http://www.solihull.gov.uk/planning Solihull Council Planning News. Solihull Web Team web@solihull.gov.uk 2010-08-12 weekly 1 2010-08-12T00:01 2010 (c) Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council http://www.solihull.gov.uk/akssolihull/users/public/admin/kab14.pl?operation=SUBMIT&meet=46&cmte=PLA&grpid=public&arc=71 The Planning Committee that was due to take place on the 22nd December and postponed due to the bad weather has now been rescheduled to take place on the 6th January 2011. The committee agenda can be viewed in full on our Council, Meetings, Agendas and Minutes page. Wednesday 29th December 2010 Solihull Planning Department planning@solihull.gov.uk Wednesday 29-December-2010 Planning http://www.solihull.gov.uk/news/23789.htm From the 4th January 2011 the V.A.T rate rises to 20%. Services affected include pre-application advice and building regulation applications (with the exception of regularisation applications). Wednesday 29th December 2010 Solihull Planning Department planning@solihull.gov.uk Wednesday 29-December-2010 Planning http://www.solihull.gov.uk/bcinspection/default.htm Due to the Council closure dates during the Christmas Period no online inspection bookings can be made for the following dates: Friday 31/12/2010 (afternoon) and Monday 03/01/2011. For more details on the availability of all council services, please visit our Winter Service Updates page. For more details on the availablitliy of all council services, please visit our Winter Service Updates page http://www.solihull.gov.uk/snow Wednesday 29th December 2010 Solihull Planning Department planning@solihull.gov.uk Wednesday 29-December-2010 Building Regulations http://www.solihull.gov.uk/planning/preappadvice Pre-application discussions on planning applications are widely recognised as being of benefit. They benefit both prospective applicants and local authority in ensuring a better mutual understanding of objectives and the constraints that exist. Adopting a positive attitude towards early engagement enables applications to be dealt with in a more certain and speedy manner and the quality of decisions can be better assured. Solihull Council is introducing a new approach to enable the provision of a consistent and fair method of pre-application discussions on householder, minor and major planning proposals and is launching a protocol detailing how such discussions will take place. This protocol has been developed to demonstrate the importance that the Council places on such discussions and the commitment to the service levels that can be expected. A copy of the protocol is available to download from the Council's web site. The protocol covers what will be provided, what should be provided by those seeking pre-application advice and the service levels that can be expected. In order that the Council can provide a service that is consistent and to a high standard, the discretionary powers in the Local Government Act 2003 will be used to recover some of the costs incurred before an application is submitted. The Council believe that this cost should be recovered directly and not fall as a general cost to the council tax payer. Costs will range from £150 to £1,500 depending on the size of the development and VAT will be payable at the prevailing rate. Charges will not be made in response to requests for advice about whether or not planning permission is required, or for enquiries concerning how a particularly policy may be applied in a general sense in isolation of a site or scheme. Nor will a charge be made in relation to pre-application advice on potential extensions to domestic properties. The new protocol will be applicable to pre-application advice requests made on or after 22nd November 2010. Solihull Planning Department planning@solihull.gov.uk Monday 01-November-2010 Planning http://www.solihull.gov.uk/housing/applying.htm On the 1st October 2010 a new fee structure for building regulation applications came into effect. We have also updated our fee guidance, for more information please visit our Building Regulations page. Our online fee calculator will also be offline for a short period whilst the calculator is updated to reflect the new fees. (01/10/10). Solihull Planning Department planning@solihull.gov.uk Friday 01-October-2010 Building Regulations