Skip to main content
Find a National Infrastructure Project

This is a beta service - your feedback will help us to improve it

Advice to A Henderson

Back to list

Enquiry

From
A Henderson
Date advice given
11 July 2018
Enquiry type
Email

Please could you confirm whether it is possible to submit a DCO application in outline, following by subsequent reserved matters? If so, please can you provide some further details on the process?

Advice given

A Development Consent Order (DCO) application cannot be submitted as an outline application to be followed by application(s) for reserved matters at a later date. Applicants should make every effort to finalise details applicable to the Proposed Development prior to submission of their DCO application.

The ‘Rochdale Envelope’ approach has been used for some proposals under the Planning Act 2008, where the nature of the Proposed Development means that some details of the whole project have not been confirmed (for instance the precise dimensions of structures) when the application is submitted, and flexibility is sought to address uncertainty.

The Planning Inspectorate has issued a series of Advice Notes on the DCO process which you may find useful, these include an Advice Note specifically concerning Using the Rochdale Envelope: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Advice-note-9.-Rochdale-envelope-web.pdf

DCOs may contain requirements, which are similar to conditions under the Town and Country Planning Act, which specify the matters for which detailed approval needs to be obtained before the development can be lawfully begun, for example a detailed landscaping scheme

All other Advice Notes relevant to the Planning Act 2008 can be found by following the link below: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/legislation-and-advice/advice-notes/