Guidance for developments requiring planning permission and an environmental permit

Where complex permitting issues exist we believe that joint working between developers, operators, planning decision makers and ourselves will be of benefit. We can provide advice at an early stage to give a quicker, more reliable indication of the likely outcome of planning and permitting applications. This will help minimise costs, reduce wasted time and effort and contribute to sustainable growth.

• Guidance for developments requiring planning permission and environmental permits (PDF, 590 KB) 

How we will respond to permitting issues during the planning process

When we respond to planning consultations that require an environmental permit, we have three possible positions.

Position 1 – No major permitting concerns

In most cases, we expect the overlap between planning and permitting to be relatively simple. We will provide advice on permitting issues as part of our planning response.

Position 2 – More detailed consideration is required and parallel tracking is recommended as appropriate

For developments where it will be more difficult to get a permit (for example, ammonia emissions close to a sensitive European habitat) and additional mitigation measures are likely to be needed, we will recommend parallel tracking as part of our planning advice. This will allow complex permitting issues to be sorted out at the same time as decision making for the planning process.

Position 3 – Don’t proceed – unlikely to grant a permit

If a development is proposed in a location where we would not normally issue a permit (for example a landfill in a vulnerable groundwater location), we will inform the developer as soon as possible during the planning process to prevent wasted time and effort. We expect the number of these to be very low.

This guidance will:

• Allow interested parties to be aware of any issues early on. We will make planning authorities and developers aware of permitting issues during planning. This will reduce the chances of ‘surprises’ during the permit application process. 
• Help faster decision making in the planning process by identifying developments that require complex permitting decisions early. This allows us to encourage developers to parallel track their planning and permitting applications and faster resolution of issues.

• Help faster decision making in the permitting process by advising developers on requirements for their permit application early in the process, helping them to submit permit applications with all of the required information first time.

We have consulted widely in producing this guidance. We welcome feedback and will review it regularly to take account of any changes in planning or permitting. If you have any queries or comments on the guidance please contact:

The Sustainable Places team