Changes to the planning service during Covid-19 – Nov/Dec 2021 update
Published: 1 November 2021
We continue to work mostly remotely; we are working hard to provide our usual service levels with limited office presence.
Telephoning us
We are currently experiencing high customer demand for our service, and given the current working arrangements to account for the pandemic, we need to prioritise our time efficiently. We have therefore reduced our availability by telephone so that we can process planning applications. We are only able to accept calls between 1 pm and 5 pm. Case officers will contact you if there is additional information needed for your application to progress. We would appreciate it if you can keep calls to the department to a minimum and use email to liaise with us regarding progress on cases. Thank you.
Pre-application advice
You must submit sufficient information for us to properly assess the impacts of the proposal, including photographs if you can. If it is impossible to visit the site, you should know that additional issues could come to light when we see the site during the application process. We will be prioritising planning applications over the provision of pre-application advice, so please be patient.
Submitting a new application
We ask that all applications are submitted online, which you should do via www.planningportal.co.uk. Any applications submitted by hard copy are likely to encounter significant delays in validation due to remote working. Would you please submit photographs of the site and views towards neighbouring boundaries to help us assess the impact and add precise dimensions to plans in addition to a scale bar.
Commenting on an application
We ask that all representations are submitted online, which can be done whilst viewing the application on our webpage: https://exeter.gov.uk/planning-services/permissions-and-applications/find-and-comment-on-a-planning-application/.
Site Visits
Planning Officers are undertaking site visits following Covid secure procedures. We are also using Google maps and Street view and asking applicants to provide photographs of the site and surroundings where possible to enable us to make a full assessment. If we cannot view a site safely, there may be delays in dealing with your application. The case officer will contact you to discuss this. Any site visit that does occur will comply with social distancing guidelines and minimise contact with others. Your case officer will discuss this with you/your agent if this is necessary.
Meetings
We are not currently holding meetings at the Civic Centre. Site meetings will be at the discretion of the case officer. Any site visit that does occur will comply with social distancing guidelines and minimise contact with others. Your case officer will discuss this with you/your agent if this is necessary.
As an alternative to a meeting, your case officer may choose to discuss your case over the telephone. We can also meet you over Skype or Zoom if required.
Publicity
To meet publicity requirements, we are currently sending neighbour notification letters. In a small number of cases where legislation requires us to post site notices, we may send the site notice direct to applicants asking them to display it in a publicly accessible location and send us a photo of it in situ. It is acceptable to put these on lamp posts or fences, but please do not put them where the public would have to trespass to read them.
Enforcement
In the current climate, assessments of breaches reported will take longer than usual. We may request further information from you to aid in the investigation, such as photographs or measurements. We are carrying out site visits following Covid secure procedures on a case by case basis and depending on the priority and the ability to meet Government Guidance.
Committees
Planning committees are held monthly in Exeter. You can view a calendar of committee dates: http://committees.exeter.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx. Arrangements have been made to ensure that the meetings are Covid-safe; they are currently being held at the Guildhall in the High Street to allow for greater social distancing than possible in the usual Civic Centre room.
Determining your application
Due to the above restrictions, there may be some delay in determining your application, particularly if we or other consultees cannot visit the site to make an assessment. We will aim to minimise disruption and delay by seeking further information from you, as indicated above.
Thank you so much for being so patient during this difficult time.