Other Planning Guidance

Climate change informal guidance

The Climate Change Guidance for Development Management will be treated as a material consideration for the purpose of decision making for planning decisions. The Guidance will be applied from 6 March 2023.

View the Council's Climate Change Guidance for Development Management.

Non-main foul drainage guidance

Some rural areas do not have access to mains foul drainage. A number of alternative options, such as septic tanks, package treatment plants and sealed cesspits, exist for proposed developments in these locations. Some options may generate the need for an Environment Permit from the Environment Agency (EA) which is separate from the grant of planning permission by this Council

Some non-mains foul drainage options are considered to pose a contamination risk to ground water transmitted by the sub-surface aquifer. It should not be assumed that a Permit will be forthcoming from the EA or that the Council will grant planning permission with unknown drainage arrangements and secure details by means of a planning condition. Applicants should consider appropriate drainage options as part of good site and environmental design. Options that may represent the only acceptable solution in order to obtain a necessary Permit may impact on design layout and so will need to be considered at an early stage of design development.

Guidance Note 4 Non Mains Drainage For LPA [pdf] 3943KB, produced through discussion with the EA, provides further guidance on these matters.

Solar power guidance

The energy of the sun can be harnessed to generate electricity and hot water. Photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal panels can be installed on individual buildings or free standing on the ground. PV arrays can be small scale or large commercial arrays and we have prepared Renewable Energy Planning Guidance Notes to assist householders, communities and developers in bringing forward their development ambitions. These Planning Guidance Notes are:

They have been approved by the council's cabinet and will advise decision makers when determining planning applications.