Planning applications: Supporting development management teams

We recommend sending all communications by email where possible. Any applicant/agent submitting their application online is, by virtue of planning legislation, agreeing to be communicated with electronically.

All communications can therefore be sent by email throughout the determination process including issuing the decision letter unless they notify you otherwise.

This will help to reduce processing costs and staff resources by not communicating via post. Electronic communications are also more efficient for everyone.

For reference, 'The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015' Article 7 (6)¹ states:

(6) Where an application is made using electronic communications to transmit a form to the local planning authority, the applicant is taken to have agreed -

1. to the use of such communications by the local planning authority for the purposes of the application;
2. that the applicant's address for those purposes is the address incorporated into, or otherwise logically associated with, the application; and
3. that the applicant's deemed agreement under this paragraph subsists until the applicant gives notice in writing of the withdrawal of consent to the use of electronic communications under article 46.

1. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/595/article/7/made