Validation is the process of checking that all relevant documentation and fee (where applicable) has been provided. If an applicant/agent submits an application without the necessary documentation, or with clear inaccuracies, we will declare the application invalid (with no further action taken) until the required information is provided.

SSDC has adopted a document setting out those validation requirements, known as the Validation Guide. The latest version of the Validation Guide came into force on the 1^st August 2022 and was revised on the 27^th September 2022. The guide can be found here.

Alongside the main Validation Guide there are supplementary checklist documents which we encourage the completion of. These forms act as a double check for the applicant/agent to ensure all the necessary documents have been submitted and allows comments to be made and submitted with an application to set out why a particular document may have not been submitted. It is recognised that there will be circumstances where the requirement does not fit or are out of proportion and the Checklist allows these situations to be explained. These comments will be assessed by our team. These matters should ideally be discussed with an officer at the pre-application stage. Applications will not be deemed invalid simply because the checklist is not provided however its submission is a helpful aide memoire to all parties. The checklists for individual application types are outlined below: 

Application for Advertisement Consent Checklist

Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use or Development Checklist

Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Use or Development Checklist

Change of Use Checklist

Full Applications Major Development Checklist

Full Applications Minor Development Checklist

Householder Checklist

Listed Building Consent Checklist

Outline Application for Major Development Checklist

Outline Application for Minor Development Checklist

Removal or Variation of Condition Checklist

Reserved Matters Applications for Minor and Major Development Checklist

Tree in a Conservation Area Tree Preservation Order Works Hedgerow Removal Checklist

Further advice upon preparing a Nutrient Neutrality and Mitigation Statement can be found here. 

When ready to submit your application the easiest way to do so is online. 

You will receive step by step guidance on the type of application you need, what areas to complete, what documents to include and how much it is going to cost. Our most common applications and their fees can be found on our frequently asked planning application fees list. All applications submitted through the Planning Portal, which require a planning fee to be paid, will incur a service charge of £16.67 (+ VAT). 

Begin your application by clicking the 'Make a Planning Application' button below.

Obtaining planning permission is often not the end of your involvement with the Council. 

Planning permission may be approved with conditions that require the further agreement of details by the Council prior to a start being allowable on site. 

These may include:

• advising how long you have to implement a scheme
• identifying the approved drawing numbers
• requiring the submission of further details for approval, such as materials or large scale drawings

When a condition requires the submission of further details, this is referred to as a Discharge of Condition application, or a DOC application.

If this is relevant to you, check when this needs to be done. For example, the wording of the condition may require the details to be submitted to AND approved prior to the commencement of development. 

Before you complete your application

Prior to the submission of your Discharge of Condition application, it is recommended you refer to the following points, which will hopefully help to ensure your application meets the requirements of the conditions, and minimize potential delays or possible refusals:

• Refer to case officer’s delegated report, or where relevant the committee report, minutes and addendum – these may make recommendations on the contents of condition details.
• See if there are any informatives that are relevant to the condition you are seeking to discharge.
• Check the wording of the condition – ensure you address each point – otherwise the application may be refused or only partially discharged (therefore causing delays). Officers are only asked to make decisions based on submissions, and therefore not obliged to go back requesting information that should have been submitted with the original submission.
• There may be conditions that overlap, for example hard and soft landscaping includes cycle storage, boundary treatment, and materials. If there are also conditions placed on the decision requiring cycle storage, boundary treatment or material details, consider grouping these conditions together and submit as one application.
• Ensure any detailed drawings are consistent with the approved drawings referenced in the original decision notice – for example, the detailed landscaping drawings are consistent with the approved site layout plan; or the cross section of an elevation is consistent with the positioning of openings and height of the building.
• When there is a Construction Method Statement and Arboricultural Method Statement condition, ensure these are written so they are consistent with each other. For example, you will need to ensure the storage of materials or construction vehicle routing is not contradictory to the Arboricultural Method Statement or Tree Protection Plans (which may have been submitted with the application, or conditioned).
• If the condition requests a document (such as a Construction Method Statement), structure this document in the order of the bullet points listed in the condition, also using the same headings.

Submitting your application

You can submit your Discharge of Conditions application through the Planning Portal. Once you have submitted your details please select the application type ‘Approval of Details Reserved by Condition’.

Please set out clearly condition by condition the information we require plus references to any attached plans or technical documents. Extracts from manufacturer’s brochures or photos to support your submission will be acceptable on occasion; in some circumstances we will require physical samples.

There are a couple of forms not available via the Planning Portal. These are available here:

• Hedgerow Removal Notice form
• Modification or Discharge of Planning Obligation form and help notes

Applications for Listed Building Consent should also be made via the Planning Portal, there is no separate form.