Saturday, 11 October 2008
Planning Services is currently located on the 2nd Floor of Danum House, St. Sepulchre Gate, Doncaster. The present establishment has approximately 85 employees. The client base is especially wide, including applicants, applicant's agents, the general public and internal and external organisations.
Control over development is exercised through the planning process. This statutory function allows the Council to either grant or refuse planning permission, guided by legislation and taking into account amongst other matters the policies and proposals set out in the Unitary Development Plan and central Government policy and guidance contained in Circulars and Policy Planning and Mineral Planning Guidance notes. The planning process guides and controls future development in such a way as to respect the best aspects of the past and to seize opportunities to improve the quality of the environment for the future in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The Development Control section of Planning Services is divided into four main sections - Development Control, Major Projects, Enforcement and Technical Support and Information. The Development Control section deals with approximately 2500 planning applications per year and is divided into two teams - the eastern team and the western team. The staff within these teams also deal with pre and post application enquiries and planning appeals.
An Enforcement team investigates an average of 700 complaints per year. The Enforcement officers investigate and resolve complaints received from residents of the Borough where breaches of planning legislation are taking place. These breaches are pursued to resolution either through negotiation, the serving of Enforcement Notices, or in extreme cases, prosecution.
In addition to the requirements for planning permission, Buildings Regulation approval is also required for all alterations, extensions and building work. This is to ensure that construction work is undertaken to proper standards and that Health and Safety requirements are complied with. Other services include Street Naming and Numbering, inspections of dangerous structures, demolitions, safety in sports grounds and Licensing inspections.
The Environment Group also forms a part of Planning Services dealing with the protection of the special architectural and historic interest of Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and trees. The minerals and waste planning team work to control the working of coal, limestone, sand and gravel deposits, natural gas, and peat, and landfill sites for the disposal of waste, and other resource recovery facilities. The review of Mineral Planning Permissions in accordance with legislation and control over the storage of certain hazardous substances and landfill gas are also covered.
