Please see below information received from the Planning Portal.

I have noticed that you’ve previously used the Planning Portal to submit your planning applications, but were you also aware that you can purchase your site location plans through our mapping service?

Even with online applications steadily increasing over the past few years, still many mapping suppliers are producing maps in paper format. The scanning of these paper maps is against Ordnance Survey copyright rules and can lead to applications being rejected.

To help you avoid this we have developed a new service that enables you to buy your maps electronically, benefits of the service include:

• Ability to view your map before you purchase it
• Assurance your map is up to date with the correct licensing for your application
• Facility to highlight boundaries and annotate the map without the need for additional software
• No need to convert file formats - maps are ready to uploaded to your electronic application

To ensure this service is easy to use, we have partnered with four Planning Portal accredited, leading mapping suppliers - Streetwise, Stanfords, Getmapping and eMapSite.com. This will give you the choice to use the supplier that best suits your needs, whilst ensuring your map will be accepted but every Local Authority in England and Wales.

To start benefiting from this new service today or to just have a look please click here .

North Yorkshire Building Control have advised us that from 1 January 2009 a charge of £40.00 plus VAT (£46.00) will be made for applications that are withdrawn or returned.

Please ensure that all required information is correct and complete before submitting any Building Regulations Applications.

Planning Charges effective from June 2008

 Major Development:

 £300 + VAT for site visit, letter and one to one consultation with a senior staff member.  Further work is chargeable at Senior Officer hourly rates.

·         10 Residential units or more

·         Residential development on site of 5ha or more

·         1,000sqm of commercial floor space or more

·         Commercial development on site of 1ha or more

·         Scheme subject to EIA

Other Significant Development Charge:

£300 + VAT

·         Telecommunications development

·         Minerals or waste proposals on sites of 0.5ha or larger

Minor Developments:

£70 + VAT for site visit, letter and consultation with a Planning Officer.  Further work is chargeable at Officer hourly rates.

Schemes of 1-9 dwellings

·         Commercial development resulting in new floor space on sites smaller than 1ha or less than 1,000sqm

·         Changes of use

Commercial Adverts

£50 +VAT

Householder Development

£20 + VAT for written letter

Listed Buildings

Free

The standard fee must be paid in advance of any work commencing on the enquiry.

Views on proposed changes to the current building control system can be submitted until Tuesday 10 June 2008.

To download a copy of the consultation paper and to respond, please visit www.communities.gov.uk/futurebuildingcontrol.  

From 6 April 2008 most council’s will have on their web sites a Local Validation Criteria Manual which applies to all planning applications.  It explains what information is needed at the start of the planning process to help register an application, (different applications require different kinds of information) and this document should be referred to in order to make sure all the necessary information is complete before submitting a planning application.

Additional Fees with regard to discharging of Planning Conditions.

The Local Authorities now have the power to charge £85.00 for each Condition to be discharged.  See link below (Page 30) for details. http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/10.pdf 

The Standard Planning Application Form (1APP) will replace all existing types of planning applications forms (except minerals) within England on 6 April 2008.  The standard planning application form will be available online via the Planning Portal.

On 6 April 2008 the Standard Application form (1APP) will become the only legal way of submitting a planning application within England (except for minerals).

Any draft applications on the Planning Portal saved before 6 April 2008 and not saved on 1APP will be moved onto the new application form although some of the information requested on 1APP is slightly different to the information required by LA’s on the old form.

A support team will be on hand to provide advice and guidance as well as further assistance if required.

A customer service desk is also available to answer any questions regarding the migration process.

For further information about 1APP contact Gill at Stokesley or contact the Planning Portal on 0117 372 8200 or by email at support@planningportal.gsi.gov.uk.

There will also be changes to Planning Application fees and Building Regulation fees from 6 April 2008, (as posted in the day file, details of Building Regulation increases have already taken place with a few Authorities.  Planning Application fee increases are as yet to be published), you are advised to check with the Local Authority as to changes in Building Regulation fees and the Planning Portal for Planning Application fees.

Please ensure you take these changes into account when advising client’s of the fee and make sure that cheque’s from client’s are also correct if P+HS Architects are submitting any of the above applications on their behalf.