Early on in the process, project managers should make themselves familiar with their local authority’s planning policy and development objectives, by speaking to planning officers (planners) and studying the local authority’s UDP.
Once planners have an understanding of the site-related requirements for primary and social care buildings, they can often assist in helping to find a suitable site. This may be a mixed-use development, which may assist with integrating the building into the locality and making it affordable. Outline and full planning applications will normally be required during the development process, though responsibility for these and where they occur in the development process will vary, depending on the procurement route selected.
The local authority’s planning department should be approached early in the strategic and procurement planning process. Personal contacts should be made, if possible, between the project manager and planning officers (planners) who are responsible for policy and development.
Each local authority is required to maintain a UDP, which effectively sets down its development and policy objectives for the future. It is updated from time to time and is periodically under consultation. The UDP should:
Planners are responsible for interpreting and implementing the policy set down by the elected members of the local authority, as encapsulated in the UDP. They give advice to applicants on how this policy should be interpreted, and make recommendations to local authority members at committee meetings on specific applications. Responsibility for decision-making on individual applications, however, rests with the members. The project team should seek to involve the local authority’s planners in the planning of health and social care buildings, as mutual interests can be served by adopting a collaborative approach.
For example, planners may be encouraged to suggest to applicants on large retail or housing projects that a health and social care component should be included, and make the necessary introductions, if they understand the strategic background to the projects. Once a potential site has been identified, a meeting with a planner should be arranged to obtain pre-application advice and their initial impressions about site-use, access, massing, design and car parking. The project manager and an architect should attend this meeting.
Topics discussed should be recorded in notes or a letter and sent back to the planner concerned. Such meetings are very useful in explaining the trust’s requirements and general approach, and can help establish a long-term dialogue with planners that may benefit ongoing projects. Some local authorities do not offer this service. If this is the case, it may be necessary to write, explaining the proposal and requesting a formal response.
On some sites, it may be beneficial to submit an outline planning application. This is done using a standard form, in which determination is sought on up to six factors:
An architect or planner will advise on the need for an outline planning application. These are usually submitted if there is some question over one or more of the factors listed above (e.g. will members allow change of use from retail to social use in this location), or if the granting of outline consent is required as part of the procurement process (e.g. to demonstrate to commercial partners that the project is, in principle, viable).
Outline applications are relatively quick to prepare and inexpensive to submit. At some stage in the process, a full planning application will be required. This will be prepared by an agent, usually an architect, on behalf of the trust or developer.
There are very strict rules about the nature of the information that is required, which includes scale drawings showing the site, building plans and elevations. A planning fee is payable, in addition to the fee charged by the architect.
Under national legislation, planning applications should be determined within 12 weeks from the date on which the planning submission has been formally checked and lodged. This starts with a 21-day consultation period during which neighbours and other interested bodies are invited to comment on the application.
Due to pressures of work, the 12-week period may over-run; while there is a formal mechanism to appeal to the secretary of state for determination if this happens, this route is not recommended except in extreme circumstances. Planning legislation does allow for appeals against certain decisions. Appeals can be costly, time-consuming and should be unnecessary if the proper groundwork has been done and if the project is promoted in a non-adversarial manner. Other statutory authorities will be consulted during the planning, design and procurement stages, though responsibility for most of this activity lies with professional advisers and the contractor.
Building Control (responsible for implementation of the Building Regulations) is the most significant of these, as it includes responsibility for implementation of the Fire Regulations. Building Control, and through it the Fire Brigade, will be consulted as part of the planning application, and it may be necessary to meet with them if fire appliance access or means of escape, for example, are unusually complex.