Cherwell District Council

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You can seek free, informal and confidential advice from us in relation to proposals for major development prior to submitting an application.

Pre-application enquiries

We encourage pre-application enquiries for major developments, as early discussion will help to identify potential problems prior to a formal application being submitted and will help to speed up the decision making process. A proposal is considered to be major if it is for 10 dwellings or more, would result in the creation of new floorspace of 1,000sqm or more, or is for a change of use and relates to a site of 1ha or more. Unfortunately we do not currently have the resources to deal with householder or minor pre-application enquiries and therefore you are advised to submit a planning application so that your proposal can be formally assessed. To assist you with whether your householder or minor application may be acceptable, please use the links on the right hand side of this page.

We will enter into pre-application discussions in relation to listed and curtilage listed buildings, in consultation with the Council's Design and Conservation Team, and in some cases, in relation to complex conservation area enquiries, if we believe it would assist with the decision making process.

Pre-application site visits

Officers will not normally meet with you on site unless we consider that a full appraisal of the site surroundings and the proposal cannot be made without a meeting. Most pre-application enquiries can be answered through desktop research. Avoiding unnecessary meetings will help to speed up response times.

Pre-application responses

All responses will be in writing and we will advise you whether we would be in a position to support the proposed scheme, if an application were to be submitted. This advice however will not be binding. Whilst we try to give accurate advice, planning applications are subject to extensive consultation and officers' views can change as a result of consultation responses or further consideration of the proposal. Planning applications may also be determined by the planning committee and the elected members of this committee are not bound to follow the officer recommendation.

How long will it take

The timescale for a response to your enquiry will depend upon its complexity and size. However we will try to respond fully to enquiries within 20 working days. Our response may take longer if we need to carry out consultations with other parties such as the Highway Authority or Environment Agency or if the enquiry is complex. We understand that in some cases you may not receive an answer as quickly as you would like. However we wish to provide you with a complete and accurate response rather than a response that proves to be unhelpful. Where a response could take considerably longer than 20 working days, the officer dealing with your enquiry will contact you to agree on a revised timescale for a response.

Permitted development enquiries

If you would like to establish whether or not your proposed development requires planning permission, please refer to the Planning Portal http://www.planningportal.gov.uk for guidance. If you require a legal determination in relation to your enquiry please apply for a 'Certificate of Lawfulness' for the proposed development via the Planning Portal. Unfortunately the Council does not currently have the resources to respond to permitted development enquiries informally.

Planning Aid

Planning Aid provides free, independent and professional town planning advice and support to communities and individuals who cannot afford to pay planning consultant fees. It complements the work of local planning authorities, but is wholly independent of them. Please use the link at the bottom right of this page for further details.

Local planning and design guidance

Along with the statutory development plan (Adopted Cherwell Local Plan) we produce a range of planning guidance to assist in decision making. These are listed in the top two tables below. The top tables list the more formal SPGs (Supplementary Planning Guidance)  prepared to support the Local Plan, and the SPDs (Supplementary Planning Document) prepared so far as part of the Local Development Framework  (LDF). The LDF, when adopted, will replace the Local Plan.  Documents and evidence relating to the LDF are available on the LDF evidence base page. The documents listed towards the bottom of both tables are informal planning guidance, however these can also be used as a material consideration in the determination of a planning application.

Local planning and design guidance documents

Title	Status	Publication/ Adoption Date	Adobe Acrobat (PDF) or link
Cherwell Local Plan. Includes proposals maps and schedule of saved policies.	Adopted local plan	November 1996	Adopted Cherwell Local Plan (2.1Mb)  Adopted Local Plan Proposals Map - Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington (4.9Mb)  Proposals Maps - Villages A to H (3.6Mb)  Proposals Maps - Villages I to Z (3.3Mb)  Schedule of Saved Policies (55kb)
The non-statutory Cherwell local plan	Non statutory local plan	December 2004	Interactive Non Statutory Local Plan
Affordable housing code of practice	This document has now been superseded by the draft planning obligations SPD - July 2011	April 2004 with addendum 2007	Affordable Housing - Code of Practice (172kb)
Building in harmony with the environment	Supplementary planning guidance (SPG)	November 1998	Building in Harmony with the Environment (6.5Mb)
Countryside design summary	Supplementary planning guidance (SPG)	June 1998	Countryside Design Summary (2.2Mb)
Design and layout of employment sites - A guide	Supplementary planning guidance (SPG)	November 1996	Design and Layout of Employment Sites (1.0Mb)
Planning advice for farmers on siting and design of farm buildings	Supplementary planning guidance (SPG)		Planning advice for farmers on siting and design of farm buildings (40kb)
Residential and amenity open space provision	This document has now been superseded by the draft planning obligations SPD - July 2011	Adopted July 2004, with revised adoption procedures February 2006	Residential and Amenity Open Space Provision (1.9Mb)
Conservation areas and appraisals (for a full list follow the link on the right)	Conservation area		Conservation area appraisals
Draft panning obligations	Draft supplementary planning document	July 2011	Draft Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (4.7Mb)
Interim guidance on planning obligations	Interim guidance	June 2007	Interim Guidance on Planning Obligations (123kb)
Windows and doors in historic buildings (Planning guide 1)	Informal planning guidance	2007	Windows and Doors in Historic Buildings (345kb)
Hot food & takeaways (Planning guide 2)	Informal planning guidance	1994	Hot Food and Takeaways (120kb)
Conservation areas - A general guide (Planning guide 4)	Informal planning guidance	May 2010	Conservation Areas a General Guide 4 (123kb)
Listed buildings a guide for owners and occupiers (Planning guide 5)	Informal planning guidance	October 2007	Listed Buildings a Guide for Owners and Occupiers (223kb)
Design Guide for the Conversion of farm buildings	Informal planning guidance	2002	Conversion of Farm Buildings (386kb)
Colour palettes	Informal planning guidance	June 1996	Colour Palettes (2.5Mb)
Home extensions and alterations design guide for householder planning applications	Informal planning guidance	March 2007	Home Extensions and Alterations Design Guide (546kb)
Planning and waste management design guide	Informal planning guidance	October 2009	Cherwell Planning and Waste Management Design Guide (310kb)
Subdivision	Informal planning guidance	February 2011	Subdivision (1.5Mb)
Shop fronts and advertising	Informal planning guidance	2002	Shop Fronts and Advertising (1.7Mb)
Planning guidance on the residential amenity impacts of wind turbine development	Informal planning guidance	February 2011	Wind Turbine Guidance (426kb)

Along with district-wide guidance the Council produces site specific guidance to inform developers and members of the public of its policy objectives and aspirations for a particular site or area.

Site specific design and planning guidance documents

Site	Title	Status	Publication/ Adoption Date	Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
Banbury: Regeneration Area East	Banbury regeneration area East	Supplementary planning guidance (SPG)	April 2004	Banbury Regeneration Area East (2.8Mb)
Bicester: Land between Manorsfield Road and Sheep Street	Land between Manorsfield Road and Sheep Street Bicester	Supplementary planning guidance (SPG)	November 2004	Land between Manorsfield Road and Sheep Street Bicester (2.7Mb)
RAF Upper Heyford	RAF Upper Heyford revised comprehensive planning brief	Supplementary planning document (SPD)	2007	RAF Upper Heyford Revised Comprehensive Planning Brief (4.6Mb)
Banbury, Bicester & Kidlington	Urban design strategies - Banbury Bicester and Kidlington	Informal planning guidance	1996	Banbury, Bicester & (4.7Mb)
Banbury: Dashwood School	Planning and design guide - Conversion of Dashwood School	Informal planning guidance	October 2007	Planning and Design Guide for Dashwood School (1.2Mb)
Banbury: Orchard Way	Proposed redevelopment of Orchard Way Banbury	Informal planning guidance	July 2008	Orchard Way Development Guidance (924kb)
Banbury: Standbridge Hall	Stanbridge Hall development principles	Informal planning guidance	February 2006	Standbridge Hall Development Principles (1.3Mb)
Bicester: Bryan House	Redevelopment of Bryan House - informal development principles	Informal planning guidance	December 2008	Bryan House Redevelopment Principles (706kb)
Bicester: RAF Bicester	RAF Bicester planning brief	Informal planning guidance	December 2009	RAF Bicester Planning Brief (2.2Mb)
Bicester: St. Edburg's School	St Edburg's School informal development principles	Informal planning guidance	October 2008	St. Edburg's School Informal Development Principles (1.8Mb)
Bicester: Old Place Yard	Draft Development Principles - Old Place Yard Bicester	Draft informal planning guidance	April 2007	Draft Development Principles - Old Place Yard Bicester (April 2007) (1.3Mb)
Kidlington: Co-op	Co-op car park Kidlington - development principles	Informal planning guidance	2005	Development Guidance for Co-op Car Park Kidlington (209kb)

Many of the above documents are informed by technical documents commissioned by the Council to support the planning process.

Other technical and supporting documents

Site/ Area	Title	Author	Publication Date	Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
Banbury	Banbury Landscape Map (Pen and Ink) - Frank Tool	Frank Tool	1828	Banbury Landscape Map (1828) (778kb)
Banbury	The Industrial Heritage of Banbury	Oxfordshire County Council and the Royal Commission	1997	The Industrial Heritage of Banbury (4.6Mb)
Banbury: Canal	Heritage Audit at site adjacent the canal, Banbury	British Waterways	2003	Heritage Audit at Site Adjacent the Canal, Banbury (2.8Mb)
Banbury: Canal	Industrial Archaeology Survey of the Oxford Canal Corridor, Banbury	Birmingham University Archaeological Unit	November 2001	Industrial Archaeology of the Oxford Canal (4.9Mb)  Industrial Archaeology of the Oxford Canal (Appendix) (4.6Mb)
Bicester: RAF Bicester	RAF Bicester Urban Capacity Study	CGMS	October 2003	RAF Bicester Urban Capacity Study (2.2Mb)
RAF Upper Heyford	RAF Upper Heyford Conservation Plan	ACTA	September 2005	RAF Upper Heyford Conservation Plan (351kb)  RAF Upper Heyford Conservation Plan (Appendix) (4.6Mb)
RAF Upper Heyford	RAF Upper Heyford - Building Survey	Airfield Research Publishing	March 1996	RAF Upper Heyford - Building Survey (4.5Mb)
RAF Upper Heyford	RAF Upper Heyford - Landscape Character Assessment of the Airbase South of the Cold War Zone	ACTA	March 2006	RAF Upper Heyford - Landscape Character Assessment (3.6Mb)

Page last updated: 4.44pm, January 25th 2013
© Cherwell District Council 2013 Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury OX15 4AA, Telephone: 01295 227001 DX 24224 (Banbury)