Planning consents

Dorset Planning - making the best case for you

Getting planning consent for your project can be a lengthy process, so it pays to know what is required and how to put the most robust case forward.  This is where a good planning consultant can really help, saving you time and money.

Submitting your planning application

The council will check that your planning application is valid (that the plans, forms and supporting evidence needed have all been submitted) before they register it.  So it is important to have the right information that both meets these requirements and answers any questions they are likely to ask.  They then consult with the local community and specialists and consider the relevant policies in their local plan, any neighbourhood plans and national planning guidance before a decision is made, either by the planning officers or by elected councillors at the planning committee.  

Getting your planning consent

The council is meant to look for solutions and work with the applicant to make the development acceptable.  This may mean that they want you to consider amending your plans or agreeing to planning obligations or conditions which may or may not work in your favour.  A good planning consultant can tell you whether what they are asking for is reasonable, and if there might be a better solution than the one they are proposing.

Help with planning appeals

The decision maker will look at the evidence and make a judgement on whether to grant or refuse consent.  They may not get it right - in which case we can advise you on whether to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, and put your case forward as to why consent should have been granted, and even ask for costs if the council may have acted unreasonably.