Together with a design and access statement, outline planning applications have to demonstrate that proposals have been properly considered in the light of relevant policies and the site’s constraints and opportunities.

Reserved Matters

Layout – the way in which buildings, routes and open spaces are provided within the development and their relationship to buildings and spaces outside the development.

Scale – the height, width and length of each building proposed in relation to its surroundings.

Appearance – the aspects of a building or place which determine the visual impression it makes, excluding the external built form of the development.

Access – this covers accessibility to and within the site for vehicles, cycles and pedestrians in terms of the positioning and treatment of access and circulation routes and how these fit into the surrounding access network.

Landscaping – this is the treatment of private and public space to enhance or protect the site’s amenity through hard and soft measures, for example, through planting of trees or hedges or screening by fences or walls.

Information that needs to be submitted with Outline Planning Applications

Detailed consideration is required on the use and amount of development of the site. If layout, scale and access are reserved, basic information on these issues is required in the application. Applications should always include the following information as a minimum:

• Use - the use or uses proposed for the development and any distinct development zones within the site identified.
• Amount of development - the amount of development proposed for each use.
• Indicative layout - an indicative layout with separate development zones proposed within the site boundary where appropriate.
• Scale parameters - an indication of the upper and lower limits for height, width and length of each building within the site boundary.
• Indicative access points - an area or areas in which the access point or points to the site will be situated.

Unless the above information is submitted, the application will not be registered.

Is a design and access statement required for an outline planning application?

Yes, but the detail to be provided will depend on which matters are being reserved for future consideration. The following is a brief guide to the detail required:

• If layout is reserved at the outline stage, the outline planning application should provide information on the approximate location of buildings, routes and open spaces proposed, and should explain and justify the principles behind the choice of development zones and blocks or building plots proposed and explain how these principles, including the need for appropriate access will inform the detailed layout. The use of illustrative diagrams is encouraged to assist in explaining this.

• If scale has been reserved at the outline stage, the application should still indicate parameters for the upper and lower limits of the height, width and length of each building proposed, to establish a 3-dimensional building envelope within which the detailed design of buildings will be constructed.

• If landscaping is reserved at the outline stage, the outline application does not need to provide any specific landscaping information. However, the design and access statement should still explain and justify the principles that will inform any future landscaping scheme for the site.

• If appearance is reserved at the outline stage, the outline application does not need to provide any specific information on the issue. In such cases the design and access statement should explain and justify the principles behind the intended appearance and explain how these will inform the final design of the development.

• For outline applications, where access is reserved, the application should still indicate the location of points of access to the site and clearly explain the principles which will be used to inform the access arrangements for the final development.

Further Information

Further information on the changes to outline planning applications and design and access statements is available from:

• The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) (England) Order 2006 sets out the legislative requirements. This is available free at Office of Public Sector Information.
• Detailed advice from the Department of Communities and Local Government on Design and Access statements is provided in Circular 1/2006. This is also available free from CABE Design and Access Statements.
• “Design and Access Statements – How to write, read and use them”. Published by CABE. This is available free at Design and Access Statements:How To Write, Read and Use Them.

Email the Planning and Development Team if you require any further information.