NEW PLANNING RULES START NEXT MONTH

Lewes District Council is writing to professional agents active in the area to tell them about the new regulations, so they are geared up to provide the necessary material with any relevant applications submitted after 10 August. Further information and guidance can also be found on the council's website at www.lewes.gov.uk/planning Any relevant applications submitted after this date without the statement will not be valid and so cannot be processed by the Council.

Design and access statements will be needed for all applications except:

Changes of use, not involving works to buildings

Engineering or mining operations

Householder development (except in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of special Scientific Interest, and Conservation Areas where statements will be required)

Advertisements

Tree works

Storage of hazardous chemicals

All listed building consent applications will require a statement.

The purpose of the statements is to explain and justify how the applicant has drawn up the application proposals and related them to their wider surroundings. They should evolve with preparation of the application and show the thought process behind the designs submitted for planning permission. The length of the statement will depend on the scale and complexity of the proposed development.

Design and access statements will need to cover the following matters:

The amount of development and how it is distributed around the site

Use: the use to which the development will be put

Layout: how buildings, routes and spaces are laid out

Scale: height, width and length of building in relation to surroundings

Landscaping; private and public spaces within the site

Appearance: external form of buildings-architecture, materials, decoration, lighting etc

Access; equal and convenient access

Cllr Neil Commin, Lead Councillor for Planning said "Design and access statements are really a communication tool. They should allow applicants to explain their proposals better and the public and planning authorities to understand them more easily. This should help make the planning system even more open and accessible and help improve public debate on new development"

Our staff will try to be helpful to applicants in understanding the new requirements. If you are doubt whether you need to prepare a design and access statement with your planning application, phone us on 01273 471600 or e-mail us at [email protected] and we will try to help.

Detailed information on design and access statements is also available on the internet from the Commission on Architecture and the Built Environment on www.cabe.org.uk and the Government's Department of Communities and Local Government via www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1500620