Office of Public Sector Information

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 (“the 1995 Order”) specifies the procedures connected with planning applications, appeals to the Secretary of State and related matters so far as these are not laid down in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. This Order amends the 1995 Order in relation to England.

Article 2(3) inserts a new article 4E which makes provision for the form and content of application forms for planning permission. In particular, it provides for applications for planning permission to be made on a standard application form published by the Secretary of State.

Article 2(4) substitutes a new article 5 in the 1995 Order which contains general provisions relating to applications including to which bodies applications should be made and the steps that local planning authorities should take upon receipt of an application for planning permission.

Article 2(5) amends article 7 of the 1995 Order to provide for certificates in relation to notice of applications for planning permission to be made in a form published by the Secretary of State.

Article 2(6) amends article 20 of the 1995 Order, which deals with the time periods in which local planning authorities must determine applications for planning permission. It sets out what constitutes a valid application. The time period within which local planning authorities must determine applications starts the day after a valid application is received unless a cheque is subsequently dishonoured.

Article 2(7) amends article 24, which provides for applications for certificates of lawful use or development, to make similar provision for this type of application.

Article 2(8) makes a consequential revocation.

Article 3 contains transitional provisions.

An impact assessment has been prepared in relation to this Order. This assessment has been placed in the Library of each House of Parliament and copies may be obtained from PSID, Department for Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU (Telephone 020 7944 3934).