Outline Planning Application Submissions
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:
Email the
Planning and Development Team if you require any
further information.
This webpage was updated on
4/4/2008