Amending open planning applications

The Council seeks to determine applications within the statutory time periods set by the Government which are 8 weeks from receipt for most planning applications and 13 weeks for major schemes. As such, the Council has limited scope to be able to accept amendments to applications once they have been submitted and prior to their determination. The Council therefore strongly encourages pre-application discussion to enable applications to be submitted in a form that is likely to be acceptable.

What the Council cannot accept as an amendment

Proposed amendments to schemes which significantly alter the character or description of the proposal will not be accepted. In these circumstances it will be necessary to submit a fresh application.

Amendments will be assessed on a case by case basis having regard to the overall size of the development. Proposed alterations which result in the following will require the submission of a fresh application and will therefore not be accepted as an amendment:

• increase in application site boundary
• increase in number of dwellings proposed
• introduction of different uses
• significant changes to the position of buildings
• alterations which would require a new statutory notice to be displayed
• amendments which do not seek to address concerns which have been identified by the Council alterations which, if accepted, will prevent the application from being determined in the statutory time period

What the Council may accept as an amendment

• reduction in the depth of a proposal to meet guidance
• deletion /re-location of windows away from neighbours
• obscure glazing to windows
• relocation of /additional landscaped areas
• additional detailed design changes
• modest increase in the size of development but only if this is considered necessary by the planning officer to make the proposal acceptable

However, the above alterations will not be accepted if they prevent the planning application being determined within the statutory time period.

When and how the Council will re-consult on amended plans

In those situations where the Council does accept an amendment to the application, neighbours and third parties who were originally notified of the application will only be re-notified if the planning officer considers that the amendments have a greater impact.  In this scenario, neighbours and third parties will be given a further 14 days (to noon on the 14th day) to make any additional representations. Copies of the amended plans will be available to view on the Council's website.

The Council will not re-notify those parties where the alterations reduce the scale and impact of the proposal. The Council would not, for example, re-advertise a proposal for an extension to a property where the amended plan sets it further back from the boundary or the depth of its projection. Any comments received in connection with the original application will still be considered as part of the determination of the planning application.

Contact details of the case officer dealing with the application are set out on the original letter notifying third parties of the receipt of the application, and on the letter referring to the receipt of amended plans. The case officer can also be contacted via planningdm@spelthorne.gov.uk.