Planning statement and statement of community involvement - Planning validation requirements

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Planning document information

Description 

A planning statement identifies the context and need for a proposed development. It includes an assessment of how the proposed development is in line with national, regional and local planning policies. 

A statement of community involvement explains how the community will be involved in the preparation of the planning application, and the steps that will be taken to encourage this involvement. 

Guidance 

Your planning statement should include an executive summary and be clear, easy to read and jargon free. 

Your statement of community involvement should include an executive summary and be clear, easy to read and jargon free. 

You can get help and advice from our Duty Planner on planning statements, statements of community involvement and planning applications. 

You can get detailed feedback on your proposal by using our pre-application advice service. 

Personal and confidential statement 

We may publish any information you submit as part of your application. You must tell us if there is any information you do not want us to publish when you submit your application.  

If however, we believe that this information is in the public interest, we reserve the right to publish it.  

We may also decide parts of your submission are not in the public interest and may redact this information. This information may include telephone numbers, email addresses and signatures. 

Application that always need this document

Mandatory requirement 

You must always submit a statement of community involvement if your application: 

  • Is to build 10 or more dwellings 
  • Is for an area of more than 0.5 hectares if the number of dwellings isn’t given 
  • Is to create 100 square metres or more of floor space 
  • Is for a site of 1 hectare or more 
  • We do not need a statement of community involvement for some developments such as large agricultural buildings in the open countryside. You can talk to our duty planner for advice if you think that you do not need to submit a statement of community involvement. 

Conditional requirement 

Depending on the details of your application, you may have to submit a planning statement when you are submitting an application for: 

If your application is for one of these types of planning permission, you need to submit a planning statement if your proposal: 

  • is for a major development within or next to residential areas 
  • departs from the development plan such as a house outside of the town or development boundary 
  • is for a use falling outside of a specific designation. For example, any use within an employment area that does not fall within use class B1, B2 and B8 
  • is an EIA development 
  • requires notification to the Secretary of State 
  • is a minor development or other proposal that is likely to attract significant community interest 
  • is a complex proposal that needs describing 
  • is to vary or remove conditions 
Validation requirements

Required by 

These policies can be found in the Local Plan 2013 - 2033 document