What is ‘Planning’?
Planning is about the management of competing uses for space in
our towns and in the countryside and making places that are valued
and have identity.
Rochford District Council is the Local Planning Authority for
the area, meaning that it is responsible for considering planning
applications for new development in the District, for taking
appropriate action where planning permission has not been granted
for a project, and for setting the policy framework against which
planning applications are judged.
Planning Applications
The planning applications team deals with planning applications
and planning appeals, and provides advice and guidance on your
development proposals. A Duty Planning Officer is
available to provide advice and answer questions about
planning procedures and processes and to comment on draft
proposals.
A Duty Planning Officer will be available at the following
times:
Monday 08.30 – 13.00
Tuesday 08.30 – 13.00
Wednesday 13.00 – 17.30
Thursday 08.30 – 13.00
Friday 08.30 –
13.00
Outside of these hours a member of Customer Service Team may be
able to assist you with your planning enquiry including directing
you to information held on our website.
Please note that applications for the development of facilities
for waste or minerals are dealt with by Essex County Council, but
if you are not sure whether your proposal falls into one of these
categories, we can advise.
Do I need Planning Permission?
All the information you need for both household and business
work is available on the Planning Portal - the government's online
planning and building control resource. Visit the following pages
on the Planning Portal website to find out more:
Major Residential Planning Applications
Planning Pre Application advice
On the 1 April 2012 we introduced a new Planning Pre-Application
Advice Scheme. For specific advice on development proposal please
see the link below which explains the different types of service
offered and the appropriate fee. Please note, for householders, the
service will continue to normally be free of charge. The Council
will also continue to provide a Duty Officer Service which will
provide free general advice and guidance, advice to local residents
on the need for planning permission, relevant policies and how to
make an application.
Planning Enforcement
The Planning Enforcement team investigates and takes action
against any building works or activities that do not have planning
permission. The intention is to ensure that building works or
activities which damage the appearance and character of the
district and/or impact adversely on the lives of our residents are
controlled, as well as ensuring that development schemes are
implemented as intended in the planning consent.
Planning Policy
The Policy team prepares the policies and guidance against which
new development in our district is assessed. The team is also
responsible for providing advice on historic buildings and
conservation areas.
The Rochford District Replacement Local Plan, adopted in 2006,
remains one of the key policy documents, but is gradually being
replaced by a new suite of development plan documents, called
collectively, the Local Development Framework. The most important
policy document is the Rochford Core Strategy.
Building Control
Once planning permission has been granted, this team works to
ensure that the safety, health and welfare of the public is
maintained when the new buildings are constructed. The team also
deals with dangerous structures.