VALIDATION OF PLANNING & OTHER APPLICATIONS

1. VALIDATION OF PLANNING & OTHER APPLICATIONS A brief guide for Planning Agents

2. ORGANISATION OF PLANNING ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMS

3. Stage 1 – Information Team • Date stamp paper copies of applications • Download electronic applications • Enter new applications to MVM (BHCC internal data system) • Scan paper copies • Bank and receipt fees • Put up site notices

4. Stage 2 - Validation Team • Validate and register applications • Send out invalid notifications • Send out neighbour and consultee letters • Make up case files

5. Stage 3 – Officer Support Team • Process appeals • Process Non-Material Amendments and Approval of Condition Applications • Process pre-application requests to case officer • Issue Draft and Final Decisions notices • Answer telephone enquiries on the general information number 292222 including permitted development and arranging duty officer • Enforcement Administration appointments • Check crossover information requests for the Streetworks department

6. THE VALIDATION PROCESS

7. Stage 1 • Planning and other applications are submitted in either paper format or via the Planning Portal. • Planning Portal applications printed off • All paperwork stamped with date of receipt • For paper applications, hard copies scanned into MVM – BHCC internal system • Applications logged onto MVM and given a number – BH2010/****** - appears on website as • Cheques banked & receipted or

8. Application address is checked for constraints – e.g. conservation area or listed building and information added to MVM • Planning history printed out, site measured from location plan • Application forms and plans checked to ensure conformity with National and Local Requirements • Internal and external consultees, neighbours identified • Valid applications passed to Area Manager to allocate to case officer

9. If application is invalid, the reason is entered in MVM and agent/applicant contacted by letter or email with reasons. It appears as invalid on website • When information received and application is then valid, it is passed to Area Manager for allocation to case officer • When application is valid, it is then formally registered and appears as “under consideration” on website • Consultation letters printed off and sent out • Site notices – if required - produced and passed back to Stage 1 Team to be pinned on site (by Admin officer) • File is made up and passed to case officer

10. Terminology • Received date – date application is received by post or electronically via the Planning Portal N.B. - on receipt application is given a reference number BH2010/***** • Validation – the process of checking the application to ensure that it meets National and Local validation requirements • Invalid – the application is missing item(s) from National and/or Local requirements and cannot be registered • Valid – the application is complete and meets all National and Local requirements and can now be registered • Registration – application is “made live” on MVM/website and file is made up and passed to case officer • Valid date – the date from which the 8/13 week “clock” starts. If the application was valid (or complete) on day of receipt, that is the validation date, regardless of date of registration. If the application was invalid (or incomplete) on day of receipt, the clock starts on the day the additional information is received from the agent.