News from Bristol (Planning) Development Service

The following changes are going to be implemented by BCC Planning Department:

• A payable Premium Pre-Application Service will be available(PPA) where promoters of major developments will receive a dedicated service in return for an aditional planning fee
• The Planning Duty Officer service will be withdrawn (This is a major blow especially for householders and smaller schemes for whom the PPA will not apply)
• Pre-App advise on householder extensions or single change of use will be withdrawn (Equally unhelpful especially since the BCC Planning Guidelines have not been updated for 20 years)
• The Planning Fee Structure will be revised

Sadly non of the changes will promote better design and seem to be implemented purely for cost reasons. It is sad to think that the quality of the build environment will deteriorate in order to save costs. I think that it would be better to raise the planning fee to provide a better planning service for projects of all sizes.