The team have made considerable progress on reducing our backlog of applications to around 150 down from its peak of 500. This means that we are now allocating applications to case officers more quickly and our current average timescales for deciding applications are improving. Indicative timescales are as follows:

Householder applications – 15 weeks
Minor applications (including replacement dwellings) – 15 weeks

We are currently allocating applications that were made valid in the week commencing 27th May 2024 to a planning officer.

Whilst we are now allocating applications to officers more quickly, please note that officers still generally have high caseloads and therefore it may still take some time before you are provided with an update on your application.

In general, we are working through applications in order that they were made valid, however we are aiming to give priority to the following application types:

• Technical applications (e.g. prior approvals), which can obtain permission by default if these are not decided in accordance with the relevant timescale
• Certificates of Lawfulness for householder development
• Non-material amendments
• Discharge of Conditions
• Householder applications which are, in the view of the Council, simple in nature (e.g. This would not normally include applications with multiple elements proposed, applications within the Conservation Area, proposals to Listed Buildings or applications within the Metropolitan Green Belt).
• Applications which, in the view of the Council, are a straightforward resubmission of a previous proposal

If you have a professional agent submitting the application on your behalf, all dialogue with case officers takes place through them. Please ask your agent for an update if your case has been allocated to an officer.

The Council's Planning team is streamlining our service to ensure we can meet the needs of all our residents.

Our Planning phone lines are open:

Monday to Friday 09:00 to 13:00

You can access our Planning Duty Managers twice a week

Tuesdays 10:00 to 12:00 and
Thursdays 10:00 to 12:00

Please note, planning officers are only available to speak to applicants or their agents about their current "live" planning applications.

Planning officers are not available to take calls outside these times. If a planning officer has any questions about your application, they will contact you.

Our online service is available 24/7 where you can view and track current applications, explore the Local Plan, make new planning applications plus much more.

Please do not contact the planning department for an update on your application. You can monitor the website for comments and consultation responses on your application using the online search facility. See: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/view-and-track-planning-applications

Any amendments during the course of the planning application will now go through our chargeable service, which is at the discretion of officers in accordance with our guidance. Should you wish to seek initial views on a proposal, please use our preapplication advice service. See: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/planning-permission

To speed up the determination of your application, please note the following advice:

• Please ensure your application includes all the necessary information.
• Please do not submit updates or revisions to your application unless requested to do so by the Planning Officer.
• Please submit current photographs of the site and surroundings to help your case officer assess the application.
• Please put up a site notice if asked to do so and send additional photographs if requested. If you cannot do this, please let us know promptly – failure to display a site notice correctly will cause a delay in processing the planning application.

Thank you for your patience while our officers deal with a heavier than usual workload.

We now offer a new free online service for householders to check if works they are planning to their home will need planning permission – to find out more please see Do I Need Planning Permission?