You are a statutory consultee on planning applications and as a Parish Clerk you can submit comments on behalf of your Parish
Planning Applications
As a statutory consultee you will automatically receive correspondence from us relating to planning applications in your area. The system we use to manage planning applications and associated documents is called Public Access.
You can sign in to the relevant public access site by clicking the button below.
Once signed in you can track planning applications and set up development alerts to keep your Parish Council up to date with progress.
The National Association for Local Councils is promoting recent guidance published by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. This is in two parts; part one is an introduction and informative background to the English planning system; part two sets out clear steps you could take to respond effectively to a planning application.
Planning Application Types and Reference Numbers
The following information is provided to help you understand the different types of planning application and the reference numbers we use.
Different types of application are required depending on the development in question. More information is available on the planning portal website by clicking the button below.
Different types of application are reflected in the reference number we use. An abbreviation of the application type is included at the end of the reference number.
The reference number is just an abbreviation of the type of application and some other numbers/letters that make it a unique reference number – there are various different conventions for creating these, it will normally include the year that it was submitted, e.g., 25 for 2025.
Click the button below to view a list of common planning abbreviations.
If you want a quick way to find out the application type you can:
- Search for the application in Public Access using the reference number
- Select 'Planning Application Details'
- Navigate to 'Further Information'
- The application 'type' is shown as the first item in the table
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
The most recent NPPF was updated in December 2024 and is available by clicking the button below.
Changes include:
- Mandatory housing targets were reintroduced, reversing the previous government's more flexible approach
- A new standard method for calculating local housing need was implemented to support the delivery of 1.5 million homes during the current Parliament
- Updates were made to plan-making processes, including support for faster, more agile local plans
- No changes were made to the Use Classes Order
Planning Use Classes
Planning use classes are part of UK planning law and are used to group buildings and land by how they are used, such as homes, shops, or offices. They help us manage how areas develop by making it clear when a change of use might need planning permission. In simple terms, if a building is used in a similar way to before, permission may not be needed, but if the use changes significantly, we need to assess the impact on the area through a planning application.
Here’s a summary of the current Use Classes as recognised in the planning system and referenced in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Planning Portal has some useful advice and guidance, as well as a interactive house to explore what planning permissions are required. Click the buttons below to explore more.
Local Plan
The new North Yorkshire Local Plan will guide future development and conservation in the area until 2045. This plan covers North Yorkshire, excluding the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, and outlines our priorities for land use and development.
For the latest information and to register for consultation updates, click the button below.
For further information, visit Developer Contributions by clicking the button below.
Planning Enforcement in Your Area
We have a duty to investigate complaints about development that may have been carried out without permission or consent.
To find out about planning enforcement in your area, how to report a breach and how we deal with it, click the button below.
Section 106 Agreements (s106) and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
There may be funding available in your area to support local initiatives through developer contributions linked to planning applications. These are administered through either s106 or CIL.
Section 106 Agreements
Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 enables a local planning authority (LPA’s) to enter into a negotiated agreement – a planning obligation – to mitigate the impact of a specific development and make it acceptable in planning terms. The planning obligations take the form of a Section 106 (S106) agreement between a developer/landowner, the council, and possibly other parties, or alternatively a unilateral undertaking providing a legal commitment by the developer alone.
Planning obligations are legal agreements that can be attached to a planning permission to mitigate the impact of development. For example, new residential development can place additional pressure on existing social, physical, and economic infrastructure in the surrounding area. Planning obligations aim to balance extra pressure with improvements to the surrounding area, to ensure that development makes a positive contribution.
Planning obligations could be sought for the provision or contribution to a new or improved road, school, health facility or local green infrastructure. Local planning authorities can also seek planning obligations to secure a proportion of affordable housing from residential developments.
Regulations state that a planning obligation may only constitute a reason for granting planning permission for the development if the obligation is:
(i)necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms;
(ii)directly related to the development;
(iii)and fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development.
Community Infrastructure Levy
The 2008 Planning Act made provision that most financial contributions could be secured by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). It was the government’s intention at the time that this would become the usual means of securing funding for off-site infrastructure, excluding affordable housing. This general intention has not changed and may be expanded in due course. It would also allow the pooling of contributions (in a manner not previously permitted by S106 agreements) over a wide geographic coverage (rather than only to the town/parish where the development which generated the funds was sited).
In contrast to S106 contributions with CIL spending:
- there does not need to be a direct link between the payment and the infrastructure provided. • the use of CIL is not specified at the point of collection.
- CIL is calculated using an administrative process rather than a negotiation based on an assessment of development impacts.
- it applies to developments that are often smaller in scale as well as large scale.
- a proportion of the CIL is allocated locally, as is a portion to cover administrative expenses.
Prior to the establishment of North Yorkshire Council, CIL was adopted in four of the former Councils:
- Selby District Council, adopted CIL in 2016
- Harrogate District Council, adopted CIL in 2020
- Hambleton District Council, adopted CIL in 2015
- Ryedale District Council, adopted CIL in 2016
The Charging Schedules in place for these former districts will continue for the respective areas as part of North Yorkshire Council until such time as the new North Yorkshire Local Plan is adopted. The Craven, Scarborough and Richmondshire areas do not currently have a CIL Charging Schedule in operation and therefore only use S106 commuted sums to contribute to the financial provision of infrastructure.
The most recent published Infrastructure Funding Statement, which provides transparency on how contributions are collected, allocated and spent, as well as how funding is carried forward for future infrastructure delivery is available by clicking the button below.
Traveller/Gypsy
Gypsy and Traveller communities are diverse groups with distinct cultures, traditions, and lifestyles. They often lead a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving from place to place for work, family, or cultural reasons.
Find information about how we approach Gypsies and Travellers on a public open space or other land by clicking on the button below.
You can provide an input on planning applications for Gypsy and Traveller sites by viewing and commenting on planning applications in your area by clicking on the button below.