Borough vows to publish pre-application advice from planning officers routinely

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will – from March this year – routinely publish any advice that planning officers, or its Architectural Appraisal Panel, have given to an applicant about a development proposal before the application was made.

The council believes it will be the first authority in the country to open its files in this way. 

The Royal Borough said: “The council offers a popular advice service (www.rbkc.gov.uk/advice) to those who are considering making a planning application. The advice is generally confidential between the council and the customer, but can be published following a request under the Freedom of Information Act or Environmental Information Regulations once a related planning application is made.

“The advice will now be published automatically once a planning application is made without someone having to make a request under that legislation.”
 
Cllr Tim Coleridge, Kensington & Chelsea’s Cabinet Member for Planning Policy, said: "The Royal Borough is already streets ahead of many other councils in the way it publishes planning application information on its website and this is another step in our commitment to being transparent.

“Everyone will be able to see the advice our officers have provided, how they have fought to get improvements to development proposals and how they have encouraged applicants to engage with those who might be affected.”