Development management services

We’re committed to encouraging local enterprise, new investment and community regeneration in Sheffield. We’re also committed to following best national practice in delivering our services.

We offer a Development Team Approach (DTA) to all key regeneration schemes giving you a co-ordinated and speedy approach to obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals.

Through the DTA, we aim to provide:

• a clear picture of our policy on the development proposed, with a unified and consistent approach with any other agencies involved
• help in resolving any potential conflicts between consent regimes
• co-ordination of the work of all involved in the project, in a cost-effective way. We’ll bring together a Development Team tailored to meet the needs of the project, and we’ll get agreement on realistic timescales for the project and contributions from all parties

Your role

We’ll need to have meaningful pre-application discussions with you, with enough time allowed for preparation of essential information and assessment of outline proposals. This could include consultation with the local community, where appropriate.

Many policy issues can be resolved at this stage, avoiding abortive costs and saving time at the application stage.

We provide extensive advice on preparing the supporting submissions necessary for planning applications that raise more technically complex issues.

We also publish a typical timetable for major applications. This is designed to help you work with us to allow your application to be determined within the Government’s 13 week target.

How the DTA works

• a Development Team will be set up for the life of the project, involving all key officers and agencies that have a regulatory interest in the project
• usually the Development Management officer (who will be the case officer for the application) will lead the Team. Occasionally major regeneration schemes will have a lead officer from the City Regeneration Development Division or the Housing Market Renewal Team during the project’s early development phase. These officers will then maintain a watching brief over the development when it moves into the planning application phase
• at all stages, we’ll confirm key points or requirements in writing, where clear communication can help with interpretation of planning policies or assist with negotiations and the resolution of any conflicting interests
• we also offer an integrated Building Regulation service. If taken up, a Building Standards case officer may lead the post-application phase, as appropriate
• all regulatory bodies are committed to supporting the DTA, which has a proven track record in Sheffield

Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs)

If you put in a planning application for a large scale or complex project, we can put a PPA in place. A PPA is an agreement between yourself and our Planning Service to provide a project management framework.

Who needs a PPA

The Development Team Approach will provide the right type of service for most major applications.

PPAs are designed specifically for the needs of Major Applications that are going to require longer than usual to determine, and are expected to exceed the Government’s target of 13 weeks.

Have an early discussion with our Planning Service about your proposals, to establish the most appropriate service for you.

Benefits of PPAs

There are a number of benefits to a PPA, including:

• providing certainty (when the standard 13 week target isn’t appropriate, everyone involved will value a formal agreement to an alternative target)
• ensuring commitment from all contributors to a shared timetable to avoid delays
• forming a Development Team led by the case officer and involving all key contributors
• providing certainty about policy requirements and information required to support the application
• providing an opportunity to arrange public consultation that seeks the wider views of the local community as well as neighbours
• establishing a clear framework for delivering complex major projects at pre-application, application and post application stages

Local businesses have helped our Planning Service to design some simple alterations to the more complex PPAs developed by ATLAS for the Government. 

We can provide an alternative timetable to the 13 week target. A bespoke agreement is also possible, template agreements can be supplied on request.