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Advice to Hockering Parish Council

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Enquiry

From
Hockering Parish Council
Date advice given
24 June 2014
Enquiry type
Email

Request to make paper application documents available and to provide reassurance over level of evidence required in support of written representations.

Advice given

Dear Cllr Hawker,

It was a pleasure speaking with you yesterday and I am glad that you found it useful.

I?m sure that you will appreciate that it is the nature of these applications that there documentation will be lengthy and sometimes cumbersome. You can write to Norfolk County Council requesting the production of a paper copy of the application, but the cost is significant. As it comprises more than fifty ring binders, you may find this just as inconvenient as the electronic version. Norfolk County Council has moved the full set of documents from Hellesdon Library to the Forum Library in central Norwich following requests from interested parties. The Forum is open until 8pm Monday to Friday and during the day on Saturday; the complete opening hours were including in our letter of 6 June 2014.

DCLG Guidance sets out the manner in which examination are to be run; paragraph 4 establishes the need for fairness and proportionality https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/192673/Planning_Act_2008_-_Guidance_for_the_examination_of_applications_for_development_consent.pdf:

?Key aims are to promote best practice; to ensure consistent application of examination procedures; and to promote fairness, transparency and proportionality.?

Regarding the production of written representations, it is most precise to quote paragraph 70 from the guidance produced by DCLG

?The written representations should include each party?s detailed case and set out the reasons why they support or oppose the application. It should identify those parts of the application and specific matters with which they agree, and those parts or matters where they do not agree. Reasons for any disagreement should be provided.?

Clearly the Examining Authority will want to understand the reasoning behind statements made to the examination, but such requests for evidence must be fair and proportionate.

I trust this is of assistance; thank you for the constructive engagement of Hockering Parish Council in this examination.

Yours sincerely

Nicholas Coombes Case Manager