Planning Gateway One - Approach to different types of planning applications

LPAs can exercise their discretion about whether to consult HSE on Section 73 (s73) applications to vary or remove a planning condition, depending on the relevance of the proposed change to fire safety. It is usually appropriate to consult HSE about changes to the approved plans. There is no requirement to submit a fire statement form with a s73 application.

HSE will aim to focus on the proposed change. However, where the change results in a building becoming a relevant building, it may be necessary to comment on the whole development. This is because of the likely dependencies between proposed and consented parts of the development about issues such as means of escape, firefighter access and facilities and external fire spread, that are relevant to planning considerations. In this respect, HSE may raise a concern if information in the application is not available to facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the fire safety design (see Section 4 - How we assess planning applications).