Planning (Development Management) Service Changes

We are continuing to receive new planning applications and notices for CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy). We are working as best we can to process new applications, subject to certain restrictions such as limited access to printing facilities and not being able to visit sites.

New planning applications will be published in the press and on our Public Access System for online viewing.

With the help of colleagues in other departments we are now able to post out neighbour notification letters and put up site notices for qualifying applications.

We would like to reassure you that for applications where we have a statutory obligation to notify people of an application by site notice or letter, you will have the opportunity to let us know your views. The best way to do this is via our Public Access System or to email us at development.control@huntingdonshire.gov.uk.

As well as applications that are essential to the supply chain of responding to COVID-19 issues, we will prioritise:

• determining planning applications where statutory public notification has been completed and site visits have taken place

• newly submitted planning applications where statutory public notification has been completed and planning officers are satisfied that sufficient information is available about the site and surrounding area

• any time critical prior approvals/determinations where possible

• older planning applications that are in a position to be determined.

DMC meetings will be held virtually for the foreseeable future.

The meeting due to be held on 20 April 2020 has been postponed. Once the date of the first virtual meeting is confirmed we will update the DMC meeting page and inform contributors, applicants, agents and third parties.

We fully appreciate the impact that the current health crisis is having on all our customers and partners, such as planning agents, architectural firms, members, town and parish councils and consultees.

We are very mindful of the challenging circumstances for our profession and the sector as a whole and will be making use of mutually agreed Extensions of Time agreements where appropriate, in line with recent government advice.

Newly submitted complex heritage-related applications, including discharge of conditions, cannot be determined without specialist input.

Apart from those sites already visited, we need to undertake site inspections to discharge this duty. In light of government advice we cannot currently undertake site inspections on more recent applications/enquiries where a site visit is essential or a meeting remains outstanding. This is especially the case where these site visits will be predominantly indoors (as is generally the case with heritage-related applications).

We will prioritise paid for pre-application enquiries where:

• a site visit has already been done
• there is no need to venture out into the district and/or
• officers are in a position to carry out the work required at their home working location.

We will process other paid for pre-application enquiries where, if possible, we can use available technology to make judgements normally required by a site visit.

If you have requested a written pre-application response, the response may be subject to caveats stressing that any position taken in the response relying on technology may be subject to change if it turned out that the true situation on site is not reflective of the technology used or the information provided.

We have a statutory duty to protect public health and safety and we will inspect dangerous trees if considered absolutely necessary. We can undertake most inspections using photographs.

Please continue to report these issues to us and, where possible, electronically send photographs and evidence to us at trees@huntingdonshire.gov.uk. 

We will prioritise all urgent and important planning enforcement matters, including potential planning enforcement breaches which may result in a risk to human and/or animal life and/or where public health and safety is at risk.

During the current COVID-19 situation there has been a relaxation on some planning restrictions in order to support businesses.

All delivery restrictions have been lifted until further notice and businesses such as cafes and restaurants are allowed to operate as take-aways in line with government publications.

All other restrictions will apply, including opening times, unless replaced by government publications in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Authority

Six monthly statutory payments to parish/town councils

Queries on future CIL receipts and S106 obligations

Yes, we can still take payments required for planning-related matters, including legal requirements associated with the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and S106 planning obligations.

At this time, where possible payments should be sent electronically, preferably by BACS transfer.

We have a reduced ability to take and make phone calls so we encourage all our customers and partners to use electronic means of communication in the first instance.

We are asking for your patience as we are experiencing an increase in emails during this time.

As our staff are currently unable to work in the office, if you require copies of plans, planning files, decision notices or any other planning record including Tree Preservation Orders dating from 2002 to present – please self-serve by viewing the Search, Comment or Track an Application page.

Please note if you require any planning records prior to 2002 we cannot provide this service promptly due to remote working, but please email development.control@huntingdonshire.gov.uk with your request.

Although our working practices are currently restricted, we would like to remind you that carrying out unauthorised work to a listed building is still considered to be a criminal offence.

If such work is undertaken, we may start enforcement action against you. Please note that this action can be undertaken at any point in the future.

Applications for work to trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order

You can still submit applications for work to trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order but we cannot process these applications at the moment due to working constrictions. This is because we currently cannot undertake site visits, carry out effective consultation with local groups and supply notification letters to any required consultees.

We will hold your application until our service can resume.

Where current applications are registered with us, and we have undertaken a site visit, we hope to be able to complete our assessment of these as we usually would. If you have a current application for works registered with us and we cannot determine it at this time due to any of the above circumstances, we will contact you separately.

Notifications for works to trees in a conservation area

We are currently able to provide a reduced service for notifications for works to trees in a conservation area. These will now only be subject to a desk-based assessment. If we find we are unable to assess a notification in this way we will notify you as soon as we can.

To help us in determining these notifications, we ask that you please supply as much information as you can. This includes current photographs, clear proposals, and accurate plans. The greater the level of information you are able to provide us with, the quicker we will be able to come to a decision for you. Please help us to help you.

Because of the current limitations of how we are able to work, we cannot assess notifications where:

• the work is proposed to a tree belonging to a neighbour and not your client
• we cannot fully comprehend the scope of the works from the information you have submitted
• we can only assess a notification by undertaking a site visit.

In these situations, we will not validate your notification and inform you as to why we cannot proceed.

Work carried out under the statutory exceptions

We are still able to assess works where they are proposed under the exceptions (dead or imminently dangerous etc). However, we can only review these as a desk-based exercise, so ask that you please forward clear and concise information to us where you would like these to be assessed.

If you have any cases that fall into this category, please forward these to trees@huntingdonshire.gov.uk marked "5 DAY NOTICE" in the subject line.

These are challenging times for all of us and we hope the above provides a suitable update regarding our services. We are reviewing this regularly to ensure we are following the current government and NHS guidance and will be updating our website to reflect any changes to our position.

The websites of the Arboricultural Association and the Institute of Chartered Foresters provide useful information on the position of our industry and maybe useful sources of other information.

The Bury Neighbourhood Plan has been examined by an independent Examiner and recommended to progress to referendum subject to incorporation of the Examiner’s modifications, all of which have been agreed between Huntingdonshire District Council and Bury Parish Council.

The referendum scheduled for 26 March 2020 has been postponed until further notice.

View the Examiner’s report. [PDF, size unavailable]

Section 70(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) provides that a local planning authority must have regard to a post-examination neighbourhood plan, so far as is material to determining a planning application.