Introduction to the Planning System
These pages will help you find out more about planning and how you can make where you live a better place both now and in the future. It will help you find out what planning has got to do with you, your family, your friends and your community.
Most of us want to live in a decent home in a place that is clean and safe, with access to the countryside, parks or other spaces. We want to feel happy and comfortable, and part of a community. We also want this for our family and future generations.
The pages in this area are to give a plain english explaination of the planning system. It avoids jargon but sometimes it uses words and introduces ideas that you may want to find out more about.
Planning is about how we plan for, and make decisions about, the future of our cities, towns and countryside. Planning has a long history, even thousands of years ago people will have discussed where to build homes and shelters!
Over the centuries, a more formal way of making these decisions was set up. So when we want to build a new house or someone wants to develop a new shopping centre, your local planning authority is responsible for deciding whether it should go ahead. 'Local planning authority' usually means the district or borough council, not the parish or town council.
Without a planning system, everyone could construct buildings anywhere, or use land in any way they wanted, no matter what effect this would have on other people who live or work in their area.
This is why we have a planning system!
This section of the website aims to give you an understanding of the process. Please read these pages carefully and if there are any problems, please call us on the numbers above.
