Planning & NDP

The Referendum for the Chirton and Conock Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) was held on the 8th August 2019. 92% of the votes cast were in favour, meaning that it has passed and has legal status.

Overview of planning services

The planning function forms part of the Economic Development Planning and Housing (EDPH) Directorate.

Planning includes the following functions:

• Development management
• Historic environment
• Planning enforcement
• Planning appeals
• Building control
• Local land charges
• Minerals and waste development

Development management deals with around 10,000 planning applications each year making it one of the largest Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in the country.

The conservation and heritage team preserves and improves the historic built environment and makes sure urban design is high quality. Their work includes:

• Designating and managing conservation areas 
• Managing the council's duties for listed buildings 
• Identifying potential listed buildings and submitting "Spot Listing" applications 
• Protecting and promoting other historic built fabric (other conservation) 

The team also work closely with Development Management when applications for planning involve works to listed buildings, or are in conservation areas. 

Planning enforcement is a necessary and important element in the control of development in the county. The team makes sure that no unauthorised development of land takes place as this can have consequences for public amenity and the environment generally. 

The planning appeals section deals with all planning appeals lodged against the decision of the council. Some customers chose to appeal the decision when their application has been refused. The appeals team deal with all processes and stakeholders involved in a planning appeal, including The Planning Inspectorate, making sure that all appeals are handled as quickly as possible.

Building control make sure that all controllable building work complies with building regulations. The unit receives between 4,000 – 5,000 applications a year. Each office is staffed with experienced Building Control Surveyors who do inspections to make sure that work complies on site.

Local land charges deal with all property searches. A local land charge search is a search of the information contained on the Local Land Charges Register and the Register of Common Land, Towns and Village Greens. These registers are maintained by our local land charges team.

Minerals and waste development team deal with all planning issues relating to mineral extraction sites and waste management facilities in Wiltshire, including the monitoring and enforcement of these sites.