Safeguards for planning applicants

Planning authorities are only able to use Local Planning Application Requirements (LPAR) to validate applications if they refresh them every 2 years. 

These LPAR were last reviewed in July 2020 and only very minor adjustments to reflect updated references and guidance definitions were implemented. As a result changes to the existing LPAR were not needed.

Keeping validation requirements reasonable

We worked with our local Agents Forum to develop our LPAR and ensure that our LPAR are reasonable. They are designed to help applicants to address Sheffield planning policies and characteristics when applications are being prepared, to minimise the risk of delay and maximise the chances of a successful outcome. 

We (and interested parties) just want information that properly addresses the key planning issues , so please discourage your consultants from preparing unnecessarily long supporting submissions.  They should address key policy requirements, without including extensive policy extracts. Case officers will provide guidance and agree a checklist of required supporting submissions as part of pre-application advice.

Timely registration of planning applications

We have adopted the following targets for validating planning applications:

• minor or other applications within 2 working days
• small scale Major applications within 2 working days
• large scale Major applications within 5 working days

These are more demanding than national minimum targets and reflect our commitment to excellent service standards. Where an application is found to be invalid, we will telephone or email if it appears to us to be a matter that could be quickly rectified.  We will in all other cases set out the reasons in writing as soon as possible. 

This will only be by e-mail to minimise delay, provided that a valid email address has been supplied. Where an application is valid, it is validated from the date of receipt, regardless of how long it takes us to register the application.

Resolving validation disputes

If an applicant does not agree with the requirement for information or plans set out, they may wish to challenge that requirement. 

It is recommended that the applicant first try and resolve this dispute with the Planning Service by asking for a Planning Officer / Area Manager to review the requirement.

Right of appeal for invalid application for planning permission

As applied, LPAR must relate to the nature and scale of the proposed development and be about a matter which it is reasonable to think will be a material consideration in the determination of the application.

Applications for Planning Permission or Approval of Reserved Matters can be classed as 'non-validated' if the applicant formally disputes our decision to invalidate the application. The applicant can do this by submitting a validation dispute notice under Article 10A (this can be in the form of a letter) that sets out the following:

• the particulars and evidence that they consider don't meet the above requirements
• the reasons for this view, and
• requests that the Local Planning Authority waives the requirement to include the invalid information requested for the application

We will then have to consider if we agree; in which case we would validate the application.

If we don't agree we will send out a non-validation notice still requesting the information and keep the application as invalid.

The applicant then has the right to appeal against non-determination at the end of the statutory period for determining the application (8-13 weeks from receipt).

This right of appeal does not apply to other (invalid) application types.