P9.1: Determination for Reserved Matters & Submisson of Details

For projects that have received outline planning permission, it is likely that a range of matters would have been reserved for further determination.

Expectations in terms of delivering quality should already have been established through both the pre-application and application stages and a range of principles and parameters secured through any planning approval, as such ‘new’ information requirements should not be drawn into the overall process. In ATLAS’s view it is essential that a collaborative approach to working is maintained by all those involved in the project to achieve successful implementation of the desired outcomes to an acceptable design quality.

Specific processes will be dependent upon whether these relate to the submission of reserved matters or to the conditional discharge of further details but in either case it is important to maintain a full record of submission and decision. The logging of all submissions on the Local Planning Authority’s planning system is to be recommended so as to provide certainty and easy tracking, not least so as not to undermine the ability to take enforcement action if appropriate.

Some form of Charter potentially directly related to an overall Planning Performance Agreement, would be a useful tool to ensue that both developer and authority know what to expect in terms of process and outcomes. Such a Charter could include; phasing / submission of details, stakeholder and statutory consultee consultations, decision making arrangements and timescales.

The scope and scale of information required to support Reserved Matters applications should be clarified by the Local Planning Authority well in advance of actual submission as part of the overall project management process. In particular, recent legal case law has now identified a potential need for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) at reserved Matters stage if environmental impacts were not fully considered at outline stage (this is discussed further in T3.4 Planning Applications & Development Parameters).