Deciding a planning application

Once your application has been validated, it will be assigned to a planning officer, and published on our website for consultation. We will also place site notices in the area near your application site and in the local press.

We will also write to the statutory consultees who may wish to comment on your application. These may include:

  • Devon and Cornwall Police
  • Devon County Council Highways
  • Your local Town or Parish Council
  • Devon County Council Ecology Team
  • Tamar Valley AONB
  • South West Water

Once the consultation period is completed, the officer will review your application. If there are any objections the officer will talk to you and the objector about ways in which this could be overcome. You may be asked to submit additional documents or information throughout this process.

The officer will prepare a report which will recommend whether the planning permission should be granted or refused. This report is based on the policies in the Joint Local Plan and any Neighbourhood Plans affecting the site, and will assess whether the development fits in with them.

The Planning Officer will notify the local Councillors that the report is completed. If the Councillor(s) agrees with the officer's recommendation, it will be followed and permission will be granted or refused.

If the Councillor wishes to, however, they can request that the application be referred to the Development Management Committee, who will make the final decision.

A decision notice will be issued, which will set out the reasons for granting or refusing permission. If permission is granted, there will usually be some conditions on the permission, such as time limits for development to commence.

The whole process for most applications should take around 8 weeks. For large and complex applications, this is usually around 13 weeks.