Submitting an Application

The majority of planning applications received by Colchester City Council are granted planning permission, and a number of these will involve some form of negotiation.

Negotiations during an application can be an important part of the planning process. They enable schemes to be amended and improved to:

• Meet the needs of technical consultees.
• Address concerns raised by neighbours, town or parish councils, and councillors.
• Comply with the requirements of the adopted development plan.
• Allow for a pragmatic response to the needs of the developers.

The facility to make amendments is, however, not an alternative to a properly thought through and prepared application. In the case of planning applications, we welcome and encourage discussions before you apply to our pre-application advice service.

Pre-application advice will give more certainty at an earlier stage and help resolve issues so speedier decisions can be made. Find further information.

A very important part of the planning officer's role is to make a recommendation on the acceptability or otherwise of a planning application. Having considered all relevant factors, the planning officer might conclude that the proposal is unacceptable for many reasons. In this case, further judgment is required on whether negotiations should be carried out in an attempt to make the scheme acceptable.