P7.3: Planning Statement

The Planning Statement forms a key part of the planning application material and should:

• Review the proposed development against relevant national, regional and local planning policies and guidance. This should refer to all policies and plans that may be relevant including those that the proposals accord with, together with any that the proposals may be contrary to;
• Include a limited number of key plans and diagrams to explain the proposals;
• Provide a commentary of how the application proposals address relevant ‘spatial’ issues which may or may not directly relate to planning policy; and
• Include any proposed scope of planning obligations and/or planning conditions that the applicant consider would be acceptable, to provide certainty in terms of what is being proposed and safeguard against any anticipated issues or concerns.

A non-technical executive summary of the Planning Statement should also be prepared and presented in a manner suitable for a wider audience.