Before you make an Application

Before making an application we advise you to consider the following:

  • Check Out Policy Issues (relevant for Householder through to Major Developments)
  • Show Us Your Proposal (relevant for Householder through to Major Developments) Includes information regarding Pre-Application Discussions.
  • Working Together to Start Consultation Early (relevant for Major Developments)
  • Planning Obligations (relevant for Major Developments)

Check Out Policy Issues

For any development proposal, the first step is to seek advice on the principle of the development and to find out whether there are any strategic or policy issues which may affect your proposal.

For householder developments the main issues that we will consider are:

  • The impact of the development on the appearance of the original dwelling.
  • The impact of the development on the character and appearance of the area.
  • The impact of the development on the amenities of the occupiers of neighbouring and nearby properties, particularly in respect of privacy and light loss.

For larger developments the key issues in our district include:

  • Transport implications, including highways impact and the need to reduce dependence on the private car.
  • The provision of affordable housing.
  • Economic development and regeneration benefits.
  • Retail impact and improving town centres.
  • Flood protection and sustainable drainage. See the council's Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.
  • Visual impact and landscaping.
  • High quality and environmentally friendly design.
  • Protection of the countryside and of areas of ecological, archaeological and landscape interest.

Initially, you should look at the development plan policies relevant to the proposed development.

The development plan comprises:

Other relevant plans include:

Show us Your Proposal

Whatever you are proposing, we offer professional advice and encourage all of our customers to discuss development proposals with us before submitting an application.

For householder, or other non major developments that will require planning permission we are happy to provide free informal advice, on whether planning permission is likely to be granted. We can only do so, however, if you submit your proposals in writing and include sufficient information (see Supporting Proposal Documents for Smaller and Householder Developments below). You can also send us your proposal and any supporting information via email to Planning Services.

For smaller developments, including householder developments, we will need to see drawings / plans showing what you want to do. These may be in sketch form but should contain sufficient detail to enable us to clearly identify the extent and design of the works and how the proposals relate to surrounding properties.

We especially encourage pre-application discussions for major developments as this assists in the early detection of key issues and ensures the right material is presented with the application.

We now make a charge for pre-application discussions concerning major development proposals. For further details on the charges and how the process works please see the following documents:

Planning - Pre-Application Advice on Major Development Schemes

Planning - Request for Pre-Application Advice on Major Development Schemes

A major development would include:

  • Residential development (either new build or conversion) where the number of dwellings proposed is 10 or more.
  • Residential development where the number of dwellings is not specified but the site area is 0.5 hectare or more.
  • For all other uses, where the floorspace to be built (or subject to a change of use) is 1000 square metres or more or where the site area is 1.0 Hectare or more.

For the larger and strategic developments, we will deal with pre-application discussions with you using the Development Team Approach.

This means that we will establish a site-specific Development Team run in accordance with project management principles to take your proposals forward. This will agree with you a timetable for processing the application. In such exceptional cases we may agree with you that the application cannot be expected to meet the 13 week target.

Read more about the Development Team Approach in the downloadable document below:

Planning - Guide to Development Team Approach to Major Planning Applications

Working Together to Start Consultation Early

We can bring key consultees in to consider your proposals as part of the Development Team Approach (see document above), however you are encouraged to discuss your proposals with them at an early stage. This may help formulate your scheme in more detail and will enable us to provide you with a quicker and thorough response.

Such consultees will include the County Planning and Highways departments, the Highways Agency, and the Environment Agency. We expect you to resolve any outstanding matters with them before an application is submitted and we ask for copies of letters from these consultants to be submitted with the planning application.

For example, when a Traffic Assessment is needed, a letter from the Highways Agency and/or County Highways Authority, indicating their acceptance of the document, will be required.

The Council's Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out the requirements with regard to public consultation on major planning applications.

Where proposals concern major development schemes the Council expect the developer to explain how they will involve the public, and other interested parties / stakeholders, in the pre-application consultation.

Depending on the nature of the proposals, the Council will adopt a Development Team Approach for major developments in the Borough (see document above), to provide coordination between the Borough Council services and any external agencies relevant to the proposals.

While such a team may advise on community consultation it will be the potential developer's responsibility to decide on how such consultation will be carried out, and to undertake the proposed arrangements.

On submission of the eventual planning application the applicants will be expected to submit three copies of a supporting statement describing the extent of community involvement undertaken, any outcomes, and how the views of the community have been taken into account in the development of the scheme.

Potential applicants for major developments will be expected to:

  • Carry out local publicity (by notifying residents / businesses by letter / local newspaper adverts stating where they can find out more factual information about the proposed development)
  • Arrange at least one public event at a venue on or as near to the site as possible (i.e. an open day, exhibition, meeting, or focus / discussion group).
  • Contact community representatives / organisations to find out what there views are. (Borough Councillors whose wards include or adjoin the application site and local Parish Council(s) should also be informed. However, the Council's code of conduct prevents any Borough Councillor from expressing any views on specific proposals at this stage as they must remain impartial until any planning application is formally presented to the Planning Committee).

Planning Obligations

The main purpose of the planning system is to promote sustainable development. Development proposals should contribute to this purpose and should minimise the negative impact of development.

Planning obligations are legal agreements negotiated under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. These help to deliver sustainable development. They may be negotiated between the developer and the planning authority, and they may involve other people or organisations.

Planning obligations can be used to offset the impacts of new development where these cannot be satisfactorily addressed by conditions attached to the planning consent.

Planning obligations can take several forms. These include 'in-kind' contributions, such as financial payments, long term site management or where a developer builds or provides a facility such as a school.

The Government require that planning obligations should be;

  • necessary
  • relevant to planning
  • directly related to the proposed development
  • fairly and reasonably related to the proposed development and
  • reasonable in all other ways

The Government also supports the use of formulae, procedures and good practice to speed up the negotiation process.

In 2006 Lancashire County Council published its policy paper, Planning Obligations in Lancashire (Lancashire County Council) which aims to:

  • provide a clear framework for local planning authorities preparing LDF policies and developing a plan-led approach;
  • provide a systematic basis for officers negotiating Section 106 Planning Agreements; and
  • give specific advice to developers on when contributions will be required and how they will be calculated.

The council has adopted this policy paper for Development Control purposes and will use it to inform the need for planning obligations and to determine the amount of contribution sought.

Before buying land that is proposed to be developed, developers should consider the need for and likely costs of any planning obligation. The subject areas identified in the document and the definition of circumstances where they may be applied are intended to provide guidance on the range and amount of contributions a developer may have to pay.

For further information on the need for and amount of contributions required please refer to the Planning Contributions (Lancashire County Council) website.

Most S106 agreements involve the developer and one or more parties, including the council. The council's Legal Services Manager will normally, and for an appropriate fee, be happy to draft the necessary agreement on behalf of the relevant parties. Sometimes, however, an agreement may not need to involve other parties and the developer can submit a unilateral obligation.

You should start discussions with us on the need for, the type of, and terms of the legal agreement as early as you reasonably can.

If you have any queries don't hesitate to contact the Development Control Team at the following address.

  • Tel: 01253 891000
  • Fax: 01253 899000
  • Minicom: 01253 887636
  • Wyre Borough Council
    Civic Centre
    Breck Road
    Poulton-le-Fylde
    Lancashire
    FY6 7PU