Planning Applications Overall

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Suggestions & Guidance

Introduction

Planning applications have short deadlines of weeks, and there are many documents to read to work out what are the key issues. There are technical planning aspects to follow and it needs an understanding of the planning application process. To help in all this, this page gives suggestions and information about how to think about a planning proposal in Peckham town centre, and how to respond to the planning application. Information about specific applications can be found here.

Peckham Town Centre. Click on map to show street names.

Finding the documents

Go to: http://planbuild.southwark.gov.uk:8190/online-applications and enter the case number in the search box there. Case numbers begin with the year number then AP and then the case number, eg: 16/AP/1234. Click on Related Documents, then View associated documents. This is often a very long list of documents. It can be useful to look at them in this order:

  • Planning statement
  • Design & Access Statements (D&A) - there can be several numbered parts. Read these in number order. If you have little time to read all the documents, read the D&A to understand the proposal.
  • Transport statement
  • Noise impact
  • Elevations - these may give visuals of proposed buildings.
  • Plan existing and Plan proposed - these can be numerous and give drawings of existing building and proposed building.
  • Others

Identifying issues

proposed new building 269-275 Rye Lane.

Here is a checklist of topics to consider:

  • Housing – type, who can afford them, how much social housing/affordable housing See below.
  • Loss of retail space or workspace either office or industrial.
  • Damage to historic buildings or Conservation Area. See below.
  • Height & mass of buildings out of scale.
  • Effect on local environment.
  • Benefit or not to local economy.
  • effects for transport.
  • Neighbours: visit/contact any businesses, organisations or individuals nearby who might be affected and ask them.
  • wider issues and cumulative effects. See here.

You can read other people's comments if you click the button public comments. This can be very helpful in identifying and understanding the issues.

Social housing provision

We need to keep a record of cumulative social housing & intermediate housing as proportion of total in new developments, so please report what you find. For applications providing new housing of 10 units or more: look to see what’s said about ‘affordable’ housing. In Peckham there should be:

  • a minimum of 35% private housing, and of 35% ‘affordable’ housing.
  • of that ‘affordable’ housing there should 30% for social rent and 70% in the intermediate category (this includes part equity & part rent)
  • no ‘affordable rent’ (at up to 80% market rent). This is specifically prohibited by Southwark’s planning policy.

As a quick guide these are illustrations of the approx numbers:

  • 10 units: minimum of 3-4 private, 3-4 ‘affordable’: 1-2 social + 2-3 intermediate
  • 20 units: minimum of 6-8 private, 6-8 ’affordable’: 2-3 social, 4-5 intermediate
  • 30 units: minimum of 9-12 private, 9-12 ‘affordable’: 3-4 social, 6-8 intermediate

Look for the affordable housing information: click on Related Documents, and then View associated documents. The information should be in each of these documents:

  • the application form
  • the planning statement
  • the affordable housing statement
  • the executive summary of the viability assessment (the full report will be issued one week before decision.)

Many developers attempt to pass off ‘affordable rent’ as social rent eg a phrase such as 'affordable rent at 40% market rents is being offered; this is equivalent to social rent....'. This is not accurate and must be highlighted and challenged.

17thC Peckham High Street

Historic buildings

If it is a historic building or the proposal could have an effect on the Conservation Area, think of organisations or individuals that could have an interest, and ask eg:

Deadlines for comments

Deadlines for comments and objections are often changed if documents are resubmitted, as there sometimes has to be more time for consultation on them. The deadline date is not always changed on the website. Even if the date has passed the council accepts comments until the officer's report is written. This gets published a week before the Planning Committee meeting. Comments can even be made up to the Planning Committee meeting, though they get less consideration after the report is written. So it is always worth checking with the case officer which Planning Committee it is going to, to check when is the real last date for comments. Where documents are revised and updated the Council should inform objectors, and invite further comment. It’s therefore advisable to ask questions or make objections early, if you have any as this may result in revised documents.

Submit your comments

Few if anyone is going to have the time to read the papers on all planning applications. So focus on any buildings or sites that are of specific interest to you. If none are intrinsically interesting take one and look at the papers and see what you think, and write a comment. This helps to get familiar with the process. You can put in your own comments:

  • on line on the public comments page for the relevant planning application on the council planning webpages, and/or
  • email: planning.applications@southwark.gov.uk.

Go to: http://planbuild.southwark.gov.uk:8190/online-applications and enter the case number in the search box there. Case numbers begin with the year number then AP and then the case number, eg: 16/AP/1234. Click on Comments and Public comments to get to the page to submit your comments. In this part of the process look for Public Comments button and there you can read other comments that can be informative about the issues. Type your comments offline and be ready to paste them in, so you don't get timed out of the site. There is no formatting on the website comments page, so if yours has format also send a copy by email: planning.applications@southwark.gov.uk. To help us in our information to local people, please email a copy of your comments to info@peckhamvision.org so we can identify the issues to draw to local attention. If you have questions about the plans, submit them as comments on the webpage as soon as you can. This might bring forth useful further information from the applicant for further comment.

Development sites

Aylesham development site

A development site is one where there is a publically declared intention to redevelop the site but it has not yet reached the planning application stage. The Aylesham Centre and Morrison's supermarket and car park is an example. At this earlier stage, it means that there is more time to become familiar with the site and the issues before the planning application short period for consultation. There is also a small opportunity to influence the proposals before they are firmed up for the planning application. Some actions:

Getting the background

links are still to be uploaded.

  • Visit the site on the ground, and Google it. Become familiar with its location, what is around it, its size, its architecture, possible historical and other notable features, its current uses, and previous uses. Take some photos.
  • Check if it is a development site in the PNAAP: [URL for PNAAP] Click on Appendix A PNAAP Adoption Version (9 MB PDF), and go to pages 139-140. The map on page 140 will show if the site is a development site. Note its PNAAP number.
  • If it is a PNAAP site, click on Appendix A PNNAP Adoption version - part 2 (14 MB PDF), go to page 166 Appx C: Schedule of proposals sites. Look for the site number on pages 168 – 203. This will give the site designation against which any site proposals have to be assessed.
  • You should also check to see if the site was subject to representations at the PNAAP public hearings in July 2013, and if so what the Planning Inspector said about them: [URL for this] Appendix B Inspector's report (304.25 KB PDF) The sites were PNAAP 1 Aylesham Centre, PNAAP 2 Peckham Multi Storey Car Park, PNAAP 4 Copeland Park & 1-27 Bournemouth Road, and PNAAP 6 Peckham Rye Station.

Taking more action

Many of the development sites listed in the PNAAP are shown on the map here. Information for those where planning applications have been submitted is here. The Peckham Planning Network is tracking the progress on these sites and initiating action where appropriate. If you wish to know more and join in, email info@peckhamvision.org to join the mailing list. The meetings are bimonthly.

2016 Planning applications submitted

A summary is shown here of basic information for each known case, including the link to the Council Planning webpage. You can see other comments on that Council weblink. Remember that the dates for comments are often extended beyond the date shown in early information, and unless it says comments closed you can submit comments on the website. If in doubt, email the case officer and/or planning.applications@southwark.gov.uk

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