office.

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