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New Permitted Development Rights


The Government has published a new amendment to the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO), which will come into force on 30 May 2013.

The changes to the GDPO include permitted development rights to allow changes of use from B1a (offices) to C3 (dwellings), subject to a prior approval process set out in the legislation. We previously made a submission for exemption for eleven sites in the District to be exempt from these new rights. Of these, the following three have been made exempt by the Government because their loss would have substantial adverse economic consequences at the local authority level which are not offset by the positive benefits the new rights would bring:

  • Former BT Building, Sevenoaks
  • Land at London Road, Sevenoaks
  • Crown Inn at Westerham Trading Centre, London Road, Westerham

The areas covered by the exemptions are available here 

 

Planning policy consultations


We recently consulted on three planning policy documents:

  • The Submission draft of the Allocations and Development Management Plan.
  • The Development in the Green Belt Draft SPD
  • The Community Infrastructure Levy Draft Charging Schedule

 

Payphone Removal

Main Road / Harrow Road, Knockholt BT Payphone Removal

Issued 20 March 2013

Our Decision to the removal of telephone equipment to enable Knockholt Parish Council to adopt the telephone kiosk located east of the junction with Main Road and Harrow Road, Knockholt – Reference SE/12/03460/CAN

We carried out this consultation after British Telecommunications Plc. informed us of its proposal to remove the telephone equipment located east of the junction with Main Road and Harrow Road, Knockholt.
 
Following the two stages of consultation we have now issued a Final Notification.

You can view the application online by clicking on www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/online-applications (reference number 12/03460/CAN) or via a computer at our Council Offices, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks.

Other planning news

  • Government increased national planning fee on 22 November 2012. For More details please see the Planning application forms page.
  • The Annual Monitoring Report for 2012, which assesses the progress of our planning services over the previous financial year, has been published
  • On 6 September 2012, the Government set out a package of proposed planning and housing reforms, with the aim of helping the economy to grow by speeding up the planning process and promoting more housing development including affordable housing. Follow the link to view the Secretary of State’s written statement titled Housing and Growth.
  • No specific changes or policies have been published and this announcement has not changed our planning policies or their approach to planning applications today. View the main proposals which have the potential to affect planning.
  • Good news for applicants, effective immediately, the amount of paperwork required to process a planning application has been reduced. When submitted through the post only two sets of a planning application and its supporting documentation are now required, one original and one copy. Previously a total of four copies were required. The only exceptions to this are where an application is being made in respect of a major development or a dual application, e.g. householder planning permission with listed building consent for the same development. In these instances we require three sets, the original plus two copies. Our recent consultations on the Preliminary Draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule, Neighbourhood Area designations for Ash-cum-Ridley, Edenbridge and Shoreham, Village Design Statements for Seal and Underriver and the Otford Parish Plan have now closed. Comments can be viewed through the online consultation portal.
  • The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published on 27 March 2012 and sets out the Government's planning policies for England
  • People who are considering buying plots of land in the Green Belt for housing are being warned  that such sites are very unlikely to be granted planning permission
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