Search:

Advanced search

You are here:

1. Home |
2. Residents |
3. Building and Planning |
4. Planning service and performance

Residents

• Council tax
• Environment, recycling, waste
• Roads and transport
• Your Neighbourhood
• Births, deaths, and marriages
• Building and planning
  • Building control
  • Design and conservation
  • Land and property
  • Planning
  • Service and performance
  • Trees
  • Development plans and policy
  • Property searches
• Housing
• Community safety and crime
• Libraries
• News and media releases
• Consumer advice
• Knowsley Suites
• One stop shops
• Financial Advice
• Good Neighbours
• Regenerate Knowsley
• Preparing for emergencies

Planning service and performance

Development Service

Development quality is just a part of the practical and professional service available to you when working in the borough of Knowsley.

In order to provide an integrated development function to residents and developers in the borough, the Development Service contains the Development Control (planning) and Building Control teams.

Team commitment

To reinforce the team's commitment to quality we are accredited to ISO 9001 and fully endorse the council's quality initiatives such as Quality Assurance and Investor's in People.  We have also signed up to the Planning Users Concordat and the Enforcement Concordat.

In recent years we have proved successful in facilitating and assisting major employment-generating developments throughout the borough.

Knowsley's one stop shop approach

Our service delivery is based on the one stop shop and development team approach.  Whether your enquiry relates to a major scheme, which we will refer to our fortnightly Development Team meeting to co-ordinate pre-application advice, or it is a simpler scheme for which you need to speak on a one-to-one basis with the case officer, we will always have the right people available to help you.

Pre-application discussions

We are happy to talk to potential applicants and agents before an application is submitted so as to encourage quality applications. 

Building Control - A duty officer will be available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm to provide general information and advice either face to face or over the telephone.  Communication via email is also welcome to planning@knowsley.gov.uk or to individual officers (email addresses made available on request).

Development Control (Planning) - A duty officer is available to provide verbal advice on householder developments at the Huyton One Stop Shop on Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings (9am-1pm) and Wednesday and Thursday afternoons (1pm-5pm).  To assist pre-appication discussions the following information should ideally be provided before we make intial comments on a development proposal: site address, description of proposed development, a draft layout plan and photographs of the site showing the rleationship to adjoining uses and development.

Major developments

In the case of larger proposals, we advise applicants to approach the Development Group Manager or the Development Control Team Leader with an appropriate level of draft information as set out in the Pre-application discussions section above.  This information can then be discussed at an early meeting of the Council's Development Team and a planning case officer can provide initial feedback on the proposals.   

Information given in response to pre-application discussions will always be as accurate as possible and will be objective. Such advice, however, cannot prejudice the outcome of a formally submitted planning application.  Written guidance notes will be made available explaining in detail how to make a planning application and will be sent out free of charge with application forms. Details of relevant council planning policies, procedures and committee dates will also be made available free of charge on request as will general information about the development control system.

Ordnance survey site plans will be made available on request for a charge covering the licensing fee (payable to Ordnance Survey) and a small administration charge.

Pre-application targets

• Where a major development is proposed (for commercial developments this would normally include residential developments with 10 or more dwellings or commercial and industrial developments providing a floorspace of 1,000 sq.m gross), we will seek to report thsi to the first available meeting of the Development Team.
• Where advice regarding new development is sought by letter we will send a response within 10 working days. On occasion where a full reply within this period may not be possible, we will acknowledge the correspondence either by telephone or in writing and an indication given as to when a full response should be available.

For further information and to make use of this service contact:

•  Development Group Manager               0151 443 2313
•  Development Control Team Leader       0151 443 2394

Performance and quality

We aim to provide the highest standards of service and support the council's corporate objective to make the borough a better place to live, work, learn, and visit.

We want to make sure that you, our customers, know what to expect from planning services, in terms of performance and service delivery.

Your views count

If you would like to make a comment, compliment or complaint about any aspect of planning services, whether it be about the quality of service or advice from officers, please submit your views by completing the council's have your say form.

We welcome your views so that we can improve our service.