Borough of Telford & Wrekin

Applying for planning permission

Applying for planning permission

This page provides information about how to apply for planning permission.

If you want to apply for planning permission you will need to:

  • Fill in a planning application form
  • Prepare scale plans and supporting information
  • Pay a fee (where applicable)

More detailed information is contained within Planning forms and notes.

Submitting a planning application

You can submit you planning application, attach your drawings/documents on-line with the Planning Portal and pay for your planning application fee through the Councils' secure on-line payment facility.

Alternatively, if you wish to receive a paper copy of the form please visit Planning Portal or contact Development & Design on 01952 380380.

If you appoint an agent to act on your behalf, all correspondence will be sent to your agent who will also be contacted if additional information or amendments are required. It will be your agent's responsibility to keep you informed of what is happening to your application.

You need to confirm whether you are the sole owner of the property or land on which you are making the application; if not you will have to serve notice on all the owners of the property or land.

You must include accurate scaled or dimensioned plans. The Borough Council can supply Ordnance Survey extracts for you or your agent to include with your planning application. A charge is made for this service which covers Ordnance Survey copyright and our own administrative charges.

In most cases, a planning fee has to be paid. If you are in any doubt as to what is required or what the planning fee should be, please see scale of fee's or contact Planning Control on (01952) 380380. Fees can be paid by cheque made payable to Telford & Wrekin Council, or by cash or debit card at Darby House reception (credit cards are not accepted).

As part of its commitment to providing residents with a high quality, effective and efficient planning control service, the Council has specified standards for each stage of the process. Please see pre-application enquiries for more information.

What happens when a planning application is submitted?

When an application is received, it is checked to make sure all the necessary information, supporting documents and the correct fee have been supplied.

We do not register incomplete or invalid applications. We will contact you or your agent either by letter, e-mail or telephone to let you know what is missing and what you need to do to re-submit.

Once the application has been registered either you or your agent will receive written confirmation that the application has been registered. This will include details of the application reference number, the name of the Planning Officer who will be dealing with your application, a target date for the determination of the application and a green site notice, which you should display on the application site.

The Council will then write to your immediate neighbours to inform them that an application has been received and publish details of your application on a Thursday night in the Shropshire Star. The application will also be on the weekly planning applications register.

The Council also seeks the views of other organisations with an interest in planning developments. This can include the Parish or Town Council where the application is situated. Depending on the location or nature of the application, other organisations may be consulted such as English Nature, if a development affects an area of nationally important nature conservation, the Environment Agency if an application site is situated in an area liable to flooding, affects a water course, or the intended land use may cause pollution.

The case officer will undertake a site visit to determine the likely impact of the proposal and will then assess the application in light of the consultation responses and other material considerations.

Material Considerations

The planning application is assessed according to policies set out in the Local & Structure Plans and other national, regional and local guidance. The Council then needs to assess the details of the application, giving weight only to material considerations. For example a site identified for housing use in the Local Plan would be acceptable in policy terms for housing purposes; the Council would then assess the proposal against other material considerations such as its layout, density, access and impact on local traffic.

The following are examples of material considerations:

1. Layout & density (number of houses per hectare) of the development

2. Loss of privacy

3. Daylight/sunlight

4. Access arrangements and impact on local traffic

5. Impact on local economy

6. Design/appearance of development

7. Noise/smell caused by proposal

8. Landscape

9. Cumulative Impact of development

10. Previous similar planning decisions

11. Rarely - personal circumstances

The following examples are not considered to be material considerations:

1. History of applicant

2. Loss of view

3. Commercial competition

4. Change from previous scheme

5. Impact on property value

6. Ownership of land/right of access

The Case Officer would then prepare a report with a recommendation for approval or refusal of the application. Depending upon the type of application the application would either be considered by the Plans Board or determined under delegated powers. Any strategic issue or proposal, which is recommended for approval and is contrary to the policies within the Local and Structure Plans, may then be referred onto the Strategic Development Board. The Council considers over 1,500 planning applications a year.

Plans Board comprises a Chair, a Vice Chair and 8 other Borough Councillors. The Plans Board meets on a three week cycle and is usually held in the VIP Suite at Civic Offices.

Strategic Development Board is chaired by the Leader of the Council and comprises Borough Councillors who do not sit on the Plans Board. This Board is only convened when there is a specific application to be determined.

Councillors have authorised officers to take certain decisions in respect of specific types of planning applications without referring them to Plans Board. This is called 'delegated powers' and can save time for applicants.

A planning application may be approved with or without conditions, such as the application has to start within 3 years and be built in accordance to the approved plans, it can be subject to a planning obligation under Section S106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 or the application can be refused. You will be sent a formal written "decision notice" which sets out the decision on your application. You can also view the decision notice at Darby House. There is a right of appeal by the applicant against the refusal of planning permission and it's procedure is set out on the back of the decision notice.

Planning Obligation

This is a legal undertaking given to the Borough Council by the applicant who is seeking planning permission for a development. The use of planning obligations introduces an additional degree of control into the planning system. They can provide a means of overcoming obstacles to development going ahead, including financial contributions to offset the impact of the development on existing infrastructure and community facilities. Planning Obligations can be used to :

  • Control or restrict the use of land
  • Require the carrying out of specified actions either within or outside the application boundary
  • Require payments to be made to the planning authority

A planning obligation may be created by agreement between the Council and the owner/developer of the land or by a unilateral undertaking on the part of the developer/owner.

Further Information

The matters that could be dealt with by a Planning Obligation include:

  • Highway improvements and new or improved bus services
  • Provision of open space, sporting and recreational facilities
  • Provision of social and community facilities
  • Provision of primary schools
  • Provision of affordable housing
  • Provision of waste recycling facilities
  • Environmental enhancements

If you wish to know about an existing Section 106 Agreement, or one that is currently being prepared in conjunction with a planning application, please contact us.

How can I view or comment on a planning application

A list of all planning applications registered by the Borough Council is published weekly (except due to some Bank Holidays when the list is updated fortnightly) and is available at weekly planning applications register.

The planning applications list contains all applications registered in the previous week. For each application there are details about the site location, a description of the work proposed, name of the applicant and the planning application number.

Applications can be viewed in person between 8.30a.m. and 5.15 p.m. on weekdays at the Darby House reception, Lawn Central, Telford.

Representations about any of these applications should be made in writing to the planning officer dealing with your planning application quoting the planning application number in full.

Alternatively, if you wish to comment on any planning application you can e-mail us at Planning Control. Please quote the the planning application number in full.

If you would like to find the decision of an application or view the decision notice you can by visiting us at our offices at Darby House or contact us. If you would like to purchase a copy of a decision notice, e-mail or write to us with your request, quoting the planning application number in full.

There is no right for an objector to appeal against a decision.



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Please note - Some documents published before 1st December 2006 may contain incorrect contact numbers.
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For up to date contact numbers please refer to the Guide to Council Services.